#love that they had them all three in red a la chicago although no. 2 was euthanasia/assisted suicide and no. 3 self-defense

[emma-nation]

Memory Fragments - KamilahxMC Fanfiction (Chapter 1) *Debriefed Sequel*

Summary: Four years after the events of Debriefed. When a tragedy happens, Kamilah must face a second decision that will change her life forever.

Rating: T

Tag List: @begging-for-kamilah, @lulu-the-cat, @ilovekamilahsayeed

Notes:

- English is not my first language, forgive me for any mistakes.

- After so many requests I finally decided to give this fic a sequel, and closure.

- I hope you enjoy it and don't hate me yet. TVD fans will probably know what happens next (don't spoil it! 😯).

- Your likes and reviews are always appreciated. 

San Francisco, California - June 2, 2022 - 7 AM

*beep* *beep*

Kamilah stopped the alarm, barely opening her eyes. Then, she did the same routine she was forced to every morning. She opened a secret safe hiding behind a poster on her bedroom's wall. Lily Spencer gifted her that poster right before her move to the West Coast. It was from a game, named "Vampyr". She typed a password, "6-0-2-2". 

*password correct* flashed on the small led display.

She retrieved a syringe from inside. She still had enough for... two weeks, she rolled her eyes. She sat on the edge of her bed, injecting the red liquid in her upper arm. Adrian's serum had been improved to the point it lasted 24 hours. She could spend the entire day out in the sun, living a normal life. Or almost normal, she was still a vampire after all. The only side effects she had to deal with were a decrease in her special abilities, but it was no longer a problem. The Vampires in California were far less problematic from the ones in New York.

After a quick shower, she got dressed and drove to a hospital nearby. Discreetly, she walked to a small door at the side alley. She knocked three times and pronounced the secret code.

"I came for the strawberry jam."

A young looking man opened the door, with a smile on his face.

"Good Morning, Kamilah."

"Morning, Luc."

"What is going to be today? B-, AB+ or the regular O+?"

"Anything, after 2067 years they all start tasting the same."

He handed her a paper bag, containing a bag of blood inside.

"Have a nice breakfast."

Kamilah entered her car again, following to a large property in Napa. Zahra Institute of Botany, a sign hanging in the main building indicated. She parked her car at the usual spot. The spot reserved for the CEO. Inside her office, a cheerful blonde woman awaited for her with her favorite coffee in hands.

"Good morning, Kami! Did you have a good night? Did Luc..."

"Louise, I'm fine. Yes, I've had a good night of sleep and your husband provided the blood bag I needed. Thank you."

A couple of months after Kamilah decided to leave New York, her former protégé, Louise, came seeking for her help. Her husband, and bound, Jean-Luc had Stage 4 Cancer and she wanted him to be Turned. It was his only chance of surviving. As Kamilah's blood was more pure than Louise's, the chances he wouldn't turn into a feral were higher. After being Turned and properly branded, both of them decided to start a new life in the United States, which was really helpful for Kamilah at that moment. Now, after selling Ahmanet Financial, she ran a botany institute along with Louise. She'd spend most of her time doing what she loved, studying, researching and photographing different species of plants and their properties.

"Did you take our... daily medication?" Louise asked as soon as she sat on her desk, referring to Adrian's serum.

"Of course," Kamilah rolled her eyes. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here right now."

She accessed some files on her powerful computer. Her most important project was far from complete. She hoped that using natural ingredients only, she'd be able to achieve the same effects as the serum's.

"Damn it," she complained aloud. "I received the latest results and they failed. The tested Vampires were only able to stay out in the sun for 15 minutes and they got terrible sunburned."

"How much of the serum we still have left?"

"To supply all of us? Only enough for two weeks."

"Uh oh," Louise bit her lower lip, giving Kamilah a questioning look. "Does it mean you need to go back New York... right now?"

Kamilah sighed, angrily.

"Don't give me this look, okay? I'll find another way... I'll convince Adrian to ship some across the country. I'll make up some excuse."

"He'll never forgive you for missing out his wedding."

"Can we not talk about it?" Kamilah abruptly stood up, grabbing her camera.

All she needed was to spend some time alone in her gardens, with her rare flowers. The last thing she wanted to have in mind right now was Adrian's wedding. Or... Amy's wedding.

-------------------

Raines Corporation, New York - June 8, 2022 - 8 PM

Inside the elevator, Kamilah inhaled deeply for four seconds, then exhaled for another four. She was nervous, she couldn't deny it. It wouldn't be easy to face the woman she loved, her soulmate, again. Especially now she was engaged to her best friend. She couldn't just pretend it was all okay.

The elevator stopped. As the doors opened, she spotted an empty desk at the lobby. Through Priya, she learned Amy was no longer Adrian's assistant. He insisted she should go to business school, as she had a lot of potential to help him to run Raines Corporation when she became his wife.

It was so unlike her, Kamilah thought. Once she confessed she dreamed to have her own restaurant or a cafe, as she enjoyed cooking, and eating too. Now, because of Adrian, she'd be pursuing a career she didn't even like.

She knocked at Adrian's office, when he opened the door a huge grin appeared on his face.

"Kamilah," he involved her in a tight hug, "long time no see. I thought you weren't coming."

"Actually... I came here for something else. Me and my Clan in LA, we're running out of the serum."

"I'll provide you some. But aren't you staying for the wedding?"

Without an answer in mind, Kamilah swallowed dry. She wondered if that situation could've been prevented if she told Adrian Amy was her bound, or even confessed her feelings for her. But everything happened too fast, in a blink of an eye, they were already dating. 

"I-I... I've been busy," she lied. "There's this research I'm doing that cannot wait. I need to monitor the species cycle very closely."

"What about your partner, Louise? Come on, Kamilah. You're like a sister to me. All I wished for was to have you by my side in this moment. After everything I went through with Eleanor and Celia... I've finally found love again."

"But..."

Before saying anything else, Kamilah reminded of how much pain Adrian felt when Celia died. For months, she had to look after him, making sure he'd not go back to what he was before, when he was still Gaius servant.

Then, she remembered his words on that cabin, sharing his darkest secret. The trauma of losing his beloved wife and son. Now with Amy, he never felt lonely again. He was always happy and relaxed.

Upon that, she was unable to say no.

"Okay. I'll stay for your wedding."

Adrian hugged her again in pure gratitude. She almost could feel happy for him. Almost. If only he wasn't marrying her bound.

"There's one more thing..." before he could finish his sentence, the door opened.

"Adrian? You were taking so long to go home, I was getting worried."

Amy entered the office, when she noticed Kamilah was standing there, her expression quickly changed.

Kamilah hadn't seen her since her move. Everytime she had to visit Adrian to pick up the serum supply, she chose times she knew Amy wouldn't be at his office. She avoided even pictures online. 

Amy hadn't changed a bit. She was wearing worn-out jeans, a shirt and All-Star shoes. She was still that same girl, from four years earlier.

They gazed into each other eyes from what seemed like an eternity. That feeling. That same damn feeling returned. Stronger this time, as they consummated their bound. And Kamilah knew she was able to feel it too.

"Hi, Kamilah," Amy finally cleared her throat. "It's uhh... nice to see you. We thought you weren't coming, as you never confirmed our RVSP."

"Sorry, I've been too busy. I wasn't sure."

Another uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Amy didn't want Kamilah to be there, she could sense it. It made her highly anxious. She began to wonder if she actually told Adrian they had slept together, twice.

"So Kamilah," Adrian spoke. "I was saying... there's one more thing. I need to attend a conference in Chicago. I should stay there for a few days. Would you mind keeping an eye on Amy for me?"

"Adrian!" Amy complained, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I don't need a nanny, okay? I told you, I'm safe with Lily. The Baron won't be bothering us."

"I know, baby. But after I stopped providing him and his Clan the serum, who knows what he'll be capable of?"

"This is sweet of you, but... Kamilah said she's busy."

At this point, Kamilah had already stop paying attention. She wondered how many times she rolled her eyes in a row. They were so romantic, so cheesy, so... perfect. Her mouth stiffened in rage.

"She's taking a few days off, until our wedding. Remember?"

"Oh."

Amy wasn't thrilled to know she'd be forced to be around Kamilah for the next few days. Was she afraid? Did she have any doubts about her feelings for Adrian? A hint of satisfaction appeared on Kamilah's face and she forced a smile.

"Don't worry, Adrian. I'll take care of her as if she was my own bride."

-------------------

Although it was being too much too handle, Kamilah was hiding it well. She always acted supportive, calm and composed. Visiting the wedding site, checking if everything was fine with the buffet, giving her opinion about the decoration flowers... All of that was driving her insane, thinking she should be the one marrying Amy and giving her the wedding of her dreams. 

While she waited for Amy, in one of the last trials of the wedding dress, she went to her car and called Louise.

"I can't do this anymore. I seriously don't know how I'll even react when I see her in that dress."

"Relax, Kami. Do it as I told you, when the Priest asks if someone has any objections, you get up and..."

"Louise, no."

"Then why don't you just tell her? About the bounding thing, your feelings..."

"Taking another wife from Adrian's life. That sounds very fair."

"Does it sound fair that you'll spend the rest of your eternity locked inside a secluded property in Napa, researching flowers to avoid thinking of what could've been? She's your soulmate, Kamilah. Not his. She'll never feel complete by his side and... She's a mortal. She won't have all the time in the world to change her decision."

"I'll think about it, okay? I need to go now. She wants my opinion on that stupid dress. Bye."

When she entered back the boutique, her heart started pulsing weirdly. Her stomach stiffened. The view of the woman she loved in that wedding dress caused a feeling she had never experienced before, and she thought, that after 2067 years, she had felt literally everything. Amy looked back at her and smiled, she couldn't help smiling back.

"So, what do you think? I trust your fashion sense. You're always so well-dressed and elegant."

"You look..." Kamilah was still speechless, "perfect."

Amy's face suddenly changed. She sat down and started crying. Intensely.

"W-What's wrong?" Kamilah asked, sitting right beside her. "Was it something I said?"

"No... I just..." Amy took a deep breath and wiped out some tears. "I'm not sure about this wedding anymore. I'm not even sure about my life anymore! I hate college, I hate Adrian is never home, I hate his rich friends... Oh my god, please don't tell him that. I'm only confused. It must be stress."

"I won't, I promise."

"I wish I had your strength, you know? When you got fed up of that financial company of yours, you left everything behind to pursue what you always wanted."

"I've gotten used leaving things behind, I guess."

After Amy returned to her casual outfit, they were ready to leave. She still needed to speak to the band that was going to play at the party.

"I don't feel like going," she cried in the passenger seat. "Take me home. I'm not feeling well."

"I have a better idea."

Without telling Amy her plans, Kamilah drove to the nearest Ice Cream shop.

"Wasn't you that once told me Ice Cream heals everything?"

Amy let out a small laugh.

"Do you still remember?"

"Of course, I even adopted it as coping mechanism. You should see my freezer in San Francisco."

"You really have changed."

"For better, I hope."

Kamilah ordered them both the largest bowls of ice cream they had available. She asked extra topping for Amy, assuming that could help to cheer up her spirits, but she was still quiet, introspective.

"Can I ask you a question?" She broke the silence after a long pause. "Why did you really move to San Francisco?"

"I wanted a new beginning," Kamilah answered, taking a spoon of ice cream.

"Uh, you usually wish for a new beginning when something ends."

"Exactly. I had nothing else keeping me at New York anymore, so I started something new."

Amy let out a chuckle, where Kamilah noticed a hint of sarcasm.

"New state, new vampire companions, new company... What about a new lover?"

"Lover?" Kamilah rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Amy. You know me, love isn't for me anymore. I'm not capable of feeling..."

"But you were," Amy interrupted, raising her voice. "That night in Adrian's cabin, the other night in your office..."

"Then you started dating Adrian."

Kamilah looked away, avoiding Amy's eyes. It was like she was confessing somehow that she only went away because she couldn't stand the idea of seeing the two of them together.

"You finally admitted," Amy shook her head. "I knew it all along, and I couldn't even tell Adrian!"

"Of course, he wouldn't be happy to know we had sex, so you omitted it."

"What's your problem, Kamilah?! One night, you say you were searching for me, then you disappear for two weeks. You don't call me, you don't text me, we never talk about it again."

"It was an important business meeting, Amy. I had to leave the country for two weeks and when I returned, you were already dating him. You never considered how I'd feel about it."

"Now this is my fault? You never cared about me. You never showed you cared. For you, I was only a sex toy. You aren't that different from Priya, you know? Now Adrian, he's always by my side. He's supportive, loving, gentle... He brings me flowers and takes me on the most perfect dates..."

"And yet, you were having second thoughts about your wedding five minutes ago, before you start dwelling on a text I didn't send you four years ago."

Amy remained silent for minutes, staring at her furiously. Kamilah would never understand mortals, why did it still matter so many years later, when she was about to get married?

Maybe Louise was right. That was the perfect moment to open up, to tell her everything.

"Know what I think, Amy?" She spoke softly. "You don't want to marry Adrian, you're frustrated and you're blaming it on me. Blaming it on me because we still have unsolved feelings. Would you... Would you like to talk about it? I have something to tell you, I quite don't know how but..."

"Do you know what I want?" Amy slammed her fist on the table. "I want you to go away. I don't want to ever see you again, Kamilah. You never meant anything to me! You were just... a girl crush I had. Once I found true love those two nights became meaningless. I-I could never love you... you're cold, selfish, arrogant..."

"As you wish, Amy. I promise you'll never see me again."

While Kamilah paid for the order, Amy left the shop. Without saying goodbye or even looking back. 

She spent a long time inside her car, reminiscing about Amy's last words. The last time words hurt so deeply in her heart was when her brother's death was informed.

If only she wasn't scared of her feelings... If only she hadn't debriefed her all those times... If only she hadn't deleted that damn voicemail, four years before... 

Suddenly, her chest started feeling tight, her heart rate accelerated and it was getting difficult to breathe. It wasn't only that, she felt deeply sad, empty, like if a part of her had been ripped off. Maybe Amy's negative feelings for her were the key to break the bound. Now she was finally free to live a long and happy life with Adrian.

Kamilah started driving, headed back to the hotel. She'd return to San Francisco immediately. Later, she could find an excuse for Adrian. The traffic was slower than usual. It would take minutes, maybe hours to arrive at her destination. 

"I really miss San Francisco right now," she told herself while turning on the radio. Some music could help her to calm down a little bit.

When she was able to move a little, she started feeling thirsty. It should be that smell in the air, the smell of blood... fresh blood. A little further she could see the lights, police cars, an ambulance, a bus... As she passed through the accident site something on the floor got her attention, a bracelet. The same bracelet Amy was wearing that afternoon. 

Kamilah got out of the car, desperately trying to find her. Ignoring guards and paramedics, she passed through the yellow tapes. Following her advanced senses she looked around, attempting to find her. But she wasn't anywhere... Until...

She looked under the bus and there she was, lying face down in a puddle of blood.

"Amy!" Kamilah yelled, as a guard dragged her away. "Do something! Save her, please."

For the first time in centuries, tears started streaming down her face. The paramedics carefully removed Amy from under the bus. As they gave her the first examinations, Kamilah could hear them whispering:

"There isn't much to be done."

But her vampire ears still could hear it. Her favorite sound in the world. Amy's heartbeats, getting weaker... and weaker... until...

Silence.

[eldritchsurveys]

300.

Was your life better or worse or the same five years ago? >> My quality of life is vastly improved.

Would you rather visit NYC, LA, or Chicago? >> Los Angeles is the only one of the three that I haven’t ever been to, so I’d rather go there.

Have you ever been to Chicago? >> Yeah. It’s about a 2-3 hour drive from here, so I’ve been there a few times.

Would you ever want to live in a big city? >> Sure, as long as I can afford the cost of living. That’s usually the problem.

Does your first crush know they were your first crush? >> ---

What color is your favorite laundry basket? >> ??? I guess people can have a favourite anything, huh.

How old were you when you got your first smartphone? >> Mid-twenties sometime.

What is your favorite app on your phone? >> ---

What is the background on your phone? >> My answer to this still hasn’t changed and I’m tired of repeating it. I almost want to change my backgrounds just to have a new answer, lmao.

What is your favorite thing to do in the swimming pool? >> I don’t usually find myself in swimming pools.

Do you have a swimming pool? >> No.

What is the biggest city you've lived in (if you want to answer)? >> NYC.

Do you own an American flag shirt? >> Hell no.

Which country (or countries) has the best flag, in your opinion? >> I never bothered forming an opinion on this.

Did you get your personality from your mom or your dad, or neither? >> I was only raised by my father, so he’s the only person that could have had any influence on my personality.

Will you be eating bbq chicken this July 4th? >> I didn’t, no.

Would you rather wear red, white, or blue? >> Red.

Have you ever lit fireworks in your backyard? >> I’ve lit them in someone else’s backyard. Well, front yard.

Have you made many stupid decisions/mistakes? >> I’m sure I have.

What does your middle name rhyme with? >> ... Fallow? I had to google it and honestly most of these options sound like terrible rhymes to me.

If you had one boy and one girl, what would you name them? >> ---

Are there any redheads in your family? >> ---

Who do you know who is allergic to nuts? >> *shrug*

What is your favorite type of tree? >> I don’t have one. Weeping willows are pretty lit.

Are you superstitious? >> I’m... very much into synchronicity, but “superstitious” has the connotation that you follow specific superstitious behaviours to avoid negative consequences. Which isn’t quite the same thing as what I am.

Would you ever consider getting dreadlocks? >> I’ve considered it for years, but as much as I’d enjoy how I would look with them, I am not at all suited for that level of hair maintenance.

When was the last time you drank tea? >> I don’t remember. Definitely some time before summer began.

Have you downloaded extra fonts for your computer? >> No.

Do you have photoshop? >> No. Although it might still be installed on my other computer. I just don’t use it anymore.

What type of phone do you have? >> Moto g6 or something.

What is one interesting fact about you? >> I was born with 12 fingers.

What color are your walls? >> Some off-white shade.

Who taught you how to drive a car? >> I was never taught at all. 

What is your favorite candy bar? >> I don’t have one.

At what time of day do you feel the best? >> My feelings are rarely dependent on the time of day.

Are there a lot of mosquitoes where you live? >> Not that I’ve noticed.

What does your swimsuit look like? >> ---

What clothing store do you shop at the most? >> None.

Who is the latest great youtuber you've discovered? >> I just discovered exurb1a and I now love that channel.

Do you read the Bible regularly? >> No.

What color is your dresser? >> It’s beige. I didn’t pick it, it’s part of a set Sparrow has.

Do you own any antique furniture? >> No.

Would you ever want to live in a castle? >> No. Who the hell is going to maintain a whole ass castle? Not I.

What is your favorite cold drink from Starbucks? >> I don’t drink Starbucks.

Do you consider yourself "trendy"? >> No.

Name three patriotic songs you like. >> I don’t like any patriotic songs. Although I will admit Battle Hymn of the Republic kinda slaps. So does Dixie. :|

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? >> I guess vanilla bean.

Do you like your hair better long or short? >> I can only deal with it when it’s short.

Do you like your hair better curly or straight? >> ---

Which major holiday is closest to your birthday? >> Memorial Day. :|

Have you ever had an outdoor birthday party? >> No.

Has it ever snowed on your birthday? >> No. That’d be awful.

Do you like the way your name is spelled? >> Of course.

Are you close with any of your cousins? >> ---

Who is your favorite cousin? >> ---

Do you really think that light blonde is the best hair color? >> No???

Do you think that blue eyes are the prettiest? >> Nope!

[acsversace-news]

Andrew Cunanan, who shot and killed Gianni Versace on the front steps of the designer’s palatial estate on the morning of July 15, 1997, was good at bragging. In the second episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, a new FX miniseries about the crime and the years that led up to it, Cunanan (Darren Criss) lands in Miami’s South Beach. It is the last stop on a three-month killing spree, in which he has already murdered four men in three different states. Boasting energetically to a new friend, he claims he was once engaged to Versace (he wasn’t), who took him to dinner at the fabled San Francisco restaurant Stars (he didn’t). He launches into a reverie on Versace’s gift for design, and when his friend replies with, “Sounds real nice,” Cunanan is not pleased. “I don’t see something nice. I see the man behind it. A great creator. The man I could have been.”

Cunanan’s curdled sense of self-importance runs through the next seven episodes of the series, which travel backward from Cunanan’s crime spree to his troubled childhood. His parents, a depressive Italian-American mother and a Filipino immigrant father, poured all their hopes into young Andrew. He slept in the cavernous master bedroom by himself and attended a swanky private school in La Jolla, California, even though his parents could barely afford the tuition. He wore a red leather jumpsuit to school on occasion and was voted “Most Likely to Be Remembered” in his senior yearbook, but his own page gave almost no information about him. Instead, he inserted just one quote, attributed to the French King Louis XV: “Après moi, le déluge.” After me, the flood.

Cunanan’s first victims were Jeff Trail (Finn Wittrock) and David Madson (Cody Fern), two young gay men he met through the San Diego and San Francisco nightlife scenes when he was in his twenties. Trail, a former naval officer, befriended him when his ship was docked in the San Diego harbor. Madson, a promising young architect from Minnesota, and Cunanan had met in San Francisco in 1995, when Cunanan spotted him at a restaurant bar and sent a cocktail over. That night, according to writer Maureen Orth’s account (the FX show is partially based on Vulgar Favors, her 1999 best-seller about Cunanan’s crimes), the pair had a “nonsexual sleepover” inside the Mandarin Oriental hotel, where Andrew was staying thanks to an allowance he collected from a wealthy, older La Jolla businessman named Norman Blachford.

Blachford, whose partner of 26 years had just died when he met Cunanan, allowed him to move in to his mansion and decorate it, giving him credit cards, a $33,000 Infiniti, and a $2,500 living allowance. Cunanan was apparently ashamed of being a “kept” man but also flaunted his nouveau riches, spending lavishly on friends and acquaintances. When he met Madson, Cunanan felt a genuine emotional connection and obsessed over the architect romantically for the next two years. By the time Trail took a blue-collar job in Minneapolis, where Madson also lived, Blachford had dropped Cunanan, who was now alone. Cunanan flew to Minnesota, killed Trail with a claw hammer inside Madson’s airy loft, and then shot and killed Madson four days later on the banks of East Rush Lake, an hour outside town—perhaps out of jealousy or despair.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace sticks with Cunanan throughout his spree. Versace (Edgar Ramírez) and his longtime partner, Antonio (Ricky Martin), only appear intermittently, like pops from a flashbulb rather than fully developed characters. This feels purposeful: Cunanan was preoccupied with fame, perhaps to the point of psychopathy, and he put celebrity on a pedestal. He saw himself as destined for greatness, and it is this tragic misconception of himself that makes his story so very American. Versace was an openly gay immigrant, succeeding at the highest levels of American business. This must have enraged Cunanan, the openly gay son of an immigrant, who saw in Versace the anointed prince that he longed to be.

Shortly before the first episode aired, members of the Versace family distanced themselves from the new show, which they thought “should only be considered as a work of fiction.” In Vulgar Favors, Orth asserts that Cunanan had met Versace in San Francisco around 1990, when the designer created the costumes for a San Francisco Opera production of Capriccio. Although it’s not clear whether the two met only in passing or were much better acquainted, we see this encounter in a scene in The Assassination of Gianni Versace. If they had dated, as Cunanan often boasted to friends, Cunanan’s violent act may have been personal: Some reporters at the time speculated—with a homophobic slant—that Cunanan may have been an “HIV killer,” out to get revenge on former boyfriends. (A medical examiner later testified that he was not in fact HIV positive.) Versace’s family holds that he never met Cunanan, that the designer was a victim of his own fame and of one man’s twisted rampage against a sparkling culture that rejected him.

The second installment in Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story anthology series, the show doesn’t aim to establish which version is true so much as to expose the rot at the center of American culture—horrors that could only happen here. (Last season followed the trial of O.J. Simpson, dissecting the racial and gendered complexities of the case.) What we do know, from Orth’s book and from several other reports following the murders, was that Cunanan’s life was one of deception and delusion, of falsehoods and fibs and chicanery. He wanted to travel in the highest echelons of society, clinking glasses with socialites and captains of industry and cavorting on yachts. He didn’t like to work but loved to party, a less talented Mr. Ripley.

Cunanan wanted to travel in the highest echelons of society, clinking glasses with socialites and cavorting on yachts.

Throughout, Cunanan has to confront the mismatch between his aspirations and reality. From an early age, he bluffs about his background, telling classmates he is the son of wealthy aesthetes, that his father, Modesto (Jon Jon Briones), once served as Imelda Marcos’s personal pilot and that his mother has filled his lunch box with lobster tails. In the penultimate episode, we learn that Modesto has had to flee the country after embezzling fortunes from his clients. When Cunanan, now in his teens, goes to Manila to find him, Modesto is living in squalid conditions. Criss and Briones stare at each other for long minutes in this scene, filmed inside a tiny tropical shack. Cunanan realizes his father’s success was a lie, and that all of the confidence and self-regard he has absorbed from his bellowing belief must also be fraudulent.

Many people would experience this sort of trauma—the explosion of the family unit, the disgrace of a parent—and cave inward. Cunanan does the opposite. When he returns from Manila, his lies only get bigger. He claims that his father owns a pineapple plantation, that as son and heir, he is set to inherit millions. He tells friends that he has family in New York, Paris, and Rome, and that Signore Versace has asked him to travel around the world with him designing costumes. Even before the period when a quick Google search could swiftly puncture outrageous claims, all this bragging raises suspicion. In a conversation Madson imagines shortly before he is killed, he asks Cunanan to tell him one true thing about his life. It doesn’t happen. Cunanan was like a Gatsby so enchanted with the green light that he would kill for it, a man so bedeviled by the American dream that he became a walking nightmare.

Because the show tells Cunanan’s story backward, we often see his victims die before we get to spend time with them. We see Cunanan in the days leading up to the murder of Versace, then we see him bludgeon Lee Miglin (Mike Farrell), a prominent Chicago real estate developer, in Miglin’s garage. We see him shoot a cemetery caretaker in Pennsylvania just so that he can steal his red pickup truck. When these victims appear again on-screen, beaming and unaware of their bloody future, it can feel like agony. They die in front of you all over again, and you are mourning them even while they are simply talking and moving.

The best episode of the series is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which follows Jeff Trail through the trauma of being gay in the military. In one scene, he tries to hang himself in uniform; in another gruesome moment, he takes a box cutter and begins to slice a tattoo from his calf, after hearing that officials can identify homosexuals by their body markings. The anguish and shame that Trail feels is devastating, especially as we know what fate lies ahead. He is forced to leave the Navy, but as he leaves, he gives an interview to a news program about the struggles of being gay and wanting to serve your country. The fact that this act of bravery—and its promise of a new, more open life—so closely precedes his death haunts the episode.

No one is safe in Cunanan’s world, but then, perhaps, it was never safe to be gay in 1990s America, even for gold-plated celebrities like Versace. The media of the time blamed the victim for his own murder as much as it blamed Cunanan. While Cunanan was “a killer on the loose,” Edward J. Ingebretsen has written in At Stake: Monsters and the Rhetoric of Fear in Public Culture, Versace was seen as “a different threat entirely, that of a profligate and well-traveled member of the upper class, whose mobility, like the killer’s, is also the stuff of myth.” The media wrapped Versace’s and Cunanan’s stories together, frequently drawing parallels between the two: both gay, fashion-obsessed men, enchanted by wealth. Yet they couldn’t have been more different—one of them created, while the other destroyed.

In the end, The Assassination of Gianni Versace belongs to Cunanan, because it is a singular story: the story of a boy who wanted everything in the world but never figured out how to get it. This is an American crime story, in that we see in the rearview how the consumerist ’90s could warp those who treated celebrity like a religion, how some were even willing to commit vile acts for a taste of rarefied air. Very little is, at its core, more American than that.

[annoyingkoalawinner]

English Dogs Metalmorphosis

English Dogs, culminating with the 'Metalmorphosis ' 12' and 'Where Legend Began' album through Under One Flag in 1986. In Spring of that year the Dogs toured the USA to sold out shows at the LA Olympic auditorium, Fenders Ballroom, San Diego, San Francisco, Baltimore, New York, Chicago, in fact all over the East and West coast.

English Dogs discography (all) They Only Come Out at Night (1985) Metalmorphosis (1986) Where Legend Began English Dogs. Type: Full-length Release date: 1986.

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1986 Vinyl release of Metalmorphosis on Discogs. Label: Under One Flag - 12 FLAG 101. Format: Vinyl 12 English Dogs - Metalmorphosis (1986, Vinyl) Discogs.

English Dogs are a British hardcore punk band that began life in the early eighties. Two versions of the band exist,the Punk/Metal Crossover band featuring original drummer Andrew 'Pinch' Pinching and second era members Graham 'Gizz' Butt and Adie Bailey and a punk-based one featuring original vocalist Pete 'Wakey' Wakefield.

History

English Dogs formed in October 1981 in Grantham and produced two demos during 1982 entitled 'Show No Mercy' and 'Free To Kill'. The band toured as support to fellow punk band Charged GBH in Germany during early 1983 and followed this with a British tour supporting Discharge. In 1983 they signed to Clay Records and released a 6 track EP titled 'Mad Punx And English Dogs' July 1983. English Dogs' first full-length album, 'Invasion of the Porky Men', emerged a year later. Personnel changes ensued after the debut album emerged with vocalist Wakey departing to be replaced by ex-Ultraviolent singer Ade Bailey. At this juncture the band also decided to augment their live and recorded sound by adding ex-Destructors guitarist Graham 'Gizz' Butt who added Metal riffing, guitar leads and contributed to the English Dogs songwriting.

This change saw them leave Clay records to sign with Rot Records and release the decidedly metal tinged 'To The Ends Of The Earth' EP in September 1984. The metal leanings increased with Forward into Battle. English Dogs, culminating with the 'Metalmorphosis ' 12' and 'Where Legend Began' album through Under One Flag in 1986. In Spring of that year the Dogs toured the USA to sold out shows at the LA Olympic auditorium, Fenders Ballroom, San Diego, San Francisco, Baltimore, New York, Chicago, in fact all over the East and West coast. Upon their return to the UK Jon Murray left the band.The group appeared on the legendary Shades promoted Thrash bill at Camden's Electric Ballroom with Possessed and Voivod later in 1986. Pinch also left the band around Winter '86. The band carried on with Adie, Gizz and Wattie playing with other musicians until calling it a day in the fall of that year. In 1993 Pinch and Gizz Butt reformed English Dogs with 'Mad Punx' vocalist Wakey and Future Damned Bassist Stuart West, signed to German label 'Impact records' and released 'Bow To None', Wakey left shortly after with him being replaced by Stuart 'Stu-Pid' Jones (Also of Police Bastard, Sensa Yuma and ex Contempt) for the 1995 five track EP 'What A Wonderful Feeling... ...To Be Fucked By Everyone' on Retch Records .

Eventually English Dogs became a 3 piece with the line up of Gizz Butt - Lead Vocals and guitars, Pinch - Drums and backing vocals and Shop - Bass guitar and Backing vocals . They released the 16 track crossover album 'All The World's A Rage' also on Impact records and toured UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland many times. in 1996 the English Dogs played their last shows as Pinch, Gizz and Shop were soon to re-emerge as Janus Stark. An English Dogs / GBH union resulted in Wakey and Pinch creating The Wernt with GBH members guitarist Jock Blyth and bassist Ross Lomas for a 1997 album 'Wreckin' Temples'. Gizz Butt replaced Jim Davies of Pitchshifter as the live guitarist for The Prodigy, which in turn revitalized interest in English Dogs and prompted a re-release of Where Legend Began. Gizz also announced the formation of a new act Janus Stark the same year recording with (3 Colours Red producer)Terry Thomas acting as producer. 1999's 'I've Got A Gun' was recorded live in Finland in 1994 when Pid was on vocals . By 2000 Pinch had joined The Damned. Gizz Butt returned in 2002 with The More I See.

In May 2007, English Dogs reformed with the original line-up with the exception of Pinch, who is drumming for The Damned. He was replaced by Stuart Meadows, who played for Resistance 77. They mainly play throughout Europe, but they do not play their crossover material. English Dogs released an EP called 'Tales of the Asylum' in November 2008. English Dogs had another line-up change in 2009, then afterwards a hiatus . At one point the only original member being bassist Wattie .After months of leaving, Wakefield reformed the band with him being the only member to have featured on any official release. In 2011 three original members of the 1984 Crossover line up announced they were going to reform to perform the 'Forward Into Battle' and 'To The Ends Of The Earth' releases in their entirety . This led to a sell out tour which received great reviews. After the tour the lads announced they were to write new material in the vein of the Crossover material and plan more touring. The new English Dogs album, entitled The Thing With Two Heads, will be released on Candlelight records in July 2014. Drummer Pinch says 'We got back together because we felt like we had unfinished business. Tons of people ended up turning up to the gigs. We started to think maybe we are worth a fuck after all. We started writing and recording and it clicked immediately.' The Thing With Two Heads, he continues, 'is the missing link between To the Ends Of the Earth and Forward Into Battle. It’s classic English Dogs punk metal. It doesn’t sound like anyone else, because it wasn’t inspired by anyone else.' The Crossover line up are now back out on tour with long time friend and associate Spike T Smith on drums (who played in the Dogs way back in '87 when Pinch had to step out back then) who stepped into the drummer position in August 2014 as Pinch was unable to commit time to the Dogs due to his role in The Damned.

Discography

Albums

Invasion of the Porky Men (Clay Records, 1984)

Forward Into Battle (Rot Records ASS20, 1985)

Where Legend Began (Under One Flag Records FLAG4, 1987)

Bow to None (Impact Records, 1994)

All the World's a Rage (Impact Records, 1995)

I've Got A Gun! Live In Helsinki (Retch Records, 1999)

This Is Not A War (Retch Records, 2002)

'We Did, We Do, We Always Fucking Will' (2014)

The Thing With Two Heads (Candlelight Records, 2014)

Singles and EPs

Demo '82 tape (1982)

Mad Punx and English Dogs 12' (Clay Records, 1983)

To the Ends of the Earth 12' (Rot Records, 1984)

Metalmorphosis 12' (Under One Flag Records 12FLAG101, 1986)

Sei Was Du Bist (Impact 1995)

What a Wonderful Feeling to Be F**ked By Everyone (Retch Records, 1995)

Tales From The Asylum (Retch Records 2008)

Get Off My F***ing Moon (2011)

Dog Sick Split with Sick On The Bus (2012)

Clockwork Boys / English Dogs - Lusitanian Punk Rock - Punk Fucking Rock ‎(7')Chaosphere Recordings, Raw 'N' Roll Rex, Dog City Records, V.D.C. RecordsCHAOSV009, RAW002, DCR004, VDC 0062013

Compilation albums

Have a Rotten Christmas Vol. 2 LP (Rot, 1985)

Driven to Death LP (Clay, 1990)

Angry Songs and Bitter Words CD (Ruptured Ambitions, 2003)

Members

First line-up

Pete 'Wakey' Wakefield - Vocals

Jon Murray - Guitar

Mark 'Wattie' Watson - Bass

Andrew 'Pinch' Pinching – Drums

English Dogs Metalmorphosis Rar

'Forward Into Battle' line-up

Adie Bailey - Vocals

Graham 'Gizz' Butt - Lead Guitar

Jon Murray - Guitar

Mark 'Wattie' Watson - Bass

Andrew 'Pinch' Pinching – Drums

Present UK line-up

Pete 'Wakey' Wakefield - Vocals

Nick Wynch - Guitar

Michael *Tat* Tatler - Bass

Richard *Grizz* Grizzwell - Drums

Present Crossover line-up

Adie Bailey - Vocals

Graham 'Gizz' Butt - Lead Guitar

Ryan Christy- Rhythm Guitar

Craig Christy - Bass

Andrew 'Pinch' Pinching – Drums

Spike T. Smith - Drums (since July 2014)

English Dogs Metalmorphosis Shirt

English Dogs evolved from being a punk band to a crossover band to a power metal band. The Metalmorphosis EP is from the more punkish crossover time. While evolving so much, and changing style so much, they obviously produced albums of different quality. Metalmorphosis is not one of the better releases. The production is very good, considering the EP was made in the late eighties. The guitars are clearly punk-influenced yet sounding like they were inspired of technical thrash. The paradox is total. Drumming are pretty metal, without the double bass and Wakey screams his vocals in a punk/hardcore way. His voice cracks at times, but most of the time he does just fine. All this results in a sonic chaos. Although behind the chaos there is a hidden complexity, which is the key reason, I love this band’s later releases. In the end of Nightmare of Reality there is a psychedelic drumbeat, building up a real nice atmosphere. The members of English Dogs are skilled musicians even though they are punks. They can do what they want, but I’m not sure that they knew what they wanted on this one. This release isn’t bad, but a better overlooked part of their discography.

[theliterateape]

Election 2020: Swimming in Sewage Toward a Different Kind of More Hopeful Cesspool

by Don Hall

8:00 a.m.

I wake up a few hours ago. Slept like the dead. I read through the same bullshit with poll numbers and predictions with the same combination of hope, certainty, uncertainty, and boredom as I did yesterday and the day before. Yeah. Trump is a full-blown dickhead. Biden is a truly nice guy. Will Texas go blue? Do I even know anyone from Texas anymore?

My wife wakes up. She’s helping friends move to North Carolina by helping them drive their shit for the next week as if today is not anything big. She gives me a blowjob and gets a bagel.

I’m not worried about the results of today. I truly am confident that the nation will tip back into some semblance of rationality and dump Trump. I’m more interested to see how it all unfolds and if the deposed Mad King will take a shit on the desk in the Oval as a parting gesture in three months.

I have this image of he and his whole skeleton crew, fully repudiated by a massive and historic blue wave, sitting in the White House like squatters, selling off pieces of our national history on Ebay and hiding from His Majesty as he stomps through the hallways screaming at portraits of presidents past about the unfairness of it all.

In tandem is the image of the cultural left sharpening their knives to go in full attack once Biden is sworn in to remake the country into some bizarre Maoist Shangri-La doing what the Left always does — cannibalize it’s own — while the defeated Republicans pretend they were never in league with Trump but held hostage by him like the rest of us.

Fuck me. This is going to be a long day, isn’t it?

10:00 a.m.

I’m not terribly worried that Trump & Co. will steal the election.

I remember years ago a prominent Chicago poet who dressed and spoke like a rap star telling me “It ain’t the n****rs who talk about shit you have to worry about. They’re all bark and no bite. It’s the quiet ones you need to keep an eye on.”

Trump has been barking about stealing the election for months now and I’m pretty certain a man so overwhelmingly incompetent as the one who completely blew both his debate appearances and fucked up a national response to an epic pandemic so horribly that a retarded child could’ve done better is not going to suddenly reveal that he is an evil genius capable of stealing one of the most televised elections in history.

I’m likewise less concerned about the rabid, angry Trumpers wreaking havoc on the country. They were never in this for a long campaign. They couldn’t even take COVID seriously enough to wear masks. They’ll make some noise, get into some melees for a few days and then slink home and grouse just like their hero.

I wonder what the Antifa crowd will do once Trump is deposed? Start an emo band? Go back to working at Starbucks and REI? I hope they decide to occupy Kentucky and reign terror on Mitch McConnell. It’s a terrible thing to say but the party I’ll throw in my semi-quarantined apartment when Trump loses tonight (this week? Next month?) will be nothing when compared to the full-on Mardi Gras parade I’ll throw when the Evil Senator from Kentucky dies. I’m known to say that I can’t hate someone unless I’ve met them but I fucking hate Mitch.

I read a weird op-ed online that essentially thanks Trump for giving us four years reprieve from the cultural warriors of the Far Left. I wish I read it in a paper so I could wipe my ass with it because an iPad makes for an uncomfortable symbolic gesture.

I shower and get dressed. I’m on shift tonight at the casino so I’ll be dealing with the regular crowd while history unfolds like a soiled sheet and you can’t quite tell if that’s a bloodstain or merely ketchup. 

For our sixth anniversary, Dana got me my eleventh tattoo. She came up with a cool design concept: a Chicago tattoo for my right back shoulder that included the baby in the clamshell from the City of Chicago flag, a light blue background and three of the red six-point stars of Chicago, each representing one of my three decades there. She booked an artist in a very chic studio who happened to be a great trace artist but not so much with the original design thing.

As it stands, it’s a fine tattoo with some elements that look like a child drew them with a Sharpie. Not great but growing on me. But the odd thing is that it being being on back, I don’t see it so I forget it’s there. Reminds me that as Americans we tend to dwell on history but not what is directly behind us. We’ll send Trump packing and immediately forget how embarrassing he was and set into attacking the new administration because it isn’t as brazenly Marxist as we fought for (I use ‘we’ although I actually voted for Biden’s moderation).

12:00 p.m.

Dropped Dana off for her trip. Ran some stuff home. I’m now actively avoiding anything news related. I receive an email that our division of casinos is not putting the election coverage on the screens in our Sportsbooks and I’m relieved.

2:00 p.m.

At the casino now. It’s pretty empty and I’m unsurprised. I’m informed that the larger properties and on the Strip there are special task force groups of LVMPD set up at every location to stem any bad partisan behavior in the casinos. For our property, I’m the task force.

I recall clearly the night four years ago when so many of us were so certain Hillary had it in the bag only to be gut-punched around 9:00 p.m. with the news that Trump had won the thing. Unlike so many, I accepted the result regardless of fact that she won the popular vote. Until we sack up and remove the Electoral College, that’s a legitimate win.

5:25 p.m.

I checked. I couldn’t help myself. The only thing that pisses me off is that Mitch won Kentucky, that sour, putrid fuckface.

Yeah. I really want the Dems to sweep this up. The question I’m asking myself is if we repeat 2016, why? The answer so many gravitate to is that half the country is racist but I’m not buying that reductive bullshit. If I had to guess, half the country doesn’t buy into the identity politic of the Far Left.

Alright. Enough. Optimism. Fucking optimism.

7:30 p.m.

At this point I have to remind myself that Dems voted overwhelmingly early and so many of those votes are still to be counted. I’ll admit, I’m surprised that Trump is even competitive but given my disdain for the Wokesters I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. If I can’t take them someone from the rural side of Texas probably hates them as much as I hate Mitch.

I was hoping for a blow-out but it’s looking more and more like this thing will get decided in the courts over mail-in votes.

On the floor, no one is talking about the history unfolding. By now, the place is about half-full and people are far more concerned with getting their comp drinks and hitting payouts. I overhear a couple of guys at the blackjack table. They think the Dems are going down. One thinks it’s because of Kamala Harris. I walk away without saying a word.

If there’s anything we should have learned from 2000 is that, under no circumstances should the Blue concede until every last vote is counted. Every last fucking vote.

I’m finding a bit of Zen. We aren’t going to know who won tonight. In some ways this is a good thing. It means Trump will be wrapped up battling the process rather than losing and tearing shit apart out of petulance. We still have a raging pandemic and our economy is shredded.

The divide in this country is not one of race or racism. The divide is between city mice and country mice. As the picture emerges, the urban centers of almost every state skews left in statewide seas of rural red. It also demonstrates how deeply unpopular the extremes are with the opposing sides. The racial identity politics of the Far Left — you know, the folks who flatly state that all white people are racist — and the strident authoritarianism of the Far Right — you know, the ones who love the police and lotsa guns — are so toxic that equal measures of citizens will vote with little more than a passionate hatred for one or the other despite a host of rational reasons to vote the other way.

9:40 p.m.

We won’t know until later in the week. 

Votes are still uncounted in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. We wanted a decisive repudiation of Trump and, once again, half the country (and much closer to half than four years ago) took that away.

From one angle, this is the best outcome. Uncertainty as to who won means all those businesses boarded up can breathe a sigh of relief. With no clear winner so far, there isn’t a reason to riot in the streets. A couple weeks of legal battles and ballot counting and the assholes on both sides will get bored. 

I was humbled in 2016. I thought I knew how it would go because I was so certain my worldview was so obviously right that how could anyone not see it so? I’ve been ready for this. Like so many, I felt the surge of certainty once again with the polls and how incredibly monstrous Trump became in the last days of his campaign. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Don’t get me wrong. I still believe Biden will be our president on January 21st, 2021. I just wish it had been an easier road.

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE BIG GAME

S6;E2 ~ September 17, 1973

Directed by Coby Ruskin ~ Written by Robert O'Brien

Synopsis

Football great O.J. Simpson speaks at Harry's Chamber of Commerce luncheon and passes on a couple of free passes to a sold out game.  At first, Harry sells the tickets for a nifty profit, but then has to buy them back when he discovers that Simpson's wife will be there. When she cancels, Simpson gives Harry her tickets, which he tries to scalp outside the stadium.  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter)

Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter) does not appear in this episode, nor does she receive screen credit. The character will not return to the series until the fourth episode of season six. Despite her absence, the final credits do state “Lucie Arnaz Wardrobe by Alroe.”

Guest Cast

O.J. Simpson (Himself) was born Orenthal James Simpson in 1947.  An alumni of the University of Southern California and winner of the Heisman Trophy, he is is former NFL running back for the Buffalo Bills (1969-77) and the San Francisco 49'ers (1977-78). Simpson parlayed his success on the gridiron into a career as an announcer and actor. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. Once a popular figure with the  public, he is most well known today for his trial and acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. In 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with the felonies of armed robbery and kidnapping.  He was convicted and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment, but granted parole on July 20, 2017. 

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane) played Betty Ramsey during season six of “I Love Lucy. ” She also played Cynthia Harcourt in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;E23) and Evelyn Bigsby in “Return Home from Europe” (ILL S5;E26). She played Audrey Simmons on “The Lucy Show” but when Lucy Carmichael moved to California, she played Mary Jane Lewis, the actor’s married name and the same one she uses on all 31 of her episodes of “Here’s Lucy. Her final acting credit was playing Midge Bowser on “Lucy Calls the President” (1977). She died in 1999 at the age of 83.

James E. Brodhead (Tilford) makes his third screen appearance in a career that lasted until 1995.  He will appear on one more episode of “Here's Lucy.”

Tilford and Harry are friends and neighbors who play golf together. 

Sid Gould (Man at Luncheon) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show” and nearly as many on “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.  

Gould is in the audience of the Chamber Luncheon but has his back to the camera and has no lines. 

Tom Kelly (Himself, Sportscaster) first called play-by-play of college football and men's basketball games in 1961. He did so on radio from 1961 to 1988, then on TV from 1989 until 2003. He described the action of five USC national championship football teams, five Heisman Trophy winners, and 92 first team All-American footballers. Kelly will do one more episode of “Here's Lucy.”

Cliff Norton (Billy Ray, left) played Sam the Plumber in “Lucy Meets the Burtons” (S3;E1) whose coveralls were later worn by an incognito Richard Burton and turn up when Lucy is packing up the office in “Lucy and Harry's Memoirs” (S5;E24). This is the second of his three appearances on the series. Al Checco (Bobby Joe, above right) was previously the comedy partner of Don Knotts entertaining US troops stationed overseas. This is the first of his two appearances on the series.

Billy Ray and Bobby Joe are undercover detectives pretending to be Sooner fans from Oklahoma.

Frank Coghlin (Fan #1) has only one other screen credit (according to IMDB) – a 1984 episode of “Newhart.”  

Robert Foulk (Fan #2) played the policeman on the Brooklyn subway platform in “Lucy and the Loving Cup” (ILL S6;E12) and a Los Angeles Detective in “Lucy Goes To A Hollywood Premiere” (TLS S4;E20).  This is last of his six characters on “Here’s Lucy.”

Jerry Jones (Policeman) founded the Chicago-based theatre company Actors of America until the summer of 1968 when he abruptly moved to Hollywood. Prior to this he played a policeman on “The Doris Day Show” and “The Brady Bunch.” This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball.  

Eugene Molnar (Student Usher) makes the last of his four appearances on “Here's Lucy.” The series was his only screen credit.

Sig Frohlich (Vendor, uncredited) makes this final (of six) background appearance on the series. Eddie Garrett (Fan, uncredited) is probably best remembered for playing Ed, the crime photographer on “Quincy M.E.” from 1976 to 1983.  He will do one more episode of “Here's Lucy.”

Robert Hitchcock (Fan, uncredited) was seen in in one episode of “The Lucy Show.” This is the fifth of his six appearances on “Here’s Lucy.”

Walter Smith (Fan, uncredited)  made 14 mostly uncredited appearances on the series. He also did one episode of “The Lucy Show.”  

Other attendees at the luncheon and other fans at the stadium are played by uncredited background performers.

This script was submitted on July 3, 1973.  The day before Betty Grable, one of Hollywood's biggest stars, died. Grable and Lucille Ball appeared in three films together.  Grable also appeared with husband Harry James in “Lucy Wins a Racehorse” in 1958.  

The script was revised on July 10, 16 and 17, 1973.  

Ironically, “Here's Lucy” was aired opposite “Monday Night Football” on ABC. Fortunately for Simpson and his fans, the evening of September 17, 1973 the game was between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets. The day before, Simpson and the Buffalo Bills won against the New England Patriots. Simpson rushed for 250 yards on 29 carries, setting a new NFL single-game rushing record.  The 1973-74 season would be a banner year for Simpson.  

In 1973 a film titled The Big Game was released starring Stephen Boyd and Ray Milland.  It had nothing to do with football or any other ball game.  

In the DVD introduction to the episode, James E. Brodhead (Tilford) recalls that O.J. Simpson was very deferential and in awe of the other actors.  

To get into the spirit of the occasion, Mary Jane brags she is wearing her Tommy Trojan pendant. The University of Southern California (USC) was known as 'The Trojans' and was represented by the profile of a Trojan warrior wearing a helmet. It was emblazoned on a variety of items, from apparel to jewelry to show school spirit. Unfortunately, the reference might be lost on those not from Southern California as well as those who do not follow sports.

Mary Jane and Lucy ponder who will win the big game between the USC 'Trojans' and the University of Oklahoma 'Sooners', the #1 and #2 college teams in the country. USC did indeed play a home game against the OU on September 29, 1973. On the luncheon dais, Harry says that O.J. will be in the booth with sportscaster Tom Kelly on Saturday.  This likely means the episode (filmed in the summer) was probably targeted to air on Monday, September 24 but was moved up a week.  Mary Jane thinks that USC will prevail, but in actuality, it turned out to be a rare tie score!

Mary Jane says she learned a lot about football because of her crush on Howard Cosell. Howard Cosell (1918-95) was one of television's most famous and enigmatic sportscasters. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1974. Cosell appeared with Lucille Ball on two “Bob Hope Birthday” specials in 1978 and 1983.  

When Harry notices Lucy has spelled 'Commerce' with only one 'M' she says they ran out of 'M's' because her girlfriend needed them for the Marymount Mother of the Month membership meeting.  

It is usually Gale Gordon who ends up all wet on “Here's Lucy” but here, O.J. Simpson gets the honors when a decorative football falls into the punch bowl in front of him.

Simpson mentions his wife Marguerite. Marguerite L. Whitley and Simpson divorced in 1979. Simpson shows Lucy a photo of his 5 year-old daughter, who he says is in a dance recital.  Although she is not mentioned by name, he is referring to their firstborn, Arnelle.  

The face value of the tickets that Simpson gives Harry and Lucy (on the 50 yard line, Row 22) are $6.50 each.  But Tilford says they are worth more than that and buys them from Harry for $50. When Harry finds out that Simpson's wife will be seated next to them, he buys them back for $100.  

When Mrs. Simpson must cancel, O.J. gives Harry her pair of tickets as well.  To recoup his losses, Harry tries to sell them outside the stadium and is arrested for scalping!  The exterior scene of the ticket gates and the refreshment stand is supposed to represent Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but the venue's name is never mentioned.

Outside the stadium, Billy Ray and Bobby Joe enter singing “Oklahoma!” the title song from the 1943 musical and 1954 film by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. They are apparently out-of-towners there to route for the away team, the Oklahoma Sooners.  In “Lucy Tells the Truth” (ILL S3;E6) Lucy Ricardo claimed to have been in Oklahoma, but it turns out she meant Tulsa, not the Broadway musical!  

In his holding cell, Harry hears O.J. mention his name on the radio and breaks into a spirited rendition of “Fight On!” the USC fight song. It was composed in 1922 by USC dental student Milo Sweet with lyrics by Sweet and Glen Grant.  

Another professional football player turned celebrity actor guest starred on “Here's Lucy” in “Lucy and Joe Namath” (S5;E5) in 1972.  

Lucy, Harry and Mary Jane also staged an event for the Chamber of Commerce in “Lucy and Jim Bailey” (S5;E9). Harry is president of the Chamber in both episodes.  

Brand X! The brand name of Lucy's manual typewriter has been covered with blue tape. At the stadium snack bar, the menu board features the red Coca-Cola logo (the dynamic ribbon) but the actual product name is covered in red tape.  

Props! Although Lucy is clever to turn a 'W' upside down to be an extra 'M' to spell 'Commerce', there is no reason why the hanging letters would have hooks on the bottom of the 'W'.  The close-up reveals that it is the only letter to have hooks on both ends.  

“The Big Game” Rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5

Yes, it is O.J.  It’s hard to watch this episode without thinking of the horrific murders in 1994 and all that followed.  The plot of this episode is actually quite clever - and is unusually styled around a real-life, much-anticipated event.  I’m sure no one at the time thought the game would end in a tie!   

[parisdj]

“Croyez-vous en la magie?”

My wanderlust started early in life.  When I was 16 I was driving to school one day and I just decided, “Turn left at the stop light at 55th Street.  Don’t go to school today.”  I had been paid the night before and had about $200 on the passenger seat of my car. I turned left and drove the seven hours to Chicago.  I spent the night in Chicago and then, early the next morning, hoped back in my car and drove home.  When I arrived home at 2222 38th Street, my mother said, “I figured you’d be back when you were out of money.”  I was truly, in her mind, the prodigal son.  I’m betting my father didn’t even realize I was gone.  He would have had his nose stuck in some book.  

I spent the next few summers driving around the Great Lakes.  I didn’t have a plan and those years probably created the mindset in me that I didn’t need a plan.  The lack of a plan has created a fairly stress free life for me although, I can tell you my travel mates hate the fact that I don’t plan any travel or trip. The Little Piggie will never travel with me again and, when he abandoned me in Guyancourt in 2014, it was obvious our travel relationship was on the rocks.  I’m sure I’ve frustrated more than a single travel partner but, eventually, you end up finding someone like Søs, E, Doobie or Мирося.  Perfect travel partners that just want to wander.  

My first real adventure began when I was 19.  And, ultimately, that’s what this story is all about.  I had started the summer working at a camp in the middle of nowhere.  And when I say, “Nowhere”, I mean central Ohio.  It was a fantastic experience.  However, that’s for another story and day.  

By early June I was growing weary of camping with 13 and 14-year-olds and was ripe for a new escapade.  I ran into a friend (Brian) at a Grateful Dead concert on one of my days off.  And, yes, of course that’s where this story must start.  He was high, and, when I say “HIGH” I mean he was totally and massively fucked up.  He started babbling all sorts of crazy shit to me.  A prelude of what my summer would devolve in to. But, somewhere along the line he said, “I can get us free tickets in Kansas City.”  That’s all I needed to hear and, frankly, that was the most elaborate plan that I had for the summer.  I quit the camp, by not going back, and readied myself for the drive to KC.  We packed into my lime green VW and headed to KC. I had a sleeping bag, a day back with about three days’ worth of clothes, a few hundred dollars, a map of the United States and, the most important device known to mankind, a combination bottle/can opener.  It would save my life more than once.  

We hit the road at the crack of noon and started heading west.  We had three cassette tapes for the summer and played them relentlessly.  We had a Lovin’ Spoonful mix, a live bootleg tape of the Pretenders in concert in Hammersmith and a compilation tape of late 60s psychedelic music.  We camped at road side rest stops, showered in bus stations, ate at Waffle Houses and generally had a stupid time getting lost in the Midwest.  We happened upon KC a few days ahead of the concert.  

Upon our arrival, our first thought was to find the free tickets. We were told the tickets were with “two girls in tie dye at a Denny’s”.  No names. No phone numbers.  No addresses.  No nothing.  We drove from Denny’s to Denny’s in the greater KC area hoping to stumble upon these “two girls in tie dye”.  To this day I have no idea how many Denny’s there may be in KC but let’s agree that it is more than one. We spent approximately six hours cruising Denny’s restaurants in the area.  Shockingly, we eventually landed at a Denny’s, shuffled in and, lo and behold, there in a booth in the back were two tie dye clad deadheads sipping shitty coffee.  

I don’t recall their names.  But, they were your typical contrived deadhead names like, “Sunshine”, “Moonlight”, or “Rainbow”.  We quickly forged a deal.  They would supply us with tickets and get us a job hawking tee shirts in exchange for transportation.  My VW was tiny but we could wedge them in the back.  

At this point you’re probably thinking, “Cool.  But tell me about the actual trip!”  Well, here’s the problem, I don’t remember the actual sequence of stuff, I’m sure there is a great deal of stuff that I’ve forgotten and stuff just happened.  Yes, there’s a lot of stuff here.  Here’s what I do recall:

1.       I really enjoyed camping with Brian and the two deadheads.  I’m going to refer to them as Janet and Mary for the rest of this story. I’m sure that’s a more accurate representation of their names.  We had a tent that could sleep all four of us but it was uncomfortable.  We would be smashed in like a pack of sardines. Normally, Janet and Mary would sleep in the tent and Brian and I would sleep outside the tent.  Bad weather, bad decisions and wildlife would occasionally drive all four of us into the tent but we regarded the tent as the realm of Janet and Mary.  Pine needles, musty and moldy trees, decomposing leaves, trickling waters, salt, sweat, burning rubber, high winds, lightning induced shadows…your senses come to life when you sleep outside night after night.  You wake up damp from the dew, itching, ready to go.  I slept in national forests, cornfields, next to rubber factories and steel mills and on the beach.  

2.       I had some wonderful dreams during the trip.  I slept incredibly well nearly every night.  I dreamt of raccoons, talking trees, long swims in calm oceans, old friends, new friends, friends not yet discovered, art work, asphalt and warming fires on frosty mornings.   My only recurring nightmare involved a red eyed demonic opossum.  I’m still convinced opossums are zombie animals that are more dead than alive.  My other recurring dream was of a bobber bouncing up and down in a pond.  We fished nearly every day on our adventure (FREE FOOD!) and bobbers became imprinted on our minds and in our psyche.

3.       I taught my travel partners French on the trip.  When you’re stuck in a small VW for hours at a time and you have a limited amount of entertainment, you find things to pass the time.  I’m betting Brian, Janet and Mary could, to this day, break out in song and start singing, “ Croyez-vous en la magie?/Dans un coeur de jeune fille/Comment la musique peut la libérer/Chaque fois que ça commence!”

4.       My travel partners liked to do a LOT of drugs.  And, I mean a LOT of drugs.  I didn’t partake.  For some reason, chemically altering my mind wasn’t my thing.  Now, with that said, I did (and still do) like my beer and wine and found myself waking up with a horribly brutal hangover more than once on the trip but compared to Brian, Janet and Mary, I was restrained.  The three of them would drop acid and start painting or drawing while cruising from one location to the next.  I found their “artwork” a few months later when I was cleaning out the car.  Although, the paintings were horrible and totally disturbing, they did bring a smile to my face.  I distinctly remember the crayons ground into the seats and flooring of the car.  They were still there when I abandoned the car on I77 just south of Akron a few years later.

5.       I will forever remember the depth of the night sky.  Our camping was very primitive.  We didn’t have lights and on clear evenings you could see directly into the soul of the universe.  It was life changing and, to this day, it has allowed me to understand my place in the cosmos.  

6.       I learned that we all carry different things with us.  Brian was an idiot.  He could have easily wandered through life without a care in the world.  He had a simple childhood, lived in a simple home with his simple family and had simple goals (none).  He replicated this model after he married and he had idiotic and simple children.  He carried a vacuum of thought.  Janet and Mary carried hardship, anger, abuse and, most importantly “hope”.  While Brian and I saw this as an adventure, they saw this as an escape.  Janet, Mary and I would talk well into the night.  Janet and Mary weren’t damaged and, in fact, they’re probably two of the strongest people I had ever met in my life.  They just had to swim above the shit to see the sunshine.  They were amazing people and I have no doubt that they both not only survived but prospered and continued to be the lovely people that they were.  I lost touch with them immediately after the trip and don’t regret it for a minute. Seeing them would ruin the memory of them.  

7.       I made money by selling shirts.  The directions were pretty simple.  Grab shirts off a truck, put them on a blanket and take whatever money you could get for them.  We made about $150 per show.  More than enough for us to keep gas in the car, food in our bellies and toiletries.  It may sound crazy, but you have no idea how testy four people can be in a car when there isn’t any toothpaste.  At one point, Brian was hiding some from the rest of us and when this was discovered we SERIOUSLY discussed killing him and tossing his body off a bridge.  We were that fucking angry at him.  

8.       We traveled through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California (top to bottom), Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  I’m sure we would have busted Google had it tried to map our trip. We were lost two to three times every day and I’m sûre our mileage was probably 20% higher than it should have been. But, getting lost was one of the major purposes of the trip.  We dropped Janet and Mary off in Bloomington, Illinois.  I left Brian in Urbana.  I couldn’t stand him at that point and couldn’t stand the thought of wearing dirty socks for one more day.  I ran into Brian a few years ago and we had a couple of beers.  We laughed about the trip and our adventure.  But, when the topic of me tossing him to the curb in Urbana came up, well, I could tell there were still some raw nerves there.  

9.       When I arrived at my apartment the mail was about three feet deep.  Erin, my neighbor, had been dropping it off and had been wondering if I was ever actually coming back.  She was prepared to do the paperwork to drop me out of school if needed. I proved her wrong by flunking out. Like Brian, I too was an idiot.  

10.   A few days after I returned home I went to visit my parents.  They weren’t home when I arrived.  However, my older brother, for some reason was there.  He saw me and said, “What’s up?”  I mentioned that I had just gotten home and he said, “You were gone?  Where were you?”  That’s one of those impossible questions to answer.  

11.   I learned that I start looking like Grizzly Adams when I don’t shave for six months. Although, my hair was never as coifed as Dan Haggerty’s.  I wore my hair in a ponytail.  

12.   We had Sunday dinners while on the road.  We would pool our money together and buy a roaster.  To this day I’m not sure anything smells better than a chicken cooking over a campfire.  The dinners, in retrospect, were the most memorable parts of our trip.  We socialized, laughed, told stories, rehashed the trip, talked about family, hopes, dreams, the future and generally grew our friendship.  As mentioned earlier, I immediately lost touch with Janet and Mary but we’re forever bonded. 

13.   I learned to listen to my clock.  It is probably the only advice I have to give.  While traveling, don’t over schedule and, most importantly, listen to your clock.  It is there, ticking away.  It will give you your pace.  You’ll slow down, relax and realize, “Yes.  I do have time to do that.  I have all the time in the world.”  

There isn’t an ending to this story.  I don’t travel as much as I use to.  It has been pointed out that I have an “adult job” now and just picking up and bolting would be irresponsible.  But, with that said, I still manage to go from time to time.  I’m currently planning a trip to New York to see Doobie.  I’ll go visit C in Indy at some point.  BA and I are planning a trip to the UK (where I hope to see E and Alec), RJ and I are talking about winter hike in Iceland and, of course, I’ll have to make a trip to go see Søs.  

[savagegardenforever]

Darren's Diaries

These are Darren's Diaries from the first tour (Future of Earthly Delites/To the Moon And Back) from 1998.

There are six entries - 4th July, 7th July, 12th July, 20th July, 15th August and 8th September.

4th July

   Well here I am sitting on a tour bus. It's a twelve    sleeper and there are 8 of us...Daniel and I...our band...and our tour manager. We have    completed over 50 shows since the start of this tour in Australia in January. Finally we    are in America. For the next two months we will be playing 40 shows in the States and    Canada. It is going to be an incredible experience. Exciting and Exhausting I'm sure.

So far we started production rehearsals in Rockford Illinois. Our first show    was in Chicago for the B96 radio show with Boyz to Men and Mariah Carey. Minneapolis was    next. We then travelled into Canada for two incredible shows in Saskatoon then Edmonton.    As I type this we are headed for Calgury. The Canadian audiences have been really cool.    Very into the music and very LOUD!!

Our band are playing really well together. I am very proud to be on    the stage with them every night. We have Anna Maria Laspina and Nicole McIntyre on backing    vocals. Karl Lewis on Drums. Ben Carey on Guitars and Lee Novak on Bass. I have included    some pictures of us during hot and sweaty production rehearsals. You'll also find the new    stage clothes provided by Diesel and on my fave pics ever...Me with fans after the    Minneapolis gig.

Sharing a tour bus together is kinda strange. It's    like...HUGE...with two loungerooms with tables and videos and soundsystems etc...then    there is a little kitchen where we all make cups of tea and sandwhiches after gigs. It's    almost like the Brady Bunch on Tour. Our beds have little T.V's in them and little    curtains to block out the rabble. It's actually a lot more comfortable than I thought it    would be. Let me get back to you on that in a few weeks though!

7th July  

 So now I'm on my way from Seattle to    Portland. Still on the bus...I swear it's like the Partridge Family. I took a little    family shot to demonstrate how pathetic and domesticated we have all become. Andy our bus    driver is very cool...he makes me vegetarian meals sometimes... and puts up with our table    manners.

The Vancouver show was probably one of the tightest    shows we have played ever...good crowd...and we were really on it. It's so funny...I just    read a report from Edmontone where the reviewer thought that maybe I lip synch my vocals    because...in his words..."Hayes hits some unnaturally high notes.."!!!    I think that is so ironic. I mean...I have good nights...and bad nights. Sometimes I sing    up a storm...and other nights it's not quite what I want it to be. To have someone think    it's all on tape is kind of an indirect compliment. I guess it means I sang well!! I'll    tell you...last night in Seattle...I was WISHING my vocals were on tape...I was so tired.    But the crowd seemed to get into it and by half way through I was in my own little world.

Playing live is definately something we are proud of. I personally    have a big problem with 'artists' who mime...or lip synch...or whatever you wanna call it.    I believe that seeing a band live is warts and all. If I hit a bum note...then so be    it...that is what you pay for. If I hit a brilliant note...then that's fantastic. That's    what makes some nights INCREDIBLE...and others not so. You never know. Also I figure if    you want to listen to the cd...stay home. Coming out to see a band live is all about    living in the moment.

So after the Portland show we get a much needed day off...before we    start the San Fransisco, L.A , Vegas leg. Viva Las Vegas Baby.

Outta here...

12th July

       Before anything happens I gotta tell you that playing    in Red Rocks...Colorado was the most incredible experience for me. The setting was like    something from heaven..the weather was incredible. It actually rained the entire show but    the 7000 plus crowd stayed to the end... It was so magical. The thunder and lightning in    that historical venue...and the crowd. It made me very emotional.

I kept thinking of U2's "Under a blood red sky" live    album...recorded there. It was just the same as it looked all those years ago when I sat    in my lounge room watching the video...looking at my heros. To play there...was a VERY big    deal for me.

I'm in San Antonio Texas writing this...in my hotel room. Just came    back from a fantastic show here. What a cool crowd. I really dig this town. It looks    NOTHING like the rest of Texas... Last night we went out and had fantastic Mexican food    and drank Starbucks while walking along the riverbank in the middle of the city...with all    cafe's and restaurants along the river edge. It was incredible...the night was windy and    the temperature was not as hot as it apparently has been. I thought in this email I would    include some more personal photos of the band and our crew...There is this beautiful man    from Texas called Chuck...who has been married for 25 years. Chuck is a sound/monitor    engineer on our tour. His daughter Victoria has these adorable little twins Joseph and    Jacob...so I managed to get a cuddle of the babies before our show in San Antonio tonite.    Boy did I get clucky. It was Nicole's birthday today...it's Daniel's on Wednesday...so we    have kind of been celebrating for a few days now. Nicole and Anna (our backing singers)    are dear friends of mine...and we have a blast.

We get along really well with Sneaky Pete...the production    assistant. He is evil...in the funniest way. His assistant Laurie is THE BIGGEST    SWEETHEART. I included a picture of me hugging her because she is my lifeline.

She is in charge of all sorts of things...but for me..her main job    is making sure the dressing rooms are set up...wardrobe and costumes are set out and    laundered...candles are lit...music is playing...holdiays are booked and roses sent to    family members. Basically she is my mom on the road...and she is incredible. Her attention    to detail makes coming into the dressing room such a pleasure..everything from my after    shave to the kind of tea I drink...she is aware of..and makes sure it is all in order.

I also included a picture of Daniel playing with his new Keyboard    backstage with Lindsay...one of our other fave people. Linds is a guitar tech on this    tour...but really he is an awesome drummer...who last worked with Pearl Jam doing drum    tech for them. Just the sweetest person.

Who else can I tell you about?? Motley our lighting designer is a    little yoda...he is so spiritual and deep..and a dear friend. Collin Ellis mixes our    sound...and is a very nice bloke!!

Crash...our sound engineer on stage..(does in ear monitors...) told    me tonite that the reason I get soo tired is that I need to 'take more exercise.'    Hahaha... I work out 5 or 6 days a week...two hours a day...as well as doing the show!!    The entire band just cracked up laughing at him. Oh well...he was only trying to help. He    is very funny...and oh..also good at his job.

I am getting excited because we are about to have three days off!!    Whoo hoo!! I mean...I love the tour...but I have been working on this album for 2 and a    half years...and touring it since January. We are all very tired...and looking forward to    the rest. When we start up again we will be HALF WAY... That is pretty cool.

Last night I couldn't sleep because I was dreaming up the name...the front cover and the artwork for our new album. All we need now is the music!! Haha...

I am rambling...but it's late...and life is really good. God bless.

Darren

20th July

           Hey...welcome back to the tour. We have missed you. Let    me take you now to a very sacred place. This is my bed in the tour bus. I call it my    'monkey bunk'...don't ask me why...it's kinda private...! But that's what I call it...    Actually I have become quite fond of it. To the point that I am finding it hard to sleep    in regular beds now. I am used to the constant rocking of the highway. There is a little    T.V in there...but I rarely watch it. By the time my head hits the pillow...I am out! It    is actually very soothing...and I am someone who finds sleeping very difficult.

We have had a ball on tour with our new support...Billy Myers.

Billy Myers is just FANTASTIC. She is very talented...as are her    band. Billy is also VERY VERY funny. Here is a picture of her and I in my dressing room    about two seconds before our show in Miami. This was the day of our manager...Rebecca's    birthday. We got her all sorts of nice presents and this huge cake. Here is a picture of    my face in the cake.

Long Story! I am commonly known as 'tabu' in the band because I kind    of...well...I just take things to the extreme in terms of practical jokes and goofing about. Usually with birthday cakes I end of throwing them all over people...and sticking them to walls etc. You know...normal things like that. So this time the band got me  first...Laurie..our production GODDESS pushed my face into it when I was PRETENDING to  take a big bite. GRRRR!! Florida was hot and steamy...and reminded me very much of  Australia. Played some great shows...although something really stupid happened in Fort Lauderdale. For some bizarre reason..security allowed five audience members to run onto the stage during Truly Madly Deeply. But I don't mean just running up to say hello. They kind of scared the hell out of all of us...and ruined a beautiful moment in the song. We virtually didn't end the show...because they just wouldn't leave the stage. So we all learned a valuable lesson in security. I had my eyes closed as I sang the last notes of the last song of the night...and felt the stair case rumble...and when I looked up there  were three people on the stage with me. It just made no sense to me...I tried to talk to the girl...even say hi...but she was screaming...while her boyfriend spent his time  telling aggressively informing anyone who would listen that he had every right to be there    on stage because he won an after show pass.!!! THIS WAS DURING THE SHOW!!! I look back now  and kinda laugh it off but in the moment...I really felt that the incident ruined to mood    for the rest of the audience. I didn't really get to say goodbye to the crowd...we just    had to leave.

I spent my few days off in New York while the rest of the band  travelled to Myrtle Beach and apparently had a blast. I keep missing the really good    unexpected fun times. Apparently the break in New Orleans was wild as well. There will be news about this in the next fanzine I believe.

Delaware...Harrington was such a bizarre experience. We played at    the State Fair. This was a 4 hour drive from New York...in the middle of nowhere... A    great show with a really enthusiastic audience. Afterwards we went to the local TGI    Friday's restaurant and everyone who had a cell phone was informed that the band were    there...so we spent our evening binge eating while locals watched in horror. Our visit to    the local bowling alley was hilarious. I of course...the king of cool (really just a cover    for my lack of physical ability in sports) refused to play. For 'fashion reasons' I said.    But I don't think anyone believed me. I took a photo of their shoes.

Daniel refused to let me photograph his involvement in this    activity...but let's just say...at bowling...HE RULES. He beat the pants off everyone.

Here is my reaction to bowling... my thrilled to be bowling face.

And this is really what we have been reduced to. Bowling. Oh    yeah...we also play pictionary a lot. All jokes aside...we have had such a wonderful time    so far...it's already August ...and the tour has only 4 weeks to go. I think we are all    going to be very sad when it ends. We have just spent so much time together...we really do    feel like family.

We have met so many wonderful fans...been treated like royalty and  we want to thank you so much for coming out to see us play live. More soon I guess!

15th August

       I am once again sitting at the desk in the kitchen of    our tour bus. We are travelling from Missouri to Illinois. Can you believe that we have    performed 30 shows already on the North American leg of this tour? We have only 9 more    shows left and then the tour is officially over. We started in Australia in January...then on to New Zealand...Asia... Including Japan and India...Europe...and finally America. I  think when it winds up we will have played almost 80 shows. That's a pretty good feeling you know...I had no idea I would have the stamina to get through...and yet here we are looking at the end of the tour...and really the end of this album.

Here are a couple of shots from our show tonight in Missouri.  It's such a long way from where it all started.

It's funny you know... with this site I have tried really hard to    document all sorts of experiences...and not just the musical ones. Yesterday in    Indianapolis I decided that real life was just a little too normal...so I invented a drama    so that I could write about it...and photograph it...and present it to you...(How sad is    that!!)

To cut a long story short... Nicky and I decided to 'steal' a golf cart from the Indianapolis state fair officials. Well...we didn't really 'steal' it..we  kinda just borrowed it and deceived a few people into thinking that our backstage passes  were really licenses to drive a golf buggy. Here is a picture of our initial Evil plan...

It was so funny. Our crew and the security at the venue didn't know    what was happening. I actually took the buggy INTO the arena...where all the fans were    taking their seats for Billie Myers (BY THE WAY..BIG APOLOGY FOR SPELLING HER NAME WRONG    LAST UPDATE...!!!) So anyway...Nikky and I were spinning and flying around the    arena...some of the audience recognized me and started chasing the golf buggy. Although    fun...golf carts are NOT good escape vehicles. I managed to get away by fooling the    security guard that 'everything was in order'.

The cart was returned with lots of apologies and no feelings hurt.

Lots has happened since I last wrote. I never really told you about  the band's new obsession with Golf did I?? It kind of stems from Dan...but everyone...excluding me...has been getting into it. Anna and I generally work out...like A    LOT...which can be exhausting when on tour because you sweat so much on stage as    well...but it has been an adventure just trying to find gyms in every town we go to... But    we have been pretty successful so far.

Today I went crazy recording items in our dressing room. Don't ask    me why...but here are snapshots of shoes...and sunglasses. Lets face it...in Savage    Garden...these are very important elements of our success...(joke!!)

It's weird...I just figured I would have LOVED to have seen stupid    photos of Michael Jackson's wardrobe when I was like...a kid...so I figured...for those of    you out there who enjoy the small details... this is for you.

We really have had such fun with Billie Myers. Her band are very    talented...and friendly. Billie herself is incredible. Such an artist. I watched her    performing 'Tell Me' and 'Kiss the Rain' yesterday in Indianapolis and I was very moved.    She ran all over the stage...climbed EVERYTHING...and ended up at the back of the    auditorium with the audience...still singing. I will be very sad to say goodbye because I    have learned a lot just being around her. Beautiful soul. True performer.

Here is another pic of Billie and I just before the Missouri show.

Our shows have been wonderful lately. The crowds have just been    getting better and better. Some of the small towns have been incredible experiences. We    played a HUGE show in Bethlehem P.A. It was part of their MusikFest festival...and it was    one of the largest shows they have had there. Truly magical.

Soon we head to New York...(DUH...my fave city) for a few days as we    are involved in a private SECRET event that will be revealed to you in due time. But I am    very much looking forward to being there...

I will keep you updated.

Darren

8th September

It's over. 8 months and 85 shows later here we are    on a plane back to real life. I am so exhausted as I type this...and really unsure as to    how it all feels. I am going to go back for you...a few weeks to catch up on everything    that lead up to this final moment of reflection. I remember telling you in my last update    that we were in New York for a "secret" gig...well I can tell you now it was for    the Elite Modelling agency Look competition...and we performed at this club in Manhattan    called Life. It is one of those velvet rope deals...and to be honest...I had never been in    until that night.

We performed a very short set in front of a room full of beautiful    women..and famous people. Jerry Seinfeld was there... Apparently he offered to meet us    when we had sold 12 million albums as opposed to the 8 million that we actually    have. Haha. Thanks for the homework Mr. Seinfeld. Afterwards he hung out in the same foofy    area with us...smoking cigars, flanked by burly security guards. Anna said hi. I was too    busy working out how to sell 4 more million albums.

Our set was GREAT...some people say one of the best we have played    because of it's simplicity and audacity. We just PLAYED...didn't really give a damn...and    it paid off. We headed off ... back to the rest of the tour...but soon ended up back in    planet Manhattan (that's what Motley our lighting designer calls it...as it is like no    other place on earth) after our Boston gig (very pretty btw...nice venue) to play the    Beacon Theatre. What an experience THAT was.

Madonna attended. Rod Stewart was there with wife and kids. We were    sold out. Need I say there was a little tension in the air. But it turned out to be such a    powerful show...such an energy to it. Probably because of the whole Madonna vibe. Thing    is...Billie Myers had heard me singing "Ray of Light" at soundcheck...and told    Madonna and friends that we do it well. The day of our show we get a phone call from    executives asking where in our show it is performed as Madonna is possibly coming along to    have a look. Of course we freaked out...of course we immediately added it to our show even    though we have never performed it as a band!!

So Madonna did attend...and from all accounts...was standing and    grooving with the rest of them...and had a smile on her face... What more can you say?    Very VERY surreal moment...performing in front of someone who inspired me to be here. Did    someone say OH MY GOD???

So the next day was our end of tour party...even though we had two    more shows to do...where better to celebrate than NYC? It was in this place called Lot 61    in Chelsea...and we had a blast. It was actually very emotional and I think that is when    it really hit me that this was all coming to a close.

The next day we left for Cleveland...had a great show...and then    prepared for our last gig in Kentucky. All sorts of mad and weird stuff went on that day.    Last shows are traditionally weird anyway...as everyone feels kinda depressed but    exhausted and practical jokes are happening everywhere.

Some of the craziness?? Billie Myers appeared on stage during our    All Around Me routine on the shoulders of our road crew dressed in her best Scary Spice    outfit screaming SPICE UP YOUR LIFE. She then proceeded to spray us with Silly String    (that shaving cream gunk...) Very funny!! We almost couldn't do the song.

Members of our band were seen doing all sorts of weird things...like    kissing each other...wearing each other's costumes...and hamming it up. We managed to drag    every crew member on stage or under a spotlight during the band intro...and someone    painted the words WE'LL MISS YOU on the drum riser.

During the encore...we sang ONE OF US...and got a bit choked up as I    dedicated it to Chuck...our sound assistant who's Grandchild is going in for an operation    soon. I asked the crowd to say a prayer for him and that's when it really hit me that the    tour was over. Not just the tour either...but this album...this stage of our lives. Like    graduating from High School this felt like a real ending...and the beginning of a future    somewhere out there.

After the show...we all ended up on Billie's bus...disco dancing and    acting like complete morons. Had a blast.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every    one of you...for giving us this incredible experience...for listening to the music...for    understanding it...for coming out in droves to see our circus when it came to your town.    This is a thank you to you...the fans of the music...and our colleagues...the Savage    Garden Band...and Crew...It has been the most humbling experience to have know you...I    feel like a better man for having been through this all with you.

This is a farewell of sorts...for a long time. We have to take some    much needed rest...get our thoughts together and try and remember what real life is about    for a little while. Before you know it...we will be in the studio...working on more magic.    Until then...we are going to go away until we have something thoughtful to say.

Thanks for the memories.    See you in THE FUTURE.....

Darren

[toogoodmusic]

Twelve Hours at Bonnaroo

My 2017 experience at the Manchester, TN based music festival.

“Are you going to Bonnaroo this year?” Max asked me on the phone one day. I let out a disappointing, “no” as an incredible family trip to Italy ate up most of my vacation days and it was hard to find an extra $800 lying around for a ticket and flight.

“Well, do you wanna go? Got an extra ticket if you want it” asked Max. I took 24 hours to figure out the logistics and eagerly agreed.

This was going to be my first year of no Bonnaroo in three years and I was extremely disappointed to be missing out as its by far my favorite festival. Fast forward to a month later and I was boarding (after running through the terminal, thanks LA traffic) my first flight of three to get me to Nashville.

Unfortunately, no flights worked out (that wouldn’t cost me $400 one-way) that I could make it back to LA in time for work on Monday so I had only had one day at Bonnaroo to make the most of it.

Working with Jonnie I was able to fly standby for all my flights (5 total round trip) and scored ‘em all for under $150. From Los Angeles, I flew to San Francisco then a red eye to Boston and an early morning flight to Nashville which got me in around 9:30am. From there picked up (my first) rental car and headed to the AirBnb where Max, his brother Ben and his friend Mary Martha were staying.

Getting there, it was so refreshing to drive on a highway that had no traffic and was surround trees. The AirBnb even came with a rooster that crowed each morning. It was great.

We made our way to a Target so Ben could get some warmer clothes for the night and Mary Martha could score some glitter for the festival. Afterwards we filled up on Chik-fil-a before returning home to get ready for the day.

Heading out around 2pm we got to the parking lot and immediately headed towards the entrance. We didn’t make it far before Ben noticed a table giving out Bonnaroo 2017 t-shirts…for free. We scored one each and a poster. After dropping them off at the car we turned right back around to head in.

Inside, I was trying to meet up with my brother, Andrew, but while we waited for him to get in, we explored the Oasis area which is new this year and is a giant beach in the middle of the festival grounds. We also took a trip down the giant water slide.

Texting with my brother he said the first band they were going to see was Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Although, we had never heard of this band before we decided to check them out. They were really good and had us jamming the whole time.

We failed to meet up with my brother and decided to try again at Jon Bellion who was playing main stage. I have seen Jon a few times and he was great as always but I don’t understand why he plays “All Time Low” so early into his sets – even if not his last song, it should be one of the final few, in my opinion at least.

I was able to meet up with my brother and some his friends, a few I knew from Ohio State. But then the rest of the group I came with left me to go find food so I finished the rest of Jon’s set with Andrew.

Next up was San Holo on The Other stage which had its tent blown off this year. San Holo offered a mesmerizing set complete with a group organized release of a bunch of colorful paint powder that was tossed up by a dozen or so audience members during his drop of “We Rise.”

I said good-bye to Andrew and his friends to meet up with Max and everyone. We planned to meet up later although this was the last time I saw all of them. Met up with the rest of the group  for The Head and the Heart. Although great, we left early to make sure we got a good spot for Chance The Rapper.

Chance drew a huge crowd for this 8:45pm slot at the main stage. He ran through his hits, “No Problem,” All Night” and performed one of my favorites, “Sunday Candy” complete even with the Social Experiment.

Ben, Mary Martha and I left a little early (unfortunately missing “Same Drugs”) to get over to see Louis the Child. Although I had seen these guys a few times before, it was my first time seeing them since their EP, Love Is Alive came out and they were who I was most excited to see. These guys look like they are having the best time in the world when they perform and why wouldn’t they? They’re two 20ish year old dudes who are touring the world and playing music. After Bonnaroo they played Spring Awakening in Chicago the next day.

They ended their set with their first single, “It’s Strange” and as this point I was alone since the rest of my group had ventured off to see the start of Red Hot Chili Peppers. After what seemed to take forever to get to the main stage VIP area and waiting till “Scar Tissue” finished, I called Max and after 15 confusing minutes was able to locate the rest of the group.

Their set was jam packed with the hits as well as continuous moments of just jamming. At one point, in the our section several fireworks we set off right over our head. Whether these were legal or planned is still up for debate but we were in awe. They concluded a little before midnight and we made our way to our final act of the night, Flume.

Since I had seen Flume quite a few times as well I was looking forward to his set but I was somewhat disappointed and felt his set was too experimental and ended up just being a lot of noise – but this was hour #12 at the festival so what do I know?

We left the parking lot by 2:15am and made it back to the AirBnb by 3am. Back there, Mary Martha and I tried to convince Max to stay up and hang with us but he was not having it and kicked us out of his room shortly after we entered.

The next morning had us waking up slow and heading to Mimi’s Café for a less than delicious tasting brunch. An hour after returning I (unfortunately) headed out to the airport while everyone else left for the festival.

One flight to Ft. Lauderdale followed by the final flight to LA, where before giving me a seat, the Spirit attendant told me she wasn’t sure she’d get me on due to weight distribution. Luckily I must not have looked too fat to her cause she let me on as one of the last passengers. By 11:30pm I had landed at LAX and had successfully done a full day at Bonnaroo. Until next year…

[365footballorg-blog]

A shutdown d-mid and student of the game: 10 Things About Chris Armas

July 7, 20183:45PM EDT

On Friday, Chris Armas became the 16th head coach in New York Red Bulls history following Jesse Marsch’s departure to “pursue a new opportunity.”

Fans know Armas as Marsch’s right-hand man, the club’s top assistant for the last three-and-a-half years.

From humble, hard-working beginnings to becoming one of America’s greatest midfielders to his ascension up the coaching ranks, here are 10 things to know about Chris Armas.

He’s Chris from the block 

Armas’ debut as an MLS head coach begins in the Bronx against New York City FC Sunday (7 pm ET | FS1 – Full TV & Streaming info), the borough he was born in. It was in the Bronx where Armas learned the virtues of hard work from his baseball-loving father, who would walk a mile to work.

“My dad always had a saying that you have to earn it,” Armas said. “He always said it. He would take the soccer ball in the backyard and he’s a guy who grew up playing baseball in the Bronx, and with his heel he’d hit the ball the other way and I would chase him and he’d hold me off and I wouldn’t stop.”

Rough Rider 

Before a storied MLS career, Armas, who grew up in Brentwood, Long Island, was part of a star-studded Long Island Rough Riders team that defeated the Minnesota Thunder in the USISL’s Pro League Championship in 1995.

On one team were future MLS stars, including Tony Meola, current Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese and Jim Rooney. 

Best XI x 5

Armas was drafted by the LA Galaxy and spent his first two years there, but his biggest impact was felt as an original member of the Chicago Fire. The heart and soul of the club’s formative years, Armas helped lead the Fire to the MLS Cup title in 1998 and was named MLS Best XI for the first time that year. 

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He’d earn Best XI honors in each of the next three seasons as well, a streak snapped by an ACL injury that forced him to miss most of the 2002 season. In 2003, Armas was again named Best XI and earned the MLS Comeback Player of the Year. 

Armas was inducted into the “Ring of Fire” in 2009. 

Best U.S. player to not feature in a World Cup?

Armas might go down as the best U.S. national team player to never play in the World Cup. He emerged on the national team scene after the 1998 World Cup, making his debut against Australia on Nov. 5, 1998. He was capped 66 times, helping the U.S. to a pair of Concacaf Gold Cup titles and was named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2000. 

Armas was named to the 23-man roster for the 2002 World Cup, but he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during the first half of a 2-1 win over Uruguay in the buildup to the tournament. It was a similar injury that sidelined him from the 2000 Olympics. 

“I’m extremely disappointed for Chris,” then-U.S. coach Bruce Arena said at the time. “Chris has been an outstanding performer with our team and a fine professional. We are indebted to his service to the U.S. national team.  He will certainly serve as an inspiration to his teammates this summer.”

Shut ‘em down

As a player, Armas took pride in shutting down some of the league’s best attacking midfielders. And as arguably the best defensive midfielder of his generation, he did that on the regular. 

Take 1998 for example, when legends Marco Etcheverry, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Preki and Carlos Valderrama combined for 35 goals and 60 assists in 100 total games. However, when they went up against Armas and the Fire? A combined two goals and four assists in 15 games, including Chicago’s triumphant playoff run.

Golden goal memories 

Although he wasn’t a scorer by nature, Armas netted one of the most memorable goals in Chicago Fire history, tapping in the  golden goal in a win over the New England Revolution to send the Fire to the 2003 MLS Cup.

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“He just had an uncanny ability to just lead by example,” Red Bulls sporting director Denis Hamlett said. “I think when you watched him play, I always go back to the game against New England when he scored the winning goal and takes his gloves off and he throws them in the air as he’s running back celebrating and just the joy that he had.”

A coach on the field 

Hamlett knew that Armas had the makings of a coach as a standout player, a hard-working central midfielder who wore the captain’s armband. Hamlett saw it first-hand as a Fire assistant coach from 1998-2007 and served as the club’s head coach for two years. 

“He brought it every day, in training sessions, on the field, he just led by example and you can see his ability to sort of connect with people and bring them on board and get them to push themselves to the next level,” Hamlett said. “When you’re a captain you see signs that these are qualities you’re going to have to be a good coach. From Day One, he had it. He had it when he played with the national team, he had it when he played with Chicago.”

Hamlett was so impressed he made Armas a Fire assistant coach in 2008. 

The beginning of a beautiful friendship 

Armas and Marsch didn’t just team up on the Red Bulls coaching staff. They shared the midfield for the Fire in eight seasons before Marsch left for Chivas USA in 2006. 

They reunited with the Red Bulls where they were virtually inseparable over the last three-and-a-half years.

“Four years, like we spent too much time together me and Jesse, on the phone, on the trips, but what a time we spent together,” Armas said. “And he epitomizes leadership. I’ve been taking it in, learning along the way as a player and it’s worked for me. I’ve led teams to trophies, I’ve been part of winning in a leadership role.”

End of an era 

After discovering he had arthritis in his hip and a torn labrum during the preseason, Armas announced the 2007 season would be his last, a retirement made official on Nov. 13 of that season. 

“You have the Peter Nowaks or the Cuauhtemoc Blancos, who are famous or amazing players on the field,” former Fire defender C.J. Brown said at Armas’ retirement. “Chris is like them, but he’s not looked at in the same starlight. But man, there are big shoes to fill when you lose Chris Armas.”

Marsch, who at the time was a Chivas USA midfielder, honored Armas in a Chicago Fire tribute video. 

“So, in the beginning years I think Peter Nowak was kind of the Chicago Fire, but then as he’s moved on, it’s been Chris Armas and I think that will be the toughest thing for the organization, for the fans, for Chris,” Marsch said. “What’s life like without Chris Armas now for the Fire?”

Fruitful coaching tree 

Armas takes some time with his players | New York Red Bulls

Armas cites some of most legendary coaches in MLS and American soccer as influences who helped shape him as a future coach. The list includes Bruce Arena, Dave Sarachan, Bob Bradley, Octavio Zambrano, Juan Carlos Osorio, Alfonso Mondelo, Bob Montgomery and Manny Schellscheidt. 

“I was always listening and taking. Some of it was ‘hey that’s really good and some of it was Chris, don’t ever do that. I didn’t like the way he treated that guy. There was a different way he could have handled that,’” Armas said. “Sometimes the sessions were really good and sometimes those coaches were really organized and had something different every day and it was really good. Guys like Bob Bradley, a fantastic man manager and the details. It was relentless and I loved that. That’s going to be part of me.”

Series: 

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A shutdown d-mid and student of the game: 10 Things About Chris Armas was originally published on 365 Football

[giantsfootball0]

Every playoff team’s one big lineup question – SweetSpot

Let’s look at the 10 teams currently holding down a playoff position and what lineup questions they might still need to resolve as we inch closer to the postseason.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Who starts in the outfield? Depth is fun, until everyone stops hitting and the manager doesn’t know who to play. I think we can determine this: Chris Taylor will start in center field (and hit leadoff) and Yasiel Puig will start in right field. Taylor has struggled in September (.212, 19 strikeouts, three walks), but he has been the regular starter in center field ever since Joc Pederson was demoted in mid-August, making some starts at shortstop only because Corey Seager has rested a sore elbow at times.

So that leaves left field. Curtis Granderson is still the likely starter against right-handed pitchers, even though he has hit .126 in 101 plate appearances since coming over from the Mets. That’s a scary number, and I’m sure manager Dave Roberts would love to see Granderson have a couple of big games before fully committing to him. That leaves two other options in a platoon with Kike Hernandez, Cody Bellinger (with Adrian Gonzalez playing first base) or Andre Ethier. I have trouble seeing those as realistic options. Ethier has barely played the past two seasons; you don’t know how he can move out there and you’re basically expecting him to fall out of bed after two years of injuries and expect him to hit. Gonzalez doesn’t look healthy and has barely played in September; he probably doesn’t even make the postseason roster.

As an aside: Please, Dodgers fans, quit complaining that Granderson ruined the team chemistry. It’s a ridiculous and embarrassing excuse for a team-wide slump.

Washington Nationals: Who starts in the outfield? The good news is that Bryce Harper took batting practice on the field Sunday for the first time since injuring his knee in August; he did some running and said he’s aiming to be ready for Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Obviously the Nationals would love to get him some game action before then, but for now it appears he’s on target to play.

With Michael Taylor in center field, that leaves manager Dusty Baker multiple options in left field. The Nationals have started five different left fielders in September, plus three more players who started in right field. That’s eight options! The sentimental favorite would be veteran Jayson Werth, but he has hit just .133 in 13 games since returning from the disabled list in late August. Werth really hasn’t hit right-handers since 2014, so I would consider him a viable option only against lefties.

That leaves Howie Kendrick and Adam Lind as the best options. Kendrick has hit well since coming over from the Phillies, while Lind has had a terrific season as a bench bat, hitting .306/.361/.508. He hadn’t played the outfield consistently since 2010 but has started 23 games in left; his ability to hit righties means he could draw some starts out there, even as a defensive liability.

An intriguing bench option might be 20-year-old rookie Victor Robles, who could beat out Andrew Stevenson, Rafael Bautista or Alejandro De Aza for a final spot. He has only nine major league at-bats after hitting .300 in the minors with 27 steals, but his speed makes him a pinch running option. Baker hasn’t ruled out the idea of Robles making the roster. “If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t play him at all,” Baker told MLB.com the other day.

As an aside: If Harper makes it back, Baker would be wise to hit Harper or Anthony Rendon second instead of a lesser hitter. Rendon has occupied the sixth spot for most of the season before Harper was injured.

Chicago Cubs: Where does Ian Happ play? Joe Maddon’s head might explode with all of his options. Happ has hit his way into a regular role — somewhere — with 22 home runs and a .507 slugging mark. Addison Russell just returned from his foot injury and was making Gold Glove-caliber plays at shortstop, so the Cubs’ best defensive lineup would be Russell at short and Javier Baez at second.

That could mean the switch-hitting Happ ends up in the outfield. Since returning from the minors, Kyle Schwarber has hit .253/.338/.567, and you know Maddon will want that bat in the lineup against right-handers. The power that Happ and Schwarber offer would help offset the lower OBPs Russell and Baez bring to the table. There’s also Maddon favorite Ben Zobrist and Albert Almora Jr. (.910 OPS against left-handed pitchers) to consider. Most likely scenario: Schwarber and Almora platoon in the outfield, with Happ switching back-and-forth between center and left. That leaves Zobrist, Jon Jay and Tommy La Stella coming off the bench. It’s a deep roster with lots of flexibility and pinch-hitting options.

An aside: For most of August, Maddon hit Kris Bryant third and Anthony Rizzo fourth. The past few games he has gone back to Bryant second and Rizzo third. Willson Contreras has been hot in the second half (.320/.412/.670), so Maddon might stick with him in the cleanup spot.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Is Chris Iannetta the unlikeliest No. 2 hitter for a playoff team? Yes. Iannetta hit .188 with the Angels in 2015. He hit .210 with the Mariners in 2016. Now he’s a 34-year-old catcher suddenly hitting second for the first time in his career (he has started 21 games in that spot in his career, 18 of them coming this season). Of the past 14 games he has started, 13 have seen him hitting in the 2-hole (he hit cleanup in the other game). Obviously getting away from that marine layer in Seattle and Anaheim has helped rejuvenate the bat, and he has crushed lefties in particular with a .902 OPS.

One thing to note: The odd thing about manager Torey Lovullo’s lineups is that he has Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez in the fourth and fifth spots, no matter the pitcher. Jake Lamb and A.J. Pollock rotate hitting third. Lamb, however, has collapsed in the second half (.195/.315/.369), so it would make sense to move him down and get Goldschmidt/Martinez up earlier.

Colorado Rockies: Where does Ian Desmond play? He doesn’t. The first year of a five-year, $70 million contract has been a disaster as Desmond has hit .275/.322/.368, with the hand fracture he suffered in spring training perhaps limiting his ability to drive the ball. Mark Reynolds will play first, Gerardo Parra will play left and Carlos Gonzalez, finally heating up, will play right, especially with righty Zack Greinke the likely wild-card game starter for Arizona.

As an aside, I’d bat DJ LeMahieu leadoff and Charlie Blackmon second to give Blackmon a few more runners on base, but there’s also nothing wrong with starting the game with a 1-0 lead.

Cleveland Indians: Who plays in the outfield? With Bradley Zimmer likely out for the playoffs with a broken bone in his left hand, and Michael Brantley slow to heal from his ankle injury (he hasn’t played since Aug. 8), manager Terry Francona’s options in the outfield are suddenly limited. Almost by default, it seems we’ll get Jay Bruce in right, Austin Jackson in center and Lonnie Chisenhall in left.

Jackson has primarily been used as a platoon starter this season (almost half his plate appearances have come against lefties), but without Zimmer, he’s Cleveland’s best option for center field. Chisenhall doesn’t play much against lefties — although he has hit them well in limited time this year — so the Indians will likely carry Brandon Guyer as a platoon partner, or perhaps September call-up Greg Allen, a switch-hitter who hit .356 from the right side in Double-A. Allen doesn’t have any power, but has speed and defensive ability.

All that seemed reasonably straightforward … and then Jason Kipnis returned from the DL and started in center field on Sunday. That was his first game there in the majors, but he was a center fielder in college at Arizona State. He has had a bad season, battling a strained rotator cuff coming out of spring training and then landing on the DL twice with hamstring injuries, so he might be a utility guy in the playoffs with Jose Ramirez remaining at second and Yandy Diaz at third. If he can play center, that gives Francona options such as pinch hitting for Jackson or even starting Kipnis against a right-hander. Still, the defensive problems in center that hurt the Indians last October — including the Game 7 loss to the Cubs — could mean Francona plays it safe out there.

Houston Astros: Who bats second? With Carlos Correa back, manager A.J. Hinch looks like he’s back to his preferred order of Jose Altuve hitting third and Correa cleanup. It looks like the second spot will be shared by Josh Reddick (versus right-handers) and Alex Bregman (versus lefties). Reddick has quietly had a superb season at the plate, hitting .317/.365/.483, while Bregman has had a big second half (.308/.360/.515). Hinch lost some versatility when defensive whiz Jake Marisnick fractured his thumb, so that leaves George Springer in center on a regular basis with Marwin Gonzalez and Cameron Maybin in left.

The weak spot in the lineup is actually designated hitter Carlos Beltran. If the Astros keep a third catcher, that means Evan Gattis could get some starts there.

Boston Red Sox: Who hits leadoff? This is also known as the “Where does Eduardo Nunez play?” question. Since coming over from the Giants, Nunez has hit .319/.351/.534 in 51 games, although he’s currently sidelined with a right knee sprain. He had taken over the leadoff spot, but in his absence manager John Farrell has turned to Xander Bogaerts in the past week. Nunez was also able to play regularly because Dustin Pedroia was on the DL, but now Pedroia is back. Maybe Nunez ends up at third base, as Rafael Devers has gone 28 games and over 100 at-bats without a home run. Or maybe Nunez is the DH, as Hanley Ramirez is battling a biceps injury and had just one at-bat the past week.

One thing: Bogaerts hit .315 in April and .351 in May, but just .216 in the second half. The hand injury he suffered in July no doubt affected his production. See how he finishes, especially whether he’s driving the ball at all.

New York Yankees: Who plays first base? Manager Joe Girardi keeps giving Greg Bird playing time to see if he can get going, but he’s still hitting .144/.255/.297, including .125 in September. Even though the Yankees would likely face a right-hander in the wild-card game if they play the Twins — Ervin Santana, probably — Chase Headley seems like the guy here unless Bird suddenly heats up in the final two weeks.

As an aside, Aaron Hicks’ oblique strain limits Girardi’s options, as he would have been a nice option in the outfield. That leaves Jacoby Ellsbury in center field — he has been productive in the second half with a .376 OBP — and Matt Holliday at DH.

Minnesota Twins: Will Miguel Sano return? The impressive thing about the Twins’ offensive surge the past eight weeks is they’ve done it in part without Sano, who has been out since Aug. 20 with a stress reaction in his left shin. He took swings off a tee over the weekend, but there remains no timetable for his return. Eduardo Escobar has been playing third base in Sano’s absence and has been hitting like … well, like Sano, with seven home runs in September. That’s more than he hit all of last season in 352 at-bats.

In the least likely cleanup arrangement you could have predicted, Escobar and Eddie Rosario are now sharing the duties. And Jorge Polanco has been hitting third. You can’t predict baseball!

The post Every playoff team’s one big lineup question – SweetSpot appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

from https://dailystarsports.com/2017/09/20/every-playoff-teams-one-big-lineup-question-sweetspot/ from https://dailystarsports.tumblr.com/post/165546772476

[footballleague0]

Every playoff team’s one big lineup question – SweetSpot

Let’s look at the 10 teams currently holding down a playoff position and what lineup questions they might still need to resolve as we inch closer to the postseason.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Who starts in the outfield? Depth is fun, until everyone stops hitting and the manager doesn’t know who to play. I think we can determine this: Chris Taylor will start in center field (and hit leadoff) and Yasiel Puig will start in right field. Taylor has struggled in September (.212, 19 strikeouts, three walks), but he has been the regular starter in center field ever since Joc Pederson was demoted in mid-August, making some starts at shortstop only because Corey Seager has rested a sore elbow at times.

So that leaves left field. Curtis Granderson is still the likely starter against right-handed pitchers, even though he has hit .126 in 101 plate appearances since coming over from the Mets. That’s a scary number, and I’m sure manager Dave Roberts would love to see Granderson have a couple of big games before fully committing to him. That leaves two other options in a platoon with Kike Hernandez, Cody Bellinger (with Adrian Gonzalez playing first base) or Andre Ethier. I have trouble seeing those as realistic options. Ethier has barely played the past two seasons; you don’t know how he can move out there and you’re basically expecting him to fall out of bed after two years of injuries and expect him to hit. Gonzalez doesn’t look healthy and has barely played in September; he probably doesn’t even make the postseason roster.

As an aside: Please, Dodgers fans, quit complaining that Granderson ruined the team chemistry. It’s a ridiculous and embarrassing excuse for a team-wide slump.

Washington Nationals: Who starts in the outfield? The good news is that Bryce Harper took batting practice on the field Sunday for the first time since injuring his knee in August; he did some running and said he’s aiming to be ready for Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Obviously the Nationals would love to get him some game action before then, but for now it appears he’s on target to play.

With Michael Taylor in center field, that leaves manager Dusty Baker multiple options in left field. The Nationals have started five different left fielders in September, plus three more players who started in right field. That’s eight options! The sentimental favorite would be veteran Jayson Werth, but he has hit just .133 in 13 games since returning from the disabled list in late August. Werth really hasn’t hit right-handers since 2014, so I would consider him a viable option only against lefties.

That leaves Howie Kendrick and Adam Lind as the best options. Kendrick has hit well since coming over from the Phillies, while Lind has had a terrific season as a bench bat, hitting .306/.361/.508. He hadn’t played the outfield consistently since 2010 but has started 23 games in left; his ability to hit righties means he could draw some starts out there, even as a defensive liability.

An intriguing bench option might be 20-year-old rookie Victor Robles, who could beat out Andrew Stevenson, Rafael Bautista or Alejandro De Aza for a final spot. He has only nine major league at-bats after hitting .300 in the minors with 27 steals, but his speed makes him a pinch running option. Baker hasn’t ruled out the idea of Robles making the roster. “If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t play him at all,” Baker told MLB.com the other day.

As an aside: If Harper makes it back, Baker would be wise to hit Harper or Anthony Rendon second instead of a lesser hitter. Rendon has occupied the sixth spot for most of the season before Harper was injured.

Chicago Cubs: Where does Ian Happ play? Joe Maddon’s head might explode with all of his options. Happ has hit his way into a regular role — somewhere — with 22 home runs and a .507 slugging mark. Addison Russell just returned from his foot injury and was making Gold Glove-caliber plays at shortstop, so the Cubs’ best defensive lineup would be Russell at short and Javier Baez at second.

That could mean the switch-hitting Happ ends up in the outfield. Since returning from the minors, Kyle Schwarber has hit .253/.338/.567, and you know Maddon will want that bat in the lineup against right-handers. The power that Happ and Schwarber offer would help offset the lower OBPs Russell and Baez bring to the table. There’s also Maddon favorite Ben Zobrist and Albert Almora Jr. (.910 OPS against left-handed pitchers) to consider. Most likely scenario: Schwarber and Almora platoon in the outfield, with Happ switching back-and-forth between center and left. That leaves Zobrist, Jon Jay and Tommy La Stella coming off the bench. It’s a deep roster with lots of flexibility and pinch-hitting options.

An aside: For most of August, Maddon hit Kris Bryant third and Anthony Rizzo fourth. The past few games he has gone back to Bryant second and Rizzo third. Willson Contreras has been hot in the second half (.320/.412/.670), so Maddon might stick with him in the cleanup spot.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Is Chris Iannetta the unlikeliest No. 2 hitter for a playoff team? Yes. Iannetta hit .188 with the Angels in 2015. He hit .210 with the Mariners in 2016. Now he’s a 34-year-old catcher suddenly hitting second for the first time in his career (he has started 21 games in that spot in his career, 18 of them coming this season). Of the past 14 games he has started, 13 have seen him hitting in the 2-hole (he hit cleanup in the other game). Obviously getting away from that marine layer in Seattle and Anaheim has helped rejuvenate the bat, and he has crushed lefties in particular with a .902 OPS.

One thing to note: The odd thing about manager Torey Lovullo’s lineups is that he has Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez in the fourth and fifth spots, no matter the pitcher. Jake Lamb and A.J. Pollock rotate hitting third. Lamb, however, has collapsed in the second half (.195/.315/.369), so it would make sense to move him down and get Goldschmidt/Martinez up earlier.

Colorado Rockies: Where does Ian Desmond play? He doesn’t. The first year of a five-year, $70 million contract has been a disaster as Desmond has hit .275/.322/.368, with the hand fracture he suffered in spring training perhaps limiting his ability to drive the ball. Mark Reynolds will play first, Gerardo Parra will play left and Carlos Gonzalez, finally heating up, will play right, especially with righty Zack Greinke the likely wild-card game starter for Arizona.

As an aside, I’d bat DJ LeMahieu leadoff and Charlie Blackmon second to give Blackmon a few more runners on base, but there’s also nothing wrong with starting the game with a 1-0 lead.

Cleveland Indians: Who plays in the outfield? With Bradley Zimmer likely out for the playoffs with a broken bone in his left hand, and Michael Brantley slow to heal from his ankle injury (he hasn’t played since Aug. 8), manager Terry Francona’s options in the outfield are suddenly limited. Almost by default, it seems we’ll get Jay Bruce in right, Austin Jackson in center and Lonnie Chisenhall in left.

Jackson has primarily been used as a platoon starter this season (almost half his plate appearances have come against lefties), but without Zimmer, he’s Cleveland’s best option for center field. Chisenhall doesn’t play much against lefties — although he has hit them well in limited time this year — so the Indians will likely carry Brandon Guyer as a platoon partner, or perhaps September call-up Greg Allen, a switch-hitter who hit .356 from the right side in Double-A. Allen doesn’t have any power, but has speed and defensive ability.

All that seemed reasonably straightforward … and then Jason Kipnis returned from the DL and started in center field on Sunday. That was his first game there in the majors, but he was a center fielder in college at Arizona State. He has had a bad season, battling a strained rotator cuff coming out of spring training and then landing on the DL twice with hamstring injuries, so he might be a utility guy in the playoffs with Jose Ramirez remaining at second and Yandy Diaz at third. If he can play center, that gives Francona options such as pinch hitting for Jackson or even starting Kipnis against a right-hander. Still, the defensive problems in center that hurt the Indians last October — including the Game 7 loss to the Cubs — could mean Francona plays it safe out there.

Houston Astros: Who bats second? With Carlos Correa back, manager A.J. Hinch looks like he’s back to his preferred order of Jose Altuve hitting third and Correa cleanup. It looks like the second spot will be shared by Josh Reddick (versus right-handers) and Alex Bregman (versus lefties). Reddick has quietly had a superb season at the plate, hitting .317/.365/.483, while Bregman has had a big second half (.308/.360/.515). Hinch lost some versatility when defensive whiz Jake Marisnick fractured his thumb, so that leaves George Springer in center on a regular basis with Marwin Gonzalez and Cameron Maybin in left.

The weak spot in the lineup is actually designated hitter Carlos Beltran. If the Astros keep a third catcher, that means Evan Gattis could get some starts there.

Boston Red Sox: Who hits leadoff? This is also known as the “Where does Eduardo Nunez play?” question. Since coming over from the Giants, Nunez has hit .319/.351/.534 in 51 games, although he’s currently sidelined with a right knee sprain. He had taken over the leadoff spot, but in his absence manager John Farrell has turned to Xander Bogaerts in the past week. Nunez was also able to play regularly because Dustin Pedroia was on the DL, but now Pedroia is back. Maybe Nunez ends up at third base, as Rafael Devers has gone 28 games and over 100 at-bats without a home run. Or maybe Nunez is the DH, as Hanley Ramirez is battling a biceps injury and had just one at-bat the past week.

One thing: Bogaerts hit .315 in April and .351 in May, but just .216 in the second half. The hand injury he suffered in July no doubt affected his production. See how he finishes, especially whether he’s driving the ball at all.

New York Yankees: Who plays first base? Manager Joe Girardi keeps giving Greg Bird playing time to see if he can get going, but he’s still hitting .144/.255/.297, including .125 in September. Even though the Yankees would likely face a right-hander in the wild-card game if they play the Twins — Ervin Santana, probably — Chase Headley seems like the guy here unless Bird suddenly heats up in the final two weeks.

As an aside, Aaron Hicks’ oblique strain limits Girardi’s options, as he would have been a nice option in the outfield. That leaves Jacoby Ellsbury in center field — he has been productive in the second half with a .376 OBP — and Matt Holliday at DH.

Minnesota Twins: Will Miguel Sano return? The impressive thing about the Twins’ offensive surge the past eight weeks is they’ve done it in part without Sano, who has been out since Aug. 20 with a stress reaction in his left shin. He took swings off a tee over the weekend, but there remains no timetable for his return. Eduardo Escobar has been playing third base in Sano’s absence and has been hitting like … well, like Sano, with seven home runs in September. That’s more than he hit all of last season in 352 at-bats.

In the least likely cleanup arrangement you could have predicted, Escobar and Eddie Rosario are now sharing the duties. And Jorge Polanco has been hitting third. You can’t predict baseball!

The post Every playoff team’s one big lineup question – SweetSpot appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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[rbeatz]

The Meadows Music & Arts Festival Review

The Meadows Music & Arts Festival was this past weekend, and it was certainly a special way to end festival season. Myself and rBeatz Photographer Brian Benton hit the pavement for all three days, and below you’ll find snippets of each act we saw with media attached.

With headliners such as Gorillaz, Jay-Z, NAS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more, you knew the weekend was going to be special. I was pleasantly surprised with the rotating set times. There were 4 stages, and the sets would alternate, so there was always open stages and space to relax with friends and enjoy the abundance of food options.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find crowd shots and my top 10 of the weekend.

Day 1: Friday, September 15th

Party already started @themeadowsnyc http://pic.twitter.com/FCRsxowhhC

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 15, 2017

Jordan Bratton

#TheMeadowsNYC @jordanbratton http://pic.twitter.com/6SzSD0gsjt

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

Desus & Metro

A pleasant surprise this weekend was the Viceland Bus. It was early, so I ventured off towards the brand activations, seeing what Bud Light, Viceland, Vitamin Water, Tidal, and Vitamin Water had to offer. Viceland is all about that experience economy, so they brought a BUS, where they had special guests DJing in the back. One of those special guests were Desus & Metro, the #1 show on late night (don’t google that). They were DJing in the back, dapping up fans as they freaked out that it was really them. Props to Viceland all weekend. I also got a Café Bustelo t-shirt, which was bright yellow. I wore it the second day, and got multiple compliments.

@desusandmero crushing the @vicelandbus #TheMeadowsNYC

A post shared by rBeatz Radio (@rbeatzradio) on Sep 15, 2017 at 11:04am PDT

Best set at #TheMeadowsNYC so far goes to @desusandmero #VICELAND http://pic.twitter.com/FIsd1OTJ0E

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 15, 2017

Lizzo

Lizzo came out with the ENERGY! She was charismatic with the crowd and had swag to match.

#TheMeadowsNYC @lizzo was HOT #WATERME http://pic.twitter.com/ANMT18s179

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

#TheMeadowsNYC @lizzo crushin the Main Stage http://pic.twitter.com/bDTdN79IBg

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 15, 2017

Marian Hill

I thought this was one of the cooler sets of the weekend. Marian Hill is known for their minimal productions. They are a production duo made up of vocalist Samantha Gongol and producer Jeremy Lloyd. Samantha had a beautiful singing voice, and Jeremy almost seemed like he was chopping vocals on the SPOT.

Below is a video of the two performing their first song ever released, Whiskey.

#TheMeadowsNYC @MarianHillMusic http://pic.twitter.com/wPFTHbsQ56

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 15, 2017

Those vocal chops doe #TheMeadowsNYC @MarianHillMusic http://pic.twitter.com/5iM2sgB2M2

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

21 Savage

People were getting HYPE for 21. Water was being thrown everywhere after each drop.

#TheMeadowsNYC @21savage http://pic.twitter.com/xLw4PUovWM

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 16, 2017

Migos

One of my favorite sets of the Weekend. Migos is definitely a headliner in my book, and for whatever reason, they were on at 4pm. They showed up 15 minutes late to their set and left 15 minutes early. The apathy for time made me like their set even more. Their Official DJ, Durel, did well at maintaining crowd expectations and playing trap bangers at the beginning of their set.

I ❤️ NY @DjDurel #TheMeadowsNYC http://pic.twitter.com/KaC8Cv5ZCb

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 16, 2017

  Bad and Boujee @Migos #TheMeadowsNYC http://pic.twitter.com/TcYEtkVgBa

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 16, 2017

Tegan and Sara

#TheMeadowsNYC @teganandsara #TheConX http://pic.twitter.com/HnaKcm6BAR

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 16, 2017

Two Door Cinema Club

Irish rock band Two Door Cinema Club were one of the few non-rap acts on the festivals first day, and they drew a big crowd looking for some music diversity.

Blood Orange

Super soulful and relaxing set.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z played all the hits with a Jeff Koons Balloon Dog right behind him. The significance of this was when the piece was sold at an action for $58.4 million, it became the most expensive work by a living artist sold at an auction. This was his first show in New York City since 2014, so of course he put on, creating a narrative through his earlier years to his later years.

Day 2: Saturday, September 16th

A Few of rFavorites #TheMeadowsNYC

A post shared by rBeatz Radio (@rbeatzradio) on Sep 17, 2017 at 12:07pm PDT

BADBADNOTGOOD

After their Saturday set at the Meadows, BBNG played an official after party for the festival at Manhattan’s Irving Plaza. The Canadian group is best known for their collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, Danny Brown and more, but their Saturday after-party show was heavier on their original jazz sound than hip hop and electronic music.

Big Boi

Outkast songs like So Fresh, So Clean, Ms. Jackson and The Whole World were the highlight of Big Boi’s set early in the day on Saturday. The Atlanta rapper seemed upbeat, energetic and happy to be on stage, calling out fans in the audience and taking breaks to chat with them and his live band.

LL Cool J

LL Cool J was a classic set. A highlight was when he brought out Q-Tip.

Jack The Ripper @llcoolj #TheMeadowsNYC http://pic.twitter.com/jd13EbsIO2

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

Erykah Badu

Erykah’s set was inspiring. She has a beautiful voice and took breaks from time to time to discuss what was on her mind. She was quite the personality on stage, commanding the audience to love one another and pay attention to what’s important. The entire persona on stage gave me life, and the spirituality of her entire show was an experience that was different from most sets this weekend.

#TheMeadowsNYC @fatbellybella http://pic.twitter.com/GXrJqI9XaM

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

A-Trak

A-Trak always comes out trying to read the crowd. He played everything from dubstep, to trap, to hip-hop, to electronic and a bit of rock. He found his vibe with the harder electronic stuff and continued to play that throughout.

Foooooooooooooools Goooooold @atrak #TheMeadowsNYC http://pic.twitter.com/CEPj11xduq

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

Big Gigantic

The only Electro-Funk sets of the weekend. People were grooving like maniacs. As was I.

Take my broken parts, take all of me @BigGigantic on Queens Blvd #TheMeadows2017 http://pic.twitter.com/PTcbNZydUV

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

Let the good times roll @BigGigantic #TheMeadowsNYC http://pic.twitter.com/SdeeqvLxXG

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

That mean sax @BigGigantic #TheMeadowsNYC http://pic.twitter.com/0koLEz1UZH

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 17, 2017

TV on the Radio

Everything will be okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end @tvontheradio #TheMeadowsNYC

A post shared by rBeatz Radio (@rbeatzradio) on Sep 16, 2017 at 7:17pm PDT

M.I.A

After dropping a few new videos and songs over the past two years, British rapper M.I.A. is back on the road playing some of her first U.S. shows since 2014’s Matangi Tour. As the second headliner on Saturday night, she drew a big crowd, although it seemed like sound problems plagued parts of the set. She began the set with Borders, and closed with Paper Planes.

Gorillaz

This was my #1 set of the weekend. The entire set was similar to a movie, with each character getting their own music video. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. The entire production was flawless, and the animated narrative on screen made it feel like I was watching a movie instead of at a concert. This was a next level performance. Damon Albarn came out looking like someone coming into the office who got caught in the rain. It was part of his allure. He also brought out various cameos including De La Soul, Mos Def, Pusha T, D.R.A.M, and Chicago soul singer Peven Everett who crushed it on the vocals.

Day 3: Sunday, September 17th

Broken Social Scene

The highlight of Broken Social Scene’s Sunday show was an appearance by Emily Haines, best known for her work with Metric. The Canadian collective played one of their best known songs, 7/4 (Shoreline) early in the set before bringing out Haines and playing some of her music from deep in the band’s discography.

NAS

NAS was another one of my favorite sets, kicking things off with New York State of Mind and playing singles from way back in the day of cassette tapes with singles from Illmatic like Life’s a Bitch and It’s Yours. He paid tribute to Mob Deep’s MC, Prodigy, who passed away this June by playing It’s Mine, from Mobb Deep’s Murda Muzik. Right after running through this, he went into Hip-Hop is Dead  – a nice narrative transition, tho he made it clear that Hip-Hop certainly wasn’t dead, since it’s the genre at the TOP of the Billboard charts. NAS was a favorite of mine growing up on Hip-Hop in the East Coast in the 90s, so I was excited to hear him run through his classic catalogue as well.

Who’s got @Nas cassettes? #TheMeadowsNYC http://pic.twitter.com/G8hHl4qPK9

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 18, 2017

Weezer

@weezer finale #TheMeadowsNYC

A post shared by rBeatz Radio (@rbeatzradio) on Sep 17, 2017 at 8:40pm PDT

Sleigh Bells

Vocalist Alexis Krauss spoke about how happy her band was to be back home in New York, and gave a shout out to Brooklyn’s Union Pool, where they played one of their first shows. The set featured lots of fan favorites from Reign of Terror and Treats, like Comeback Kid and Infinity Guitars, in addition to the band’s trademark strobe lights and Marshall speakers on stage.

Bassnectar

I went early to catch Bassnectar’s set. The Bass Heads were out, anticipating what Bassnectar vibe would come. Since it’s New York City, he decided to go HAM. The heavy dark bass vibes came out quick, as fans of his were head banging and awestruck at his dynamic light show.

#TheMeadowsNYC #BassHead @bassnectar http://pic.twitter.com/tdQnhVfCF3

— rBeatzRadio (@rBeatzRadio) September 18, 2017

Bass Heads @bassnectar #TheMeadowsNYC

A post shared by rBeatz Radio (@rbeatzradio) on Sep 17, 2017 at 6:58pm PDT

The Meadows Music & Arts Festival Crowd Shots

Chris’ Top 10

Gorillaz

Big Gigantic

Erykah Badu

NAS

Migos

Jay-Z

Bassnectar

TV on the Radio

Blood Orange

A-Trak

from rBeatz Radio http://ift.tt/2w6N4NA

[bretinlv]

Bret’s Guide to Cancun/Isla Mujeres & the Riviera Maya

As part of planning for Kurt & Carly's wedding at the end of April I wanted to write a sort of guide to getting around Cancun and Isla Mujeres (especially) but also to touch on the whole of Riviera Maya.

I have been blessed to be in a BUNCH of different parts of Mexico over the years and I just LOVE the country-- its people are so warm and caring and the beauty of the country is spectacular.  Mexico has some of the most amazing beaches in the world and has thousands of miles of tropical beach to explore.  

Let me answer an important first question that I get asked a LOT and comes up a LOT:  Is Mexico safe?  Somehow ALL of Mexico has gotten the reputation that it is unsafe.  That would be like comparing all of the US to inner-city Chicago.  By the way, I'd much rather be in Mexico at night than inner-city Chicago these days.  Some parts of Mexico are unsafe-- border towns like Juarez are very dangerous.  The state of Guerrero and the beach city of Acapulco are not safe right now.  Tourist areas are important for the Mexican economy and so they are guarded by both federal and municipal police and you will see a stronger police presence than you see here.  Federal police carry rifles out in the open so don't be alarmed.    

I spent three days in Cancun last week and stayed with a family on AirBnB.  I walked around neighborhoods at night, took taxis and Uber, rented a car, traveled 50-100 kms and never felt a bit nervous.  There are parts of Cancun where you will think you are in the US (I'm thinking of the corner where the Sam's Club and Wal-Mart are across the street from the Dodge dealer and the Starbucks-- a REALLY nice Starbucks). 

By the way, I stayed in Cancun with a family in a private upstairs room they had just built for $11/night.  They both spoke English and were most accommodating.  I paid a total of $49 (with fees) for my 3-night stay.  I used Uber from their house to the ferry building to go over to Isla Mujeres and Uber cost me $2.50USD.  The ferry round-trip is 300 pesos ($15USD).  Breakfast on the beach was $3.50 at Jax for two eggs, sausage, toast, potatoes and coffee and orange juice.  All with a stunning view from the outdoor, second floor area (try to find that in Newport Beach!):

So, let me jump into the nuts & bolts of our time in Mexico for Kurt & Carly's wedding.  Please read this carefully:

  Phone Service in Mexico 

A GREAT development recently also is that most US cell phone carriers have made access in Mexico (and other international destinations) part of their service agreement.  I have an iPhone 7 Plus and use AT&T as my carrier.  When I land in Mexico I go to my settings and locate "Carrier" and switch to AT&T Mexico.  Voila-- I get 4G LTE service, and my phone works just like here.  Feel free to call my cell in Mexico if you get stuck, need a quick tip or advice (my number is listed below in my signature).

CHILL OUT!

This is a VERY important consideration:  Mexico is more chill than the US.  It is not a good thing or a bad thing, it is just a thing.  The Mexican people move a little slower, take family more seriously (in general) than we do, take relationships more seriously than we do (generally).  Tell yourself when you arrive in Mexico:  Breathe!  Take a few long, deep breaths and switch to a more relaxed culture.  I saw this on my last trip most in this way:  When I went and sat at a restaurant, it took about 5 minutes (on average) for a server to approach me.  My American response is to get up and leave the restaurant in a huff.  Just relax, they will come.  I think the Mexican mentality is this:  "Hey, you're out to eat, it must be a special occasion...you must need lots of time to connect with your friends and talk and talk and talk..."  Are they moving a little slower than you'd like at the car rental place?  Flow with it, you're in their country.  Don't be a rushed, angry American-- it's not a pretty sight there or here-- and I say this to myself as well.

Passport 

I assume you know you need a United States Passport (or a passport where you hold your citizenship) to travel to Mexico.  You do not need to apply for a visa before traveling (see below about visas).  It takes about 6 weeks to get a US Passport by regular means (start at your local post office).  

Arriving in Cancun

I assume most of you reading this will arrive by air into Cancun International Airport.  This is a busy, modern airport.   It's not the size of McCarran (Las Vegas) and there is only one lobby.  You may have to pass through customs if this is your first stop in Mexico.  A couple things about Mexico customs: 1) on your plane you will get a customs declaration sheet.  On the bottom is a tear-off form that looks just like the info on the top part.  Fill out both parts with the same info.  The bottom part is your VISA and you will be required to present that when you leave.  DON'T LOSE IT.  It's a hassle to replace and costs like $15 to get another one right before your departing flight.  Here's another different thing:  When you pass through customs and get your luggage you will come to an agent who will push a button and you will get either a red light or green light.  I think this is just a random way to determine whose bags they will check, although someone sitting in some back office may be watching by camera and override those they want to check.  If you get a red light, they will scan your luggage through the x-ray and likely open it up afterwards to see what you have inside.  Very customary.  Don't worry.  If you get a green light, say "gracias" and take your luggage and scram.  

From the Airport to Where You are Staying

The most stressful part of your whole time at Kurt & Carly's wedding could be navigating the airport lobby to your transportation to your next destination.  Some of you, I imagine, will go directly from the airport to Isla Mujeres.  Some of you may stay a night in Cancun and then go over to Isla.  In the airport lobby (and this is different from our airports) there are dozens of "transportation vendors" who will be offering to take you where you want to go.  You have several options:  1) Take a taxi into Cancun (the airport is about a 10-15 minute drive south of the hotel zone and/or downtown Cancun; There is a catch here though:  there are two taxi options:  regular or collective (colectivo in Spanish); Regular is you and your travel partner(s) get in the taxi and they take you where you want to go.  This costs about $40USD. Too much!  The colectivo will put you in a taxi with others headed in the same direction and you only pay 140 pesos (about $7).  The BEST way to do this is to go outside the airport lobby and find the taxi stand and tell them you want to take the colectivo to the ferry at Puerto Juarez (if you're headed to Isla or wherever you may be going); 2) Uber from the airport to your destination.  Make sure you get the app and have it set up before you leave on your trip so you're not fumbling around on the ground.  Uber is having the same kind of problem in Mexico as they are in parts of the US.  Uber drivers are feeling a bit threatened by taxi drivers because it is taking away their business.  You may find that if you request Uber that your driver may decline.  BUT Uber is the CHEAPEST, FASTEST, BEST OPTION to get around Cancun unless you rent a car.  If you are coming in early and headed to Playa del Carmen, contact me separately and I will tell you my suggestions on this to save you money. Here's a picture of the taxi stand outside the airport lobby:

The Ferry to Isla Mujeres

There are several ferry routes that go over to Isla Mujeres.  The BEST and least expensive ferry service is at Puerto Juarez just north of the main part of Cancun.  Every taxi, bus & Uber driver in town knows where it is so just tell them you want to go to Ultra Mar at Puerto Juarez.  The ferry leaves every 30 minutes and only takes 15 minutes across the water.  There is usually some live music on the upper deck and the weather is so nice it's worth trying to get a seat up top.  Hand the musician a 5 peso coin if you like his music.  Here is a picture of the ferry building:

Exchanging Money in Mexico

The BEST way to get pesos in Mexico is to use your ATM card and withdraw pesos out of your US checking account.  Your bank will give you the best and current exchange rate (right now about 20 pesos: $1USD).  You will be asked how much to withdraw (just like here);  $3000 pesos is about $150USD and 3000 pesos will go a long way.  I would get $1000 pesos or so right in the airport and then get more on Isla at an ATM when you need it.  There are banks and ATM's everywhere.

   Getting Around Isla Mujeres

The best way to get around Isla is to rent a golf cart.  Parking is at a premium and a car is difficult to navigate and find parking for....and you have to take a separate ferry to get your car over there.  If you are staying for more than two days I would get a golf cart for your stay.  There are places right by the ferry building to rent golf carts and they run about $35/day.  Be careful, there are some golf cart places that only rent for the day....and some for extended days.  Make sure you get the right place.   If you are only in Isla for two days or so and you are staying on the north side of the island, I would say to use a taxi.  Taxi rides on Isla cost about 40 pesos anywhere (about $2USD).  That's a LOT of taxi rides to get to the $35/day for a golf cart....but you choose.  It's fun to take the golf cart around the whole island and see everything. There are some BEAUTIFUL spots at the very south end of the island and some Mayan ruins to view.  Gerrafon Park is also down there with snorkeling, zip lines, a great beach and swimming.   

The wedding is going to be on this beach!!  Whoa! Got questions?  Feel free to email me or call.  See you on the beach in April!  

[touristguidebuzz]

First Polaris Business Class Flight on United’s 777-300ER

Yesterday, United operated a special “preview flight” on its 777-300ER, which enters passenger service this Thursday. TPG and I had a chance to fly on this charter (along with 60 or so employees and guests) from Chicago to San Francisco, giving us four hours to experience the full long-haul Polaris service (including amenities like mid-flight snacks and pajamas), chat with United execs and explore the plane.

In This Post

TPG policy is to cover all costs related to travel — while we paid for our flights to Chicago and from San Francisco, unfortunately it wasn’t possible to book a revenue fare (or award ticket) on the charter. So, since we couldn’t pay for the flight, we’ll be giving away two round-trip award tickets in United Polaris to any destination with Saver availability — stay tuned for more details about that incredible giveaway!

Polaris Lounge

I’m going to keep this section short, given that we’ve already reviewed both the Polaris Lounge and United’s new sit-down dining service (which unfortunately wasn’t available during yesterday’s event). TPG also gave us a tour via Facebook Live, which you can find below:

Tour time! I'm live from the United Polaris Lounge at ORD:

Posted by The Points Guy on Monday, February 13, 2017

I arrived around 9am. following a flight from Philadelphia, at which point a United rep handed me my boarding pass for the charter flight (no, it wasn’t eligible to earn miles, unfortunately).

Brian had a chance to catch up with United CEO Oscar Munoz in the lounge before it was time to head to the gate.

Boarding began shortly after 2pm, with Oscar himself making gate announcements and scanning boarding passes. Watch him scan TPG’s pass below:

Exploring the 777-300ER

While the 77W is very roomy inside, the same can’t be said for the aircraft door — TPG bumped his head while attempting to board.

The 60 Polaris seats are split between two cabins — we turned left to find our seats in row 1.

There’s not a ton of storage space in the new seats, unfortunately (more on that tomorrow), but with far fewer passengers per bin, there’s plenty of overhead storage to go around.

TPG and I were assigned seats 1D and 1G, in the middle section at the very front of the plane.

Middle seats in odd-numbered rows are ideal for passengers traveling together, given how close they are to one another, but a motorized center partition adds privacy at the touch of a button.

While only Polaris first (on United’s 747s and 777-200s) typically includes turn-down service, the flight attendant was kind enough to tuck TPG in for this photo.

Did you notice TPG’s pajamas? These are available on the longest long-haul flights (including most flights to Asia and the South Pacific), and you’ll probably want to head to one of the lavatories to change. Fortunately, as on some of UA’s 777-200s, Polaris passengers have access to one fairly large lavatory, located just behind door #2.

The other lavs are small — a bit larger than those in coach, but not much.

In addition to the amenities you’ll receive in your kit, each Polaris lav offers bottles of cleanser and lotion.

The economy lavs are more bare-bones, but they still felt fresh, given that this is a brand new plane.

While TPG didn’t have to worry about bumping his head while walking down the aisles, the lower ceiling in the on-board bar area was no match for his 6′ 7″ frame.

On long-haul flights, this self-serve bar (located between the two Polaris cabins) features fresh fruit, snacks, wraps, water bottles and other items.

While United’s new Polaris seats are great, this plane actually offers something even better — but you’ll need to head up to the “upper deck,” which unfortunately is only accessible to crew members.

Upstairs, you’ll find a half dozen bunks, complete with large mattresses, privacy curtains and the same Saks Fifth Avenue bedding available downstairs.

Notably, these bunks weren’t as long as the lie-flat Polaris seats — while TPG was able to stretch out completely there, he needed to bend his knees in the crew bunk.

That flight attendant crew rest is located at the far back of the plane — there’s a similar crew rest for the pilots (complete with captains chairs) up front.

Meanwhile, back downstairs, just behind the second Polaris cabin you’ll find United’s new 3-4-3 coach. It’s definitely a tight squeeze compared to 777s that offer 3-3-3 seating — I’ll dig in a bit more later this week.

The economy cabins were completely empty for this charter, but they’re almost entirely full for the first passenger flight on Thursday — don’t expect to have room to play around.

These seats offer enough space to stretch out… as long as there aren’t any other passengers in your row.

Seats are roughly 17 inches wide, making the center section 68 inches or so — not enough to accommodate all 79 inches of TPG.

Located toward the front of the coach sections, Economy Plus seats offer a great view of the wing and engine — but they aren’t as quiet as the seats located at the front of the plane.

Food and Beverage

Although we were traveling on a 4-hour domestic flight, United took this opportunity to show off its full international service, starting with amenity kits and Champagne.

Flight attendants were pouring Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut (roughly $45 a bottle), which, unfortunately, you’re unlikely to find on any scheduled United flight. The airline typically serves lower-tier Champagne, such as the Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Brut NV I had on my Seoul-San Francisco flight (about $32 a bottle)

The menu consisted of two starters, an entree, three dessert courses and a selection of a la carte items. It was a ton of food for such a shorter flight (brace yourself for the pictures to come).

Shortly after takeoff, flight attendants set up each table and offered wine, sparkling (or still) water and warm nuts.

One new addition (available on all Polaris routes) is United’s new wine flight — you can taste three reds, three whites, a mix of reds and whites or all six. TPG decided to sample them all.

And he quickly zeroed in on a favorite — the Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 (about $13 a bottle).

After that delicious wine tasting, flight attendants came by with the appetizer trays, which included a salad, shrimp and warm(ish) bread. As a side note, I’ve actually noticed that the bread hasn’t been as hot following the switchover to Polaris, so I checked in with United’s Executive Chef, Gerry McLoughlin, who explained that the oven preset currently doesn’t allow enough time to heat the bread all the way through. Since flight attendants can’t override the presets, that’ll need to be adjusted ASAP.

I started with the Thai-style lemongrass shrimp appetizer, which was served chilled with mango and papaya salad. It didn’t blow me away, but it was perfectly edible.

Next up was a spinach salad, with orange slices, grapes and strawberries. The salad was perfectly fresh, and was served with a lemon vinaigrette and fresh-ground pepper.

Then, for his entree, TPG selected the Asian fusion chicken soup, which I loved during United’s preview tasting in downtown Chicago but was less impressed with on the plane. It was very good this time, though — TPG finished every bite.

To shake things up, I ordered the seared turbot, which was served with a mushroom risotto with fava beans and cherry tomatoes. We both found it to be too salty and “fishy tasting,” so I asked for the short rib, instead. (Notably, the passenger behind me also ordered the fish and really enjoyed it, so perhaps mine was just over-seasoned.)

The short rib was much better — though it’s hard to mess up a short rib, given the high fat content. It was served over creamy grits, along with fava beans, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.

One thing I quickly noticed about the seats is that the tray table can slide back and out of the way, making it easy to get in and out without removing dishes and silverware.

Then, just to be polite, we both decided to try the lobster mac and cheese, which is available as an a la carte snack item on longer flights.

There were some serious pieces of lobster here… delicious!

That was followed by cheese and port wine.

Then a dessert sampler with three yummy cups, a salted caramel bar and apple pie.

And, as if that wasn’t enough for a 4-hour flight, there was a sundae cart, complete with hot fudge, strawberries and other toppings (stuffed, we decided to skip this third dessert, though).

Whoa! What’s this? Is United following Etihad and Turkish’s lead and adding an in-flight chef? Not quite…

United Executive Chef Gerry McLoughlin happened to be on board for the special flight, and he walked TPG through a cooking plating lesson back in the rear economy galley (stay tuned for that post later this week).

On longer flights, FAs set up the middle walk-up bar area — there wasn’t much to speak of on this flight, but it does offer a nice spot to hang out with fellow passengers during a long trek across the Pacific.

Finally, just before landing the flight attendants handed out a small box of take-away chocolates, just as you’ll receive on scheduled Polaris flights.

Entertainment and Wi-Fi

While the content offerings are identical, the in-flight entertainment system is a big step up with these new seats.

Each passenger gets an 18-inch touchscreen display — it’s not all that much larger than what you’ll find installed in United’s existing business and first-class seats, but it was definitely far sharper.

Unfortunately you still get the same so-so headphones. United considered replacing these with a higher-end set, but opted for this model to avoid having flight attendants interrupt passengers to collect headsets and take inventory long before landing (which passengers currently have to deal with when flying on AA).

Every seat includes a universal power outlet, a USB port, a headphone jack (that’s compatible with ordinary headphones as well) and a wired remote.

There’s a second USB port beneath each display, which you can use to charge a smartphone or tablet that you tuck inside the under-screen compartment.

The one major change is a redesigned moving map — you can zoom in and out and pan around. This entertainment system is also equipped with United’s “Channel 9” air traffic control audio, which is only available if and when the pilot decides to turn it on.

Another addition is this sliding progress bar on movies and TV shows, letting you skip ahead to exactly the spot you left off on a previous flight.

Wi-Fi was entirely free on the flight, which we were initially pleasantly surprised to see. However, it quickly became clear that only “basic” service was available — email worked, but anything beyond that (including posting to social media) was quite a struggle. I never got a speed test to load, so I’ll reserve judgement for the Newark-San Francisco inaugural on Thursday.

How to Fly Polaris

The very first 77W passenger flight is United 539, traveling from Newark to San Francisco this Thursday morning. As of this writing, there are five business-class seats for sale, but they’ll run you a whopping $2,642 each. This is a great opportunity to book an award ticket — there isn’t any Saver space for 25,000 miles, but if you’re a United elite member or you have the MileagePlus Explorer Card, you can reserve one of these seats for 50,000 miles, which also happens to be the current sign-up bonus for this card (after you spend $3,000 in the first three months).

On March 25, United will begin flying this plane between San Francisco (SFO) and Hong Kong (HKG), which, if you’re able to find Saver space, will run you 70,000 miles each way. The next destinations have yet to be confirmed, but we’re expecting this plane to operate service between SFO and Beijing (PEK), Seoul (ICN), Taipei (TPE) and Tokyo (NRT), with the possible addition of Tel Aviv. Additionally, it will likely launch on the Newark-Tel Aviv route in early May.

Bottom Line

This was a phenomenal first flight on United’s new 777-300ER, but every moment was carefully orchestrated, from the custom menu (only available on this one flight) to the super-friendly (but handpicked) flight attendants. That said, we know that the much-improved hard product will be identical on every flight, and I have two revenue flights booked (including the EWR-SFO inaugural this Thursday) that’ll give us a first opportunity to experience Polaris as it was meant to be.

Now that the 77W is here, the challenge for United is managing customer expectations — you’ll pay the same price for a Polaris ticket regardless of whether or not you get the new seat, and the many passengers who have seen United’s television and airport ads will likely be expecting something much different when they end up on a 787-9 Dreamliner or UA’s old 2-4-2 777s.

Those of us who know where to find the 777-300ER and how to book it are in for a treat, but don’t assume that every flight will be like this one — given that the old lie-flat seats will remain in service for at least a few more years, the airline has a long way to come before the “true” Polaris product is widely available.