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daggerzine · 4 years ago

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Stephen Smith of The Morning Line opens up.

I believe that Bay Area musician Stephen Smith began sending me stuff to listen to/review with his band The Morning Line a few years ago. I really like the band’s brand of melodic rock/pop and was curious to know more. I then realized it was the same Stephen Smith who had been in Boston faves Salem 66 many years before. I then wondered what other bands he had been in that I had maybe checked out (or own records by) so I tossed him some questions that he was more than happy to answer. Read on and give the band a listen, they really deserve your time.

RAWK

Where did you grow up? Was it the Boston area?

North Shore of Chicago until about 14, then high school in the Boston suburbs. I stayed in and around Boston, with stints in New York, L.A., and North Carolina, until I was 25. I was into music as a kid in Chicago, but too young to really be going to shows or anything. Boston was where I really had my musical coming of age. There was a surprising amount of stuff happening in the Suburbs. I saw Husker Du in Concord. The Dead Kennedys in Waltham. And Boston was only about 45 minutes away by train. I remember going into the city and buying records at Newbury Comics, with Aimee Mann behind the register.

What was the first instrument you picked up?

Why I started playing french horn at 11 or 12, I don’t know. It didn’t last. I started playing guitar pretty quickly after that. My first electric was a Stratocaster. I was probably 12 years old. 1979? It was used, so I’m guessing it was an early 70’s one. Got stolen at CBGB while I was loading in in the mid-80’s. Thieves work fast! Let me know if you’ve seen it.

What was the first record you remember buying? As a kid nay band knock your socks off?

My memory is embarrassing, but I recall three early purchases. Singles of ELO’s “Turn to Stone,” and Gary Numan’s “Cars,” and a Beatles comp called “Rock ‘n’ Roll Music.”

The most recent album from 2019.

What bands were you introduction to punk/new wave/alternative music?

I remember very distinctly tuning into WLYN (later WFNX) and hearing Gun Club’s “Sex Beat”, and Bush Tetras’ “Cowboys in Africa,” and being amazed. I’ll tell you what, though, high school girlfriends were absolutely key to my musical education. Gang of Four? X? Learned about them through my first girlfriend. The Replacements? Through my second. I’m the great beneficiary of other people being better informed than me. Through these same people, I became aware of what was going on locally, and was turned on pretty early to stuff like Christmas, Volcano Suns, the Proletariat.

Was Expando Brain your first band? If not what?

As a fifteen-year-old, I had a couple bands with friends playing covers (I remember Gang of Four’s “Essence Rare,” X’s “Riding with Mary,” “Brand New Cadillac”). But Expando Brain was the first “real” band. I think I was 16 when we started that. Being that age and getting to play shows (like that CBGB one where I lost the guitar), make a record, and be ever-so-slightly enjoyed by some people, was a thrill. I suppose obviously.

Tell me about your time in Salem 66? Howe did you initially meet those ladies?

I don’t remember how we got together! I’m going to guess it was David Savoy’s doing. David managed Expando Brain for a while. He later managed Husker Du, before passing in early 1987. I think he got me together with them. I was 18-19 at the time. They were all 5-10 years older, so we wouldn’t have been traveling in the same circles.

It was absolutely thrilling for me. They were a great, interesting, band. They had “made it,” in my youthful eyes. Signed to Homestead Records? Come on. Gerard had rejected Expando Brain. So I was gonna be on my favorite label (well, maybe SST aside)! I was only in the band for nine months (I think I was a pretty relentless pain in the ass), but so much happened in that time. I think it was all in 1986. We did a tour through the south, so I saw places I’d never seen. We did another tour as a part of our travel to make “Frequency & Urgency,” so I got to see California, an unknown place that loomed so large in my imagination. We stopped in Needles, on the CA/AZ border, and I skated the pool of the motel we stayed at (very poorly). We made the record with Ethan James, who had recorded one of my favorite records of all time (“Double Nickels on the Dime”). I got my first tattoo while we were in L.A. making the record. It was just a dream for a 19-year-old who wanted to be a musician. In some minor way, I *was*.

Waiting for the pizza delivery.

Was God’s Eye next? If so how did that band begin (and end)?

Yes and no. After getting booted from Salem 66, I went to school. Spent a year at Vassar College. There, I started the first version of God’s Eye with my brother, Tim, who would drive out to Poughkeepsie from Boston now and then to rehearse, and with Ivor Hanson, another Vassar student, who had earlier been in Faith and Embrace (and has gone on to lots of other things, musical and otherwise). I was just writing riffs then, nothing very substantial, and that came to an end at the end of the school year. At the same time, I answered an ad in the Village Voice. A band in North Carolina, apparently signed to a major, was looking for a guitar player. I noodled some notes onto a tape, took a picture, and sent it. I got an audition, then the gig. The band was called the Right Profile and, at the time, they were signed to Arista. ….but no record ever came out. Sort of a roots/American thing before that was a thing. Maybe Petty-ish? I hate to pigeonhole. So I moved to North Carolina. The band was led by a guy named Jeffrey Dean Foster, who is still making great music today. The drummer was Jon Wurster, a name I’m sure you know. For about nine months – again - I played with them. I was the wrong guy for the job though. I didn’t really have the kind of sideman chops they needed. Can’t remember if I jumped or was pushed. Maybe some combination. As an old man, it’s been nice reconnecting with them through the miracle of social media. A year or two after that, I restarted God’s Eye with my brother. In candor, it wasn’t very good. I had decided I needed to sing in a lower register, and it was really just bellowing. Despite that, we had remarkable success. We were managed by Boston dynamo Joyce Linehan, who would later go on to work at Sub Pop, work with Joe Pernice, and work as chief of staff to the Mayor of Boston. She got us much further than we (I) deserved. We made an album, an ep, and a single for Domino in England. The album also came out on Rough Trade in Germany. We got to play some dates in London. Nothing ever came out in the U.S. We had some interest, but it never materialized.

Anything in between that band and your move to the west coast?

Near the end of God’s Eye, I also played a bit with Green Magnet School. They needed a bassist, and I pitched in. Chris Pearson, one of the guitar players in the band, returned the favor, adding a second guitar for God’s Eye. I was lucky to be able to record a single with GMS, the Sub Pop double-single with Six Finger Satellite.

When did you make your movie to the Bay Area and what prompted that?

Frustration with music prompted it. I remember having breakfast with an exec from Stone Roses’ label. Silvertone, if I recall correctly. He sounded so into it! He was gonna put out the God’s Eye record in the U.S.! But it didn’t happen. I decided I needed to have more control over my life, so I bore down, finished college, and moved across the country to San Francisco, sight unseen, to go to law school.

The latest single from earlier this year.

Were you in any bands before the Morning Line in San Francisco?

In law school I met a fellow student, Jason Hammon, who was in the midst of a pretty successful rock career. He was in Dance Hall Crashers. We stayed friends and, in 2000 or so, we started a band called My Fellow Astronauts, with his brother Gavin (another DHCrasher) and my friend Scout (Scout Shannon & the Willing Deceivers). We played some shows, recorded some demos, but nothing ever came of it.

Tell us about the beginnings of The Morning Line?

It’s 2004 or so. My friend Marco Baroz (Lucy & the Long Haul) played bass, David Knupp played guitar, and somehow we found David Shollenbarger. Maybe craigslist or something? David had played for awhile with Agent Orange. We were in our late 30’s, and knew not to take it too seriously. But we made some demos, and an album in 2007 (“Stay My Satellite”). We were and are very fortunate to have a friend named Peter Craft, who has a great studio called Boxer Lodge, and great skills. We got to spend a year working on the album, and get it just the way we wanted. We self-released, but got a few reviews and a few fan letters, and that’s all I could hope for. Eventually, the lack of success that comes with being in a band of forty-somethings took its toll, and the band was pretty much dissolved in 2008. But Peter (also a terrific drummer) and I kept making demos. I wrote some stuff I liked in about 2015, so we started recording again using The Morning Line name. “Stephen Smith” is too generic to get the job done.

“Smoke,” from 2017, is a collection of things we did over a few years. “North,” from 2019, was a focused, intentional album project, all recorded with Peter, David Knupp, and Brian Mello (the Bellyachers). That’s the band today. I write the songs and sing, but it really wouldn’t sound like it does without them, especially Brian (I don’t think Peter or David will be offended by that).

I know you just released a Morning Line single. What’s next for the band?

Not sure! I’m still riding the high of getting a couple songs done with all of us in quarantine! We’re talking about putting out a collection of odds and ends: demos, the songs from this new single, some remixes. But I’m not sure. We’ll be putting out a couple of those old outtakes as a Big Stir digital single in June. An album of all new material is probably in the future, but I’d guess at least 18 months out. We’re . . . deliberate.

Prior to COVD was the band actively playing locals shows and or doing any touring?

Not really. We play from time to time, but it’s mostly a recording project at this point. You’d be surprised how little interest there is in watching an obscure group of fifty-somethings peddle their wares.

A man, his dog and a weird-ass mountain (ok, hill).

Who are some of your favorite current bands, local or otherwise?

I’ve been oddly incurious about new music the past few years. I just looked at the Outside Lands schedule and was like, “scarypoolparty? What?” I know that’s inconceivable to you. I tend to get excited by friends’ new products. People I’ve mentioned here, like Brian Mello and Scout Shannon, have had things out over the past year or two. My friend Russell Tillitt has something coming out. Jeff Shelton’s Well Wishers. Just off the top of my head. Bigger name stuff? I like the new Besnard Lakes record. The most recent Sleaford Mods. I’d be happy to hear the new Wrens record, which I suspect may never come.

What are your top 10 desert island discs?

You know how hard this is. Every day a different answer, right? Here goes:

Neil Young – Live Rust The Clash – London Calling Wrens – Meadowlands X – Los Angeles Gang of Four – Entertainment Replacements – Let it Be Jesus Lizard – Goat Jam – Sound Affects Teenage Fanclub – Catholic Education Wipers – Over The Edge

Those and a hundred others.

Final words? Closing comments? Words of wisdom?

Thanks for giving me the chance to think about this stuff. It’s fun to do a little reminiscing. As you know, there’s a deep bench of older indie-rock folks out there, still at it, and doing it pretty well. Thanks for giving us some attention.

BONUS QUESTION: Red Sox or Giants?

60/40 Giants. It's nice to have a team in each league.

https://themorningline.bandcamp.com/

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gracie-p8-officialblog · 5 years ago

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Spilling Tea On Phantom of the Opera 2004

DISCLAIMER: I just want to say from the start that it is not my intention to offendanyone, you're entitled to your opinions and I'm allowed to have mine...

Ok, so, I just watched this movie a few days ago on my laptop and it was pretty much my first time sitting through the movie. I watched a few clips of the movie on YouTube but... Then, I decided to watch the whole movie. And this was my reaction.

Don't get me wrong! There WERE parts I liked but... That was just half of the movie... But overall... Um... It was meh. Ahem. Down to business!

My opinion on Gerard Butler as the Phantom? Um, wow. And not in a good way. I feel like this was a case of a talented performer being grossly miscast as the Phantom. I think this Tumblr post best describes on what I thought of his singing.

"He's supposed to have the voice of an angel, but it sounds like he's been gargling vinegar" ~Quoted by @faded-florals

Don't get me wrong. His voice is quite good for an untrained singer but... The Phantom is one of the biggest musical theatre roles of all time! It's right up there with Jean Valjean. It's really not a role that could go a competent singer, someone who's never sang professionally before but could be good once they've been trained up a bit. The role demands a truly great singer... And he wasn't right for the part.

His voice felt too strainy, growly and rock-ish for the Phantom. I didn't like how Joel Schumacher bought into the whole "sexy Phantom" thing and cast a hunky heart-throb, who was nowhere near disfigured enough. It's meant to be a gothic thriller novel with a small romantic subplot, not a B-grade vampire romance movie!

As for Emmy Rossum as Miss Christine Daae... it's true, her voice is good. She should know though, should she wish to excel, she has MUCH still to learn (Heeeeehee. Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Emmy's Christine had little-to-no character growth and personality but I don't think it reflects her as an actress, but reflects more on the director and casting director because of how young she was (but more on that later)

Not only that, her Christine was SIGNIFICANTLY dumbed down and oversexualized. I mean, the entire point of the story is that Christine grows strong enough to overcome the trauma of an abusive relationship and make sure that her abuser never hurts anyone ever again but still shows the Phantom compassion and sympathy. I mean, her story arc is her becoming strong-willed enough to overcome the Phantom's pull/spell/enchantment/hypnosis or whatever you percieve it as on her! And don't get me started on her costumes because of the SEVERE lack of modesty.

The chemistry was a little flat because she was underage and her two male love interests were both in their 30s (which totally isn't HER fault, of course, but the directors could easily have cast someone else older)

Her voice, too, strikes me as being much too young and undeveloped. She has a very pretty, sweet-sounding quality to her singing but she doesn't sound rich and operatic enough to be a convincing Christine. Rebecca Caine and Amy Manford do the best job of singing the way I think Christine ought to sound- a maturing opera voice! Though POTO is NOT an opera (you wouldn't believe how many people actually think it is...), it does revolve around opera, and Christine is an opera singer, not a pop star.

And now onto... Everyone's favourite vicomte!!!!!!

C'mon people, put your bottles down. It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least in the wee Raoul Defense Squad Circle) that Raoul is one of the greatest and most underrated boyfriends to ever exist in musical theatre and it's almost impossible to hate him because of how relatable he is.

Ladies, puh-leeze. He's much more relatable than you admit and face it, we all have a little bit of Raoul in us. Failure to see things staring us in the face, saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, having a 'see it to believe it' attitude when we have little-to-no evidence on something... yeah, don't pretend you don't see a trend. Raoul is relatable whether we want him to be or not.

My thoughts on Patrick Wilson as Raoul, he was one of the few redeeming qualities of this not so great movie. Yeah, the swordfight and Tarzan leaps were a little too much but can you blame him?! And though I feel like that foppish wig made him look more like a magic elf prince than a vicomte, he couldn't control that!

His Raoul was so gentle and caring! Yeah, his acting was a bit stiff but at least his voice wasn't a chore to listen to, it has this warm, tender, comforting quality to it which suits Raoul. I really loved the way he sang "Don't throw away your life for my sake" and "I fought so hard to free you" in the Final Lair (😭😭😭) It feels like Raoul is genuinely apologising to Christine.

I know, I know... The Hadley Fraser fans are approaching with menacing expressions as we speak but let me clarify. I still think Hadley is amazing but... His Raoul kinda felt a little too shouty for me and his Raoul was closer to the LND-canon than POTO-canon (not his fault though).

Miranda Richardson (aka. Rita Skeeter) as Madame Giry is kind of weird. I mean, I know Madame Giry's supposed to be a little Strange and Mysterious. But this Mme. wasn't really Strange or Mysterious at all, or even slightly Spooky at all. She was just kind of an oddball. Popping up in random places to give warnings about the Phantom and looking at people as if she were questioning their life choices or something. As for her daughter... well, Jennifer Ellison's Meg was so-so. She's got a sweet-sounding voice and that added scene where she looked for Christine in the lair was a nice touch... But... Her Meg was kinda forgettable and uninteresting. Meg is supposed to prance around shrieking that the Phantom of the Opera is here, not whisper it in a blase manner that you half expect to be followed up with, "by the way, what's for lunch?" Not to mention, she rivaled Christine as far as low-necked costumes went.

Minnie Driver as Carlotta was spot on! Yes, I know she didn't sing the score but her acting was alright. She was very over-the-top and self-centered, which is great for Carlotta, but I felt her portrayal was a little too childish to be accurate. Carlotta is a successful middle-aged diva who's willing to scream and storm when she doesn't get her way, but she isn't a two-year-old pouting and throwing tantrums. (Yes, there's a difference.)

Ciaran Hinds and Simon Callow played Firmin and Andre, respectively. Their managers kinda felt like twits and nothing more. Also, Firmin's masquerade costume was ridiculous. The stupid kind, not the funny kind. ...Well, okay, it was a little funny.

I'm not going to touch on every song here, but I will say that "Hannibal" was beyond awful (if you thought the costumes in the stage version were a bit risque, you should see the movie ones- no, actually you shouldn't) and that "Think of Me," while very nice, was not particularly memorable. Christine's dress, however (despite its less-than-ideal neckline) was GORGEOUS, even though it looks completely out of place in a musical that supposedly takes place in ancient Alexandria.

"Little Lotte" kinda lost its charm by being spoken instead of sung. And Gerard Butler's voice in "The Mirror" was too rough and raspy for my ears and made me cringe in sympathetic shame. The title song was like a cheesy, campy B-grade horror movie tbh, trying way too hard to be spooky and chilling ("ooh, look, Phantom's Lair! It's DARK and SCARY down here!") and succeeding only in being cringeworthy. Not that I've actually ever seen a bad horror movie- or any horror movie at all, for that matter. Unless you count this one.

Christine's costume, too, annoyed me no end. She was basically wearing a corset and drawers under the dressing gown. *facepalm* The dressing gown is supposed to go OVER your COSTUME to keep it CLEAN, peeps. It's not a BATHROBE. And the amount of eye makeup she had on would terrify a raccoon. Yikes.

Though I liked the random horse because of its nod to the Leroux novel.

"Music of the Night" was so blah-slash-touchy-feely that it made me summarily uncomfortable.

I'd like to be able to say something nice about "I remember/Stranger than you dreamt it" but I have none. One thing that bugged me to no end was how Christine is no longer wearing stockings, like dude, that gives some GROSS implications. Anyways, let's skip to Il Muto!

Oh, but first I should say that "Notes" was rather a flop and that "Prima Donna" is unmemorable and indeed should probably be fast-forwarded as there's a rather unsavory bit involving a crew member showing the audience what he thinks of Carlotta's behaviour.

"Il Muto," I must say, was pretty doggone funny. Carlotta's "Your part is silent. Leetle toad," cracked me up into a bunch of giggling little pieces, and the little vignette of the Phantom tinkering with Carlotta's throat spray made her croaking later on a lot more believable.

Now for "All I Ask Of You", SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I honestly can't understand how anyone could listen to this song and still maintain that Christine and Raoul don't belong together. He represents everything she needs- stability, protection, a guiding hand and affirmed affection. She represents everything he needs, in turn- someone to show affection to and his childhood friend.

One thing I definitely think could have been left out was the scene in which Erik kills Buquet- we totally did not need to see him being chased, terrified, through the rafters and finally strangled. Gross.

And the Phantom and his rose crouching behind that statue... I think this was supposed to be sad, but there was too much snot mixed with tears for it to be sad. It was, again, gross. So was Gerard Butler's pathetic attempt at the "all that the Phantom asked of you" line. And the lack of a chandelier crash in that scene made the song anticlimactic.

And "Masquerade" was so-so but... The Phantom's entrance is anticlimactic somehow, and his Red Death costume (if indeed it's supposed to even BE the Red Death) is unimpressive. I don't like how Raoul just runs off to desert Christine as soon as things start looking ugly (yes, I realize he was going to get his sword, but still... something could have happened to her while he was gone. Duh, did this guy learn anything from "Little Lotte/The Mirror"? Just sayin)

As for Madame Giry's flashback immediately following, I like how it gives us some of the Phantom's backstory, but it seems really abrupt. You don't even realize until she's done that she was talking to Raoul the whole time- it sounds like she's just randomly reminiscing about Stuff, and if you didn't know the story you might be sitting there thinking, "who is this strange woman again?"

Also, Christine leaving wherever-it-is at, like, five in the morning to go to who-knows-where, completely oblivious to the fact that the Phantom is driving her. Whaaaaaaaaa? How'd he know she was planning to go for a graveyard stroll? Was he watching her through the mirror again? THAT'S JUST CREEPY.

"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" was rather mediocre and dulled down the fact that it is a Christine Empowerment™ song. Why, exactly, does Christine's father have the biggest monument in the cemetery? If he were a rich and famous violinist as his crypt seems to suggest, why on earth was his daughter struggling along as a chorus girl taking free music lessons?

The swordfight... Well... I had mixed feelings about it. Sword fights are all well and good, but... The swordfight takes away the element of mysterious danger to the Phantom. Okay, fine, Christine getting Raoul to spare the Phantom's life is a nice touch, I guess, but did it strike no one else that his "now let it be war upon you BOTH" makes absolutely NO sense after that? If she just saved his life, why would he suddenly be all, "thanks, but no thanks, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOUUUUUUUUUU"?

And "Twisted Every Way" was after "Wishing" which made ZERO sense. Plus, I didn't like how they cut most of it because in the musical, it gave Christine a spine!

"Point of No Return"? Hooooooo boy....... There are so many things wrong with this number. Let's just a list a few.

*HOW did no one recognise the Phantom through his "disguise"?! At least in the stage play, it made more sense because of how he was wearing a cloak that obscured most of his body.

*Christine's sleeves falling down over and over again were REALLY annoying.

*It was just too touchy-feely for my taste.

*The fact that Emmy Rossum was a teenager during filming made this scene gross because of the way they oversexualized Christine in this scene.

*Gerard Butler's voice in that scene made me cringe and shake my head in sympathetic shame.

*In the stage play, Christine ran from him, showing her own agenda and resistance to his pull! While in the movie, she didn't resist him!

*Now for the one that took the cake... The disfigurement! Or it would be a disfigurement if it actually made him look, y'know, deformed. Instead, as several people have put it, he looks like he got a bad sunburn or something. It's really rather pathetic. It makes him look more like a drama queen than he already is! Yeah.... I really don't like this movie.

On to... Final Lair!!!!!!!! It was a flop. From Raoul's whining and flailing around and his stringy hair flopping about (shallow complaint, I know, but it's so ugly) to Christine's sappy melodramatic "don't make me choooooooose" faces to the Phantom's prancing around with his ropes and maniacal laughter that somehow wasn't really scary at all... yeah, it was a flop. A major, major flop. And though The Kiss wasn't all that bad, all I could think of was, "She's SIXTEEN! SIX! TEEN! THIS IS CREEPY, DISTURBING AND GROSS!"

Which is why it's so difficult for me to admit that, um, I... cried at the end.

I COULDN'T HELP IT GUYS HE WAS ALL ALONE THERE IN HIS LAKE WITH HIS MONKEY AND HIS SMASHED MIRRORS AND HE WAS CRYING AND IT WAS SAD.

And then that rose on the gravestone? That single red rose? And the look on Old Raoul's face (still Patrick Wilson, by the way, under all that makeup) when he saw it and realized he wasn't the only one visiting Christine's grave? Yup, I lost it again there, too. And I really didn't want to. Because I tend to cry over movies I love, y'know? And I didn't love this movie. At all

Yet I still cried at the end. I'm not really sure why. I think perhaps it had something to do with the way the story still "got" me, deep down inside, despite the lousy casting and less-than-perfect singing and ridiculously unnecessary elements that totally didn't need to be there. It's still a tragically beautiful romance, and even a bad film can't kill that.

In conclusion, I think Mary Poppins can best express what I thought of POTO 2004.

In conclusion, I rate it a 2.7/5

#Grace spills tea #grace speaks #poto 2004 #phantom of the opera musical #phantom of the opera #the phantom of the opera #Phantom of the opera 2004 #movie review #my reviews

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loverofmenartandpasta · 7 years ago

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what are your feelings on fbc? is she just sort of in the backseat to all the drama? i never got any impression about her beyond that she's kind of boring.

I do have a ‘my hot take post’ in mind when things are it bit clearer. I think she is a girl who is easily led. Growing up, she never had a father and whether you want to believe it or not, her mom was an unfit mother. Now, she’s an adult who is left with the scars of her past. At 25 years old she has an ex-husband and has had a ludicrousamount of plastic surgery done to her face. She’s a child who is playing adult and has an unearned net worth of $200 - $300 million to play with.

This is all my opinion but because of her unstable yet life, she lacks purpose. Her adult friends are artists so she’s artist. Her dad sang and her mom sings so she sings. I guess in a way she is boring because you expect her to be this super-cool person due to her parents being ‘rock stars’ but the reality of it is that she has no real identity beyond that. I’ll likely get hell for saying that but it’s true. Her career endeavours follow the route of any celebrity spawn, it’s tedious. Would she be an artist/singer/model if her parent’s weren’t famous? No. Yet she has chose to lead a very public life and she has chose to continue her fame. I would feel sorry for her but because of her cliche celebrity lifestyle and miserable face appearing in fashion ads and things, I can’t muster it. She is a professional celebrity.

She hangs around with these adults who are just awful people. I’m sure that when the Jessicka Addams falling out happened she took Lynz’s side without question because of her unwavering loyalty towards her. Frances doesn’t post enough on social media to know her involvement in it. Jessicka hasn’t mentioned her either only the ��coven’. In a way, I think Frances is oblivious to how deep this feud runs. Frances appears to be in awe of Lynz and chantal so I believe that she isn’t aware of their shitty personalities. Lynz is shit-scared of losing her friend, ‘Kurt Cobain’s daughter’ so doesn’t let her true colors show in her presence. Frances is Lynz’s meal ticket to Emmys after parties and trips on private planes. When in the world would Lynz get near this stuff? Not even being married to Gerard Way would allow her such luxury.

I don’t think that Frances is involved in any of the fake bulling accounts that Chantal and Lynz set up. However, she did know about the nowaymikeway account but then so did Alicia. “Devastated… but I’ll be back” …gasp! Such drama and not at all set up.

Last thing because this post ended up way longer than I intended. Her dad was a feminist who would have hated everything that MSI and Chantal Claret stand for. If he could see her being part of this he would be disgusted. He’s not around though so that’s that I guess.

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seven-oomen · 4 years ago

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First, I swear I’ll explain about the picture in a minute.

Next, it’s totally okay, I understand completely. I, too, am prone to being a total space cadet sometimes. My top skills are remembering/thinking of things when I’m in no position to act on them (composing review questions while at work, thinking of phone call I forgot to make while driving, realizing I didn’t show my mom the sonogram my friend sent me right as I fall asleep, etc.) Really, I’m just happy finding others to talk about this stuff with who seem to appreciate and enjoy it as much as I do. :D

Omg, I’m SO EXCITED to see the necklace turn up, however that happens! And as someone who 90% of the time also uses drinkware featuring superheroes and other nerdery for their alcohol, I very much approve Derek’s choices, whether it makes it into the story or not. I also enjoyed both versions of the chapter flashback, but the first was definitely more “Oh My…”, and the redo more straight up fluffy and adorable.

And I love all that stuff in the ideas tag! With Corey there’s so much potential stuff that can be done with someone with those types of powers. I admit I don’t know too much about exactly how his are supposed to work. his powers are due to genetics and not outside forces in this, could it perhaps be connected to how Gerard has been able to do some of the things he’s done? (Could the wolves track him while invisible in the show?) And oh, my God, that is a total Moon Moon moment (resisting the urge to make a comment about why Ian was trying to fit a ball in his mouth). I choose to believe that Noah and Chris coordinated to trick Peter into doing that and managing to get it on camera. They threaten to make it part of the family Christmas card. Peter only agrees if they make it so that all the pictures used embarrass everyone equally. Which is where some of the BTS type stuff could come in. (My lord, they are all such dorks. I mean, I follow Ian, Linden, JR, and Hoechlin on Insta and or Twitter, so we been knew, really, but still. XD ) And I’m all for any plot points or incidents that allow Lydia to showcase just how awesome she truly is. Also, I will never turn down an idea that involves puppy piles and cuddle puddles. I’ve been in this fandom too damn long not to have developed a deep-seated love for damaged characters getting the affection and comfort they deserve.

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the examples of my often questionable musical tastes. ;D I think I first heard that song on an anime music video (for LOVELESS I think, of all things), and I was just like “well this is catchy as hell”. As someone whose musical tastes are all over the gd place, I like to imagine they all have some genre that they’re secretly a fan of but don’t want to admit to because it might clash with their grunge-y punk image (the other two totally know anyway.) Speculatively I’d say boy bands for Peter, bubblegum pop/pop-punk for Chris, and classic (read: dad) rock for Noah, but I welcome other opinions.

And jsyk, it really makes me happy to know that my reviews are helpful for more than just story ideas. Which partially brings me to the picture I’ve attached. I work in a pet supply store, and the item on the right is a dog toy we carry and every time I look at it, all I can think of is how much it reminds me of Deucalion. Like, I can’t not see it at this point. And nobody I work with would have the slightest idea what I’m talking about, so I finally made this so that I could share it those that might get why it’s so funny to me. So here it is. And if you are still in need of things for distractions, here is a list of some random incidents that have (mostly) occurred at my work in the last few days:

1) Someone left a 4 Iron in one of our shopping carts along the far wall of the store. We have no clue where it came from, we aren’t anywhere near any kind of golf or sporting goods store. (I checked and there was no sign of blood on it, so no one was ditching a weapon on us or something.)

2) I walked into our warehouse and asked “why does it smell like sparklers in here?”, saw a coworker standing looking out the back door, and walked over to see that there was a car on fire about a block away in another parking lot. (The fire department was already on scene putting it out, it looked like it started near the front driver’s side tire?)

3) A child ate one of the fancy dog treats we have on display (luckily that one is mainly yoghurt and peppermint extract), and then try to drink from the fountain we have set up for any dogs that come in. I don’t think mom ever noticed.

4) We now carry a special, highly filtered, and ph-balanced (and overpriced) bottled cat water (no really), that seems simultaneously like a brilliant idea (because UTIs), but also somehow one of the whitest things I’ve ever seen (and I say this as a white person who grew up basically middle-class).

5) One of the smoke alarms in my apartment started doing the dead battery warning beep at around midnight Sunday night. I unfortunately was out of the size I needed to replace it, so I just popped out the one that was in it. Turns out it’s also hardwired, so that did nothing. It beeped the entire night. I would have gotten worried about my neighbors, but they had one that they let beep for like a week back in Feb, so I decided I didn’t care. When I stopped to buy a replacement I also ended up buying two bags of candy with the justification that they were on sale and I might need them for the next chapter.

6) Our pet bathing area re-opened, which meant we finally got a visit from one of my fave canine customers. His name is Jax, he’s an American Akita, and he is a gigantic, sweet, bear of a dog. Seriously, he comes to about my hip (I’m right around 5'4), weighs around 190lbs, and is a beautiful dark brown/black brindle all over. He is also one of the most calm, chill dogs I have ever met (he’s been coming in for years), and I love to watch other people react to seeing him for the first time.

7) While searching around my music files and Spotify for suggestions, I got distracted and ended up treating my neighbors to an impromptu concert that consisted mostly of 00s divas and 60s bubblegum pop (oddly, a lot of Herman’s Hermits and Ohio Express has a very similar vibe to Bowling for Soup, to me at least), because I had headphones in, and didn’t realize I’d started singing along for…a while. I did consider apologizing for that, at least, but ultimately decided to just ignore that it happened.

Anyway, I hope you are feeling a bit better now, and that some of the weirdness that is my life at least provides some entertainment. And that the therapy session at least feels like something you think will help in the long run, even if it sucks massively right now. I’m so proud of you for going, and sticking with it (I know so many who need to who don’t, for whatever reason). It is hard, and exhausting, and I am always awed by those that are determined to see it through. (Sorry if any of that comes across weird. My automatic supportive defaults tend to be humor and awkward sincerity, and I always worry that one will come across as the other and vice versa. Social anxiety is a hell of a drug.) So, I’m gonna go ahead and wrap up the verbal flailing for now, please enjoy whenever you see this tomorrow (I think? I’m terrible about keeping track of that sort of thing. Also, how is most of Europe just one time zone?! …anyway…)

Ok, I need to find out where I can get that crocodile/Alligator. for uh, for Mo...

Yeah for Mo.

(It’s for me, I would totally buy a dog toy if I thought it looked adorable.)

I definitely toned that scene down, though I kept some necessary exposition where Chris thinks on what happened between them. Might include some teenage raunchiness later, as someone pointed out to me, Peter would definitely be like that, as would Noah (probably). Chris would definitely be more reserved, he barely got a sex education aside from abstinence. ( Because I don’t see Gerard as the type of person who’d give his son the talk, honestly.)

And as someone who also drinks alcohol in superhero or Halloween glasses and mugs, I had to throw Derek’s very mature choice in there. Batman mug stays XD

I’ll admit, that was exactly what I was thinking with Corey’s power and how I could use it in the story. So I’m curious to see where I’ll go with it eventually, but yeah, that’s on my idea list.

.. must resist Ian & JR ballsy jokes.. you are not twelve Ben.

I am.

I really am. A twelve-year-old in a twenty-nine-year-old body.

I bet Ian wanted to prove what he could fit in there. He wanted to show some ballsy moves. It’s practice for-

Okay, I’ll stop.

And they are the biggest dorks, I follow Ian, JR, Colton, and Holland on and my lord, they’re such dorks. Definitely following Linden now too though. hehe.

I can see them trying that trick with Jackson, Malia, Ben, and Scott as well. Scott just falls face first and tries to fit a tennis ball into his mouth. Ben just looks at the tennis ball, figures that ain’t gonna fit and balances it on his face instead. Malia opens her mouth, notices the camera coming out, and just poses while smiling at the camera. Jackson though pretends to not understand what he has to do until Chris shows him how it’s done and then Jackson quickly points to Chris and while Noah films it laughing his ass off.

They make an awesome Christmas card with all of them doing something with that tennis ball.

Speculatively I’d say boy bands for Peter, bubblegum pop/pop-punk for Chris, and classic (read: dad) rock for Noah, but I welcome other opinions.

SO MUCH YES.

Also, Nickelback for Chris & Never gonna give you up. They're guilty pleasures. I would also like to suggest for Peter, either the Spice girls or like the Vengaboys. Gets him going but only when he’s alone at home and he’s wearing headphones. Because God forbids someone else hears it too. And I kinda wanna say Baby Metal for Noah. Idk seems like that might fit him and it’s hilarious to think about. Some headcanons don’t need to make sense.

Also, just for shits and giggles.

Caramelldansen in English and Swedish.

Makes these dads (and Melissa and Derek) move and dance around the new house like crazy, Ben joins in, because of the funny voices.

The teenagers are mortified.

MORTIFIED.

This made me so happy,

I feel like that’s basically toddler behavior. Also, Ben did this at some point. One hundred percent. He walked into the pet section at a store and started eating the dog treats. Chris didn’t notice, Peter did, asked him about it and went; well, it’s probably not toxic for him, so whatever. He did film it. Noah and Chris yelled at him.

That is the whitest shit I’ve ever heard. And yes I’m white too from lower middle class. But still...

But maybe that’s because I live in a country where I can drink tap water so that’s what Mo gets in his fountain.

And your stories made me smile my friend, every single one. <3 thank you for sharing these.

I wish I had funny ones really. Only one I can think of is some of my customers I run into as a tech support guy.

Customer calls me to tell me they don’t have internet. I ask, “Where’s your modem and how is it plugged into the network?”

Customer: It’s still in the box I received it in.. it’s wireless..”

Me:

Cue ten-minute argument on how it’s not wireless like that and how he needs to install his modem... yeah. People and technology...

But anyway, I’ll stop rambling now because it’s 1 am here and I need to go to sleep again.

1 am is in the Amsterdam/Berlin timezone where I live in.

That is 6 pm in NYC

And 4 pm in California.

So I am 7-9 hours ahead of the US, to give you an idea about timezones.

#ben says stuff #once upon a time comments #once upon a time scene ideas #submission

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years ago

Text

Barcelona are in crisis. Here’s how Valverde can turn Messi, Suarez & Co. around

Hands up if you’re loving every second of Barcelona’s ever-deepening crisis of faith, hapless away form and evident bewilderment, as every rival now plays them with the conviction that Spain’s champions are there for the taking.

You’re not alone. It’s one of sport’s most enduring storylines, as teams that have lain waste to all opponents before them with absolute inevitability then wane, decline and get pulverised. It’s not a matter of “maybe,” only a matter of how well you prepare and cope. “Nothing’s more certain than death, taxes and the collapse of possession football if it’s not properly cared for,” as Benjamin Franklin surely meant to say.

For that reason there will be widespread glee about Barcelona’s sudden vulnerability, far further than among Madridistas, Espanyol fans and anyone of a Manchester United, Juventus or Arsenal persuasion who still resents either the manner or just the pain of those three Champions League final defeats since 2006.

– Hunter: Ansu Fati proves ‘Barca DNA’ as strong as ever – Marcotti’s Musings: Catch up with the weekend action – Ogden: Why Man United’s owners won’t care about bad results

People find it fascinating, even enjoyable, when mighty edifices crumble and fall. They call it “Schadenfreude” in German, a deliciously malicious enjoyment of someone else’s woes. Football has, metaphorically, become such a bloodlust sport that there will be many who think that the only feasible remedy is to accept Ernesto Valverde’s mea culpa on Saturday night after Barca lost in Granada for the first time since 1972 and sack him.

(A fun stat: Barça has lost there five times in club history, and every time it happened, they failed to win La Liga that season.)

During the buildup to Tuesday’s Camp Nou meeting between La Liga’s highest scoring teams thus far, with Villarreal matching Barca’s 12 goals after five games, Valverde accepted the reality of his side’s malaise. “Coaches are always fighting against the sack. That’s not a novelty for me or any of my peers. Given the job I’ve got, it’s results that dictate [my fate]. If Barca aren’t leaders, then the manager’s under intense scrutiny. But two good results can end a ‘crisis.'”

A couple of weeks ago Messi admitted, “I think everyone worried that the coach might be sacked at the end of last season because we didn’t meet our objectives, but it was more the players’ fault than his.”

The problems with Valverde

Three things are true of Valverde. First, while Barcelona were bristling with steely ambition and their key leaders were fit and on form, his “light hand on the tiller” approach to management was perfect. Just look at the good haul of trophies since he took over.

Secondly, now that the seas are extremely stormy, his style of coaching — specifically the “pact” he struck with the squad leaders that rather than him being the outright boss (like an Alex Ferguson), he’d be primus inter pares, aka “first among equals” — will need an upgrade. That he struck such a deal with Messi, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez made sense: His was the ultimate responsibility, but it was an extremely benign, consultative dictatorship.

It’s a long way of saying that Valverde reckoned, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It worked a treat … up to a point. Now it’s out of date. Things are broken. They’re fixable but cracked.

The third thing that’s true of Valverde, I’d argue, is that he isn’t enjoying his work as much as he once did.

Yeah, I hear you: boo-hoo-hoo. He’s well paid, and he knew the stresses and potential indignities of managing a huge, often self-destructive and deeply divided club such as FC Barcelona. You’re playing the world’s smallest violin in sympathy for him, right? But this is a decent, hard-working guy who’s respected by the large majority of his squad, simply doing the same things that won him six trophies (and a UEFA Cup runners-up medal with Espanyol) before he took over at Barca.

He’s not a dud. He is not someone to be dissed lightly, nor is sacking him the real solution to what’s been going wrong.

Ernesto Valverde needs to change his tactics to get the best out of his team.

The flaws are easy to list and interdependent. Fundamental to Barcelona’s producing a brand of football that was hellish to combat and made them if not unique then brand leaders was positional play. Intricate, demanding and intelligent play that required both discipline and intelligence. Yet it has been abandoned by the club, in the first team at least, for some considerable time.

Eventually, under someone such as Xavi perhaps, it’ll be restored, but will there be competent students to impose it?

That’s an intriguing question for the future. Positional play helps possession play, as does the availability of Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Gradually, Barcelona’s actual amounts of possession have declined, but much more startling has been the decline in strategy for why possession is important: what you can do with it to punish the opposition. In the cases of some players, “possession” has begun to mean “running with the ball” rather than letting the ball do the work. It’s anathema to the Frank Rijkaard, Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova school of thought.

Barcelona are not anywhere near as tough — whether physically, spiritually, athletically or competitively — as they were in the era when they could count on Puyol, David Villa, Samuel Eto’o, Iniesta, Xavi, Dani Alves, Pedro, Seydou Keita, Yaya Toure or Eric Abidal. Gradually — and I think this is an inescapable truth — they’ve gotten a little softer. The mix of technique, brains, character, strength, athleticism and height declined across the first-team squad.

There’s also less pace. Several of those players who would feature in most people’s “best XI” of the current squad are actively short of pace, either in explosive sprints or over a foot race. When the ball isn’t moving quickly, this becomes a far greater Achilles’ heel.

President Josep Bartomeu has been pretty obsessed with passing the buck, whether it existed or not, to the guys who did his football planning: Andoni Zubizarreta, Robert Fernandez, Pep Segura and the exceptional Joan Vila, three of whom should have been retained. Now he’s left with an imbalanced squad in which two of the three full-backs, Junior Firpo and Nelson Semedo, aren’t good enough, in which there’s that lack of pace and in which no one seems to have planned for the fact that the only centre-forward turns 33 in January, carries extra weight, struggles to get away from defenders and hasn’t scored away from home in the Champions League in four years.

Luis Suarez remains an astonishingly clever, competitive and successful footballer, but the lack of strategy to replace him or make him compete for his place has shown either incompetence or fear of upsetting his major stakeholder, Messi.

Barcelona need to change formations

Let me propose a solution for Barcelona supporters. It’s a good one too. Hopefully Valverde is reading this.

Apart from the instincts that Pique, Busquets, Jordi Alba and perhaps Arthur are still imbued with, the whole position-possession-pressing thing that made the modern Barca famous, admired and successful has pretty much departed, meaning that the 4-3-3 they currently play is out-of-date. It’s a touchstone of the philosophy that, in due course, Victor Valdes, Puyol, Xavi and perhaps even Jordi Cruyff could reinstate, but right now, it’s a relic.

Barcelona, away from home, simply do not possess the means to make that formation effective. It’s a strength turned weakness. The solution is a 4-2-3-1. That formation is not a magical formula in itself but is a good fit for Barca’s playing staff while addressing current weaknesses and turning them into strengths.

Frenkie De Jong would benefit from a switch in formation at Barcelona as he continues to gel with his new team.

Frenkie De Jong was always going to require time to settle in and develop. He’s 22 with only 12 Champions League matches and fewer international caps. But most of his impressive football at Ajax was part of the pivotal partnership in a 4-2-3-1. Let him enjoy that role next to Busquets (on rotation with Arthur/Rakitic and so on).

Busquets benefitted hugely from Ivan Rakitic playing as a “double-pivot” next to him for large parts of the past two seasons. In fact, Valverde’s Barcelona were often lined up in a 4-4-2 last term. De Jong can be Busquets’ bodyguard now.

Another new signing, Antoine Griezmann, doesn’t like playing as a winger or very much as centre-forward. But right now, he could easily play as a No. 9 in front of Ousmane Dembele, Messi and Fati Ansu until Suarez trains away a kilo or two. After that, Barca could run Suarez at No. 9 with permutations of Messi coming in off the right, Griezmann in the middle of the three and Ansu or Dembele on the left. That not only could augment the chance creation but also would offer Valverde the option of installing a high press.

The 4-2-3-1 formation probably asks the full-backs to fly forward far less than, say, Alba currently does. But with Alba and Roberto edging forward into midfield to flank Busquets and De Jong, a mixture of Pique, Jean-Clair Todibo, Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti as the alert, high-line centre-backs and Marc-Andre ter Stegen happy to play the “sweeper-keeper” role, there are far more solutions than new problems.

Valverde has had the chutzpah to try to find solutions by dropping Busquets, promoting Ansu and Carles Perez and mysteriously giving Rakitic the kind of limited minutes that suggest he was either caught swearing in church or singing the Real Madrid anthem in the showers.

The burning question now is whether Valverde also the chutzpah to accept that 4-3-3 is now making his team weaker and change formation.

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#Articles #Barcelona #Spanish Primera División Barcelona are in crisis. Here’s how Valverde can turn

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canyousevmyheavydirtysoul · 7 years ago

Text

Starbucks Lovers. (Part 2) (Gerard Way x Reader)

*Note: This is really shitty and I apologise.

"Coffee is really yummy. You like coffee a lot, right? I don't know that. Because I don't sit and watch you drink coffee in the quad every day. But you love coffee, right? Because I love coffee."

"I'm seriously starting to wonder if you're a serial killer," you laughed slightly, eyebrows raised as your eyes travelled towards Gerard's right leg, which was rapidly bouncing up and down. It stopped when he noticed your gaze on it, though.

Letting out a nervous chuckle at your comment, Gerard looked down at his sweaty palms, a look of disgust evident on his face, though only for a few seconds before he wiped them urgently on his jeans.

"I'm sorry," he said with an apologetic grin. "It's just that I'm really nervous. As I'm sure you can tell."

"Why? If anyone should be nervous, it's me. You're the rockstar here."

"Yeah, well..." he trailed off, averting his gaze towards the menu board instead of your eyes.

"Well?" you urged, grabbing a forkful of blueberry muffin.

"You'relikereallyprettyandI'vekindahadateenytinycrushonyoueversinceyouspilledyourcoffeeonmethatonetimeandIknowthatit'snotexactlyokayformetohavearomanticintrestinyoubecauseI'msupposedtobeyourmentorbutdamnitIcan'ttakeitanymore."

It was quiet between the two of you for a moment as you tried to process what Gerard had just said; your eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Could you, um, repeat that? Maybe a bit slower this time?"

A pained expression spread over Gerard's face. Taking a deep breath, he tried to regain his composure before trying to speak again.

"You're, like, really pretty and I've kinda had a teeny tiny crush on you ever since you spilled your coffee on me that one time and I know that it's not exactly okay for me to have a romantic interest in you because I'm supposed to be your mentor but damn it, I can't take it anymore."

He looked at you hopefully, silently praying that you'd feel remotely the same and not reject him.

"You-you have a crush... on me?" you gestured to yourself in disbelief, still not being able to fully comprehend Gerard's confession.

"Yes..." Gerard's leg had begun bouncing again.

"But why?"

He looked at you as if the answer to your question was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why? How could I not?" he shook his head as if not understanding how you couldn't see why he felt the way he felt about you. "Like I said, you're really pretty. Like, really pretty. You're fucking gorgeous. And you don't even have to try. You could just be sitting on the grass with your friends, talking and laughing, and you'd have me mesmerized by your beauty; I could never look away. Sometimes during Music, when I was supposed to be looking over the others' progress, I'd just look at you instead," he looked down into his lap and blushed, ashamed of his actions, worried that it might scare you away. When you didn't show any signs of wanting to run off, he continued. "You'd be writing notes down, or composing a song and you'd scrunch your nose up and it would be the cutest thing ever. And you're so incredibly talented! You have the voice of an angel and I would be the happiest person alive if I could listen to you sing for hours on end. I love how you're so humble about it, too; you really don't realise how insanely talented you are. Then there's your smile. My God, your smile. I get butterflies just thinking about it. You're just so fucking perfect, (Y/N). Everything you do, everything you say, you have me completely at your mercy. You have from the moment we met."

You opened and closed your mouth a few times, trying to speak but not being able to think of anything to say.

"Please say something," Gerard looked at you with imploring eyes. "Say you feel the same, say you could never feel the same, say you don't know but please just say something. Please," he begged.

"Gerard, I... that was... the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me."

You reached across the table to slip your fingers between the fingers of his slightly shaky hands, looking into his hazel eyes as you did so.

He caressed your knuckles with his thumbs, smiling lovingly at you. "So does that mean that you-"

"Feel the same way? Honestly?"

Gerard looked at you expectantly, eyes filled with hope.

You inhaled deeply. "No. To be honest, Mikey was always my favourite Way brother."

Gerard looked like he'd just been shot.

"I'm joking!" you exclaimed quickly, cupping his face in both of your hands and planting a soft kiss on his lips. "I'm joking. Of course I feel the same. I've dreamt about this moment ever since I starting listening to My Chemical Romance."

"And I've dreamt about this moment my whole life," he said. You could hear the relief in his voice.

"We only met just over a month ago."

"True. But I always dreamt that I'd meet you one day," he said, smiling from ear-to-ear.

"You're so cliché."

"Everything that's happened between us since the moment we met has been cliché," he giggled.

"True. Speaking of how we met, don't you think we should actually get some work done?" you reached into your bag and grabbed a notepad and pen.

Gerard looked confused for a moment. "What do you mean wor- OH! Right! Mentoring. You know, we should totally do a duet."

"Yeah, we could do a MCR song! Oh, and as a bonus, I can be Frank so you have an excuse to kiss me on stage!"

You almost died laughing at the look on Gerard's face. He, however, was nowhere near amused.

"Ya know what, I take everything back. I think I'll just stick with Starbucks as my lover."

_______________________________

Thank you for reading x

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skelenyxx · 6 years ago

Text

II - In which Gerard is a continual fuck up ~ Forbidden

"Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles. Infected minds to their deaf pillow will discharge their secrets." ~ Macbeth

~*~

Gerard was an idiot.

He should've never shown her his eyes after using his senses to track Pete. Especially not after she was being hunted by him. Of course she wouldn't take it well.

And, go figure, she collapsed, resulting in him catching her thin body in his arms.

"Fuck," he said to himself. What was he supposed to do now?

He couldn't take her back to her apartment. No, that's the first place Pete would track her to. He had to keep her safe and she wouldn't be safe anywhere that she was often at.

He sighed, realizing he would have to take her to his place. They wouldn't be able to sniff her out as long as he was there. It would have to do, even though he was probably breaking a million rules just by being with her.

He picked her up bridal style, her black hair draping over his arms as she lie limply in his grip. He made one quick move to grab her bag, as they had somehow ended up back near where the chase had began, before he took off for home.

It took him less than a minute to get home. He lived across town, but across town wasn't that far when you had inhuman speed on your side. Gerard did his best to unlock his apartment door with out dropping Nyxia, but needless to say, Gerard wasn't the most graceful vampire in existence nor was he practiced in carrying full grown woman.

After a brief struggle, he made it inside and carried her to his darkly lit room. He laid her gently on his four poster bed, the burning sensation leaving his cold skin as he pulled away. He sighed, deciding to be some sort of gentleman and removed her shoes before pulling the black quilt over her unconscious body.

He gazed down at her through his long hair and was struck with how beautiful she was. He reached out to brush a strand of her hair from her face, only to immediately recoil as he realized what he was doing.

What the hell am I even doing?

He could get in huge trouble for this if the Ordinem ever found out. She was a Slayer, he was a vampire. Natural sworn enemies. But only she could kill him, and he wanted a way out of this life so bad he could almost taste it. He had waited literal centuries to get back to Melody and he wasn't going to let this chance pass him up.

Part of him knew it was wrong. He was using this poor girl to get what he wanted. After he was gone, the Ordinem would probably find her and execute her.

But why should I care? It was a Slayer like her that killed Melody. She'll kill countless more of us after me if they don't end her.

Gerard shook his head, sitting down in a chair cross the room.

And now, he waited.

~*~

Nyxia woke slowly, her mind a haze of confused thoughts. She could feel a warm comforter, but she didn't remember coming home last night. It was all fuzzy.

She opened her eyes, surprised when they weren't attacked by bright sunlight. Rather, it was pretty dark in the room, only a small amount of light filtering through the dark curtains.

Wait.

This isn't my room.

She shot up in bed, the sudden movement nearly making her fall over again from dizziness. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion as she scanned the room, drawings covering the walls and only a minute amount of furniture.

"Calm down," a voice spoke from the far side of the room. "You're fine. You're just in my apartment."

Her eyes landed on a man sitting in a wooden chair, dark hair hanging in his face as he watched her intently.

"Ge-Gerard?" She asked in astonishment, realizing that she recognized the man. He nodded slightly. "What-? How-?" She couldn't form a coherent answer as she tried to figure out why Gerard, a practical stranger, had brought her home.

What the hell did I do last night?

"You don't remember anything, do you?" He asked.

"It's- it's all kinda jumbled," she admitted. Then a thought occurred to her, making her heart almost jump out of her chest at the mere idea. "We didn't...? Did we?" She gasped out.

He smiled slightly, almost laughing at the idea of what she was asking. "No, no. Don't worry." Nyxia internally sighed in relief. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I..." Nyxia scanned her mind, trying to think logically about last night. Slowly it came back to her. "I was walking home from work. And a man... He attacked attacked me. I couldn't get away. He was going to... He was going to..." Nyxia couldn't finish the sentence as the memories flashed in her mind. She had been terrified and she truly thought he was going to take her just like that in the alley and leave her there. Gerard got up slowly and came to sit at the edge of the bed, his hazel eyes watching her calmly. He didn't want to touch her, for fear of frightening her, but she was getting upset merely thinking about last night and he wanted to try to comfort her as best as possible.

"But he didn't...," Gerard added softly, trying to get to her move past the frightening memory.

"No. Someone stopped him. But the guy who stopped him, he..." Her eyes widened as she remembered the blood and the red eyes.

"He what?" Gerard prompted.

"You're going to think I'm insane," Nyxia shook her head.

"I highly doubt there is anything you can say that will make me think that."

She glanced up at him, wondering briefly why he was being so kind to her. People were never nice to her. She decided that, despite the fact that she barely knew him, she trusted him.

"He killed him. But it was more than that. He bit his neck and there was so much blood and then when he turned around... His eyes were red. And I must have been imagining it. But then he tried to attack me and I ran but, I just... I couldn't get away from him. It was like he had super human speed or something."

She paused as she tried to assess the last bit of her memories from the night before. She brushed her hair behind her ears before finishing.

"And then someone else grabbed me and they were hiding me. The man gave up eventually and-" she stopped mid sentence, hers eyes widening as she stared at Gerard. "It was you. You're the one that helped me!" She gasped. He nodded. "B-but I saw... I saw red eyes."

"You were stressed and your mind was probably playing tricks on you. You hallucinated it," Gerard lied.

"Y-yeah. Right. Of course. There's no way you could have red eyes," he laughed awkwardly, realizing how stupid she was for actually thinking that he had red eyes. "How did you find me, anyway?" She asked. It seemed to be more than coincidence now. Running into the same stranger twice in that city is unusual in itself, but three times is bordering on creepy.

"I heard you scream," Gerard said truthfully. He had been looking for her, but he hadn't quite tracked her down yet. He heard Nyxia scream and recognized the voice, so he came running, realizing she was in danger.

Nyxia stared at him skeptically. "So you just came running to help a stranger, a stranger who looks like a prostitute no less?" People who gave a damn about anyone but themselves in that city were basically nonexistent. People didn't just stop to help you if you were in trouble. You could be getting mugged in broad daylight and people would just walk right past. And someone who appeared to be selling their body, the chances of anyone helping you were below zero. It was unheard of. So, needless to say, Nyxia had good reason to question Gerard's intentions.

"Well I recognized you."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay I know it's hard to believe," Gerard tried to convince her. "But I wasn't stalking you or anything, I swear. It was just a coincidence."

Nyxia couldn't decide whether she believed him. Her mind was screaming at her to not trust anything he says, but her heart was singing to believe him.

She sighed. "Well whatever the case, I really ought to be heading home. Thank you for helping me last night." She began to stand up, causing the dark bed to creak slightly, before a firm, cold hand was gripping her arm.

"That's not a good idea," Gerard said, eyes staring directly into her soul through his dark stringy hair. Nyxia felt like she was in the presence of an animal, a predator, ready to pounce at its prey at any given moment.

"Excuse me?" She stuttered out.

"You can't leave."

"I don't believe you have jurisdiction over what I can and can't do, thank you very much," she almost growled, pulling from his grip and moving quickly to the door. She didn't know much about him, and even though her heart still seemed to be lost in its own world, warning signs were going of everywhere in her mind.

She'd only barely moved, making a dash for the door, when suddenly, the man who had been sitting on the bed was suddenly in the door way, blocking her exit. She stopped abruptly in her tracks, staring wide eyed at him, glancing between him and where he'd been seating not even a second before.

"You- how- but you...?" She couldn't put together words as she remembered the time at the cafe where he'd been on the other side of the room and then suddenly he wasn't.

Gerard realized he'd fucked up again, and scrambled to try to fix it.

"I was already standing and you-"

"No" she cut him off. "Don't you dare start with that. That's what you said at the cafe and I know you had been on the other side of the room. It's like- like you have super human speed or something."

Like the guy last night.

Her mind was screaming at her to get away. Gerard was dangerous and she could feel it now, radiating off of him. A part of her knew he wouldn't hurt her, but her fear was getting the better of her.

She stepped back, muscles tensing as she tried to find another route of escape from the single door bedroom.

Gerard realized she was beginning to panic, like a caged animal trying to escape from its bonds. Well duh you idiot you have her trapped in your goddamn bedroom. He was scaring her and that last thing he needed was for her to not trust him.

"Nyxia," Gerard said as calmly as he could. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Keep me safe? I'll feel safe when I'm home."

"You can't go home. Pete can track you there."

Way to go you fucktard.

"Pete?! The guy from last night, you know him?"

Gerard literally wanted to ram his head through the the wall. He literally couldn't fuck this up anymore than he already had.

"Who are you?" Nyxia stuttered. "How do you know him?"

"We, uh..." You what? You're the same species? Come on Gerard, think!

"You both show up in the middle of the night out of nowhere. You both have unnatural speed. And I wasn't hallucinating those red eyes, was I? Tell me the truth."

"Okay," Gerard almost whispered, realizing the only way to gain any sort of trust with her was to actually tell her the truth about him. He looked at her, her dark hair sticking up slightly from being in bed, her short dress wrinkled horrible, and her face contorted in confusion and fear. He realized that simply telling her wouldn't do the trick.

He had to show her.

All it took was a blink of the eye and he allowed his appearance to change. It didn't take much focus to hold his usual appearance, but it was nice to release it every now and then.

Nyxia felt her jaw drop as she stared at the man in front of her. His beautiful - did she just say that? - hazel eyes morphed into a sinister bright red as his canines elongated into sharp fangs. She felt herself backing up involuntarily and, just her luck, she tripped over herself, falling backwards. She attempted to catch herself, but instead of hitting the dark wood floor, she was surprised to find cold arms catching her. Her gaze focused on Gerard's pale face, his eyes practically glowing as he looked down at her.

He could feel the slight burning sensation on his skin as he crouch, holding her in his arms, but at that moment, he didn't notice it. "I'm not going to hurt you." His voice came out only barely a whisper, just loud enough for her to hear.

"What are you?" She asked just as softly. She had become very aware of how close they were, and how his cold touch set her senses alight. There was nothing in the world but the two of them.

He rolled his eyes at her question, a smirk playing at his lips. "Take a wild guess. I have fangs, red eyes, super speech, cold skin, and I avoid the sun."

"Are you trying to tell me you're a vampire?" She asked, still unable to pull away from his gaze.

"No. I'm a werewolf," he laughed. "Yes," he said seriously. "I'm a vampire."

"Does- Does that mean you're... Dead?"

He grabbed her hand gently and placed it against his chest, allowing her to feel the absence of his heart beat. Her eyes widened as she realized this fact. His chest was silent, devoid of life. He wasn't even breathing.

They stayed like that for several minutes without even realizing it, Gerard holding Nyxia, his cold hand pressing her warm one to his chest. They just looked at each other, green eyes and red eyes gazing into each other, as though by doing so, they could read each others thoughts.

Gerard was surprised when he felt an almost nervous sensation in his chest. It were as though his heart skipped a beat, even though that were 100% impossible. For the first time in a long time, he felt a ghost of what it was like to be alive.

But the feeling was gone in an instant and he realized that he should probably stand up, so he did just that and pulled her up with him. He saw a bright flush in her cheeks as she realized how long they had been staring at each other, and he internally smirked.

"Is Pete a vampire too?" She asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear the affirmation.

"Yeah," Gerard replied. "He's one of the coven leaders. So am I, actually, but he's one of the more... How do I put it? Blood thirsty vampires, you could say."

"And you're not?"

"Let's just say I don't take pleasure in killing people. He does."

"So why is Pete still trying to find me?"

"Most vampires don't like to let prey escape." It was partially true, but not fully. Pete would be trying to find her because she's a slayer. If she were just any normal human, Pete would give up in a few days. A slayer? Well, Gerard wasn't so sure.

"Prey," she repeated the word, cringing slightly.

"Sorry. I, uh, that's just what we call them. Um, how about victim? Is that better?"

She nodded.

They continued talking for a little while longer before Gerard got a message saying that the Antiqum Ordinem was meeting. He knew he needed to attend or there would be a lot of questions that he didn't want to answer.

As he left Nyxia, safe in his apartment, he began questioning his motives. She was sweet, and had done no harm. Was he really going to be able to black mail her like he planned? Would he really be able to leave her for dead?

He wasn't so sure anymore.

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daggerzine · 7 years ago

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Invisible Gold: Matt Rendon of The Resonars open up....

I first discovered the music of The Resonars (the brainchild of Matt Rendon, the band is basically him and whomever he feels like playing with) in the early 2000’s when the Get Hip Records label out of Pittsburgh sent me a package of stuff to review. I believe it was 2002’s Lunar Kit and then , five years later, they sent me another one that had Nonetheless Blue in it, which I liked even more I did some digging and found out that the band had been around releasing singles since the late 90’s. Since those Get Hip releases the band has released material on both the Burger label (including their most recent studio record, Crummy Desert Sound) plus the Trouble in Mind label (who did a single in 2012 and a best of in 2013). The band’s sound is a real righteous mix of pop, garage rock, bubblegum and psychedelic all whipped into one tasty stew with truly superb songwriting. Going in mostly blind I sent Rendon some questions via email and he was more than happy to fill me in on the Resonars, other bands he’s been in and the music scene in Tucson in general (plus his Midtown Island Sound recording studio).

Did you grow up in Tucson? Is there much to do there as a kid growing up?

I was born and raised here. My mom was one of 13 children so there were tons of cousins to hang out with.The rest of the time was spent collecting baseball cards, playing sports and listening to records/tapes.

How did the music bug hit you? Older siblings? Were your parents into music?

At my parents house there is a guest house where the oldest sibling stayed. When I was a kid my brother Mark had the room and he and his friends would hang out listening to Beatles, Beatles solo, Badfinger, ELO, the Cars, etc. My sister Chipper was a true blue Beatlemaniac. She was 13 when they arrived in the states and left behind a scrapbook she made from 1964. I would read the news articles again and again and got swept up in the excitement of that time. My parents didn't listen to music at all - not even a radio in the house as I remember. Mark made me a c-60 tape with The Beatles blue album on one side and Herman's Hermits Greatest Hits on the other - that's where my obsession with music started.

Do you remember the first record you ever bought?

I really don't My brother made me mix tapes and lent me his tapes so it's all kind of a blur. I would have to guess probably a Rolling Stones tape - and likely either Between The Buttons or Aftermath. Those weird Abkco releases where the sides are reversed. The Rolling Stones is the first band I remember getting in to on my own so that's the safe bet. As far as actual records - I inherited The Kinks Greatest Hits, The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man and Eric Burdon & the Animals Winds Of Change from Mark when he moved out. He left them behind in his closet when I was 9.

When did you first pick up a guitar? Or did you learn a different instrument first?

I played drums before the guitar. My parents gave me a ramshackle kit on Christmas 1979. I played it until it fell apart, then started becoming interested in the guitar. My Uncle Joe found a solid-body electric in the trash and gave it to me. I stuck a Realistic tape recorder microphone in the groove where the pickups had been torn out, plugged it in to the stereo and voila - electric guitar! That one fell apart but then Uncle Joe found an acoustic in the trash - I should mention that he worked for City Of Tucson. My folks finally realized that I wasn't gonna quit so they got me an Alvarez acoustic for Christmas 1982. That was right around the time I discovered the Who, so I found a chord book for Odds And Sods at a music shop and started seriously learning the guitar.

What was your first concert?

Beatlemania in 1978. My sister took me to that one. First one on my own was Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Del Fuegos and Georgia Satellites.

What was your first band? Did you play out much?

My first band's name I cannot recall - we played R&B covers and a handful of originals, It was pretty bad - I played through a Crate stack. Never played out.

How did the idea for The Resonars come about? Did you plan from the beginning for it to be just you?

The name cam from a business card that fell out of my brother's closet one day. My other brother Rick drummed in a band called the Resonars in the late 1960s. I asked my sister about them and they never recorded, only played a handful of gigs, and were terrible. I decided - well, fine - I'm taking that name. It started out as a full performing band - Eric Royer, Dustin Moyer, Mario Cordova (later replaced by Forest Dunn) and myself. We played from late 1991 to 1996. We never gained any ground in the Tucson clubs so I decided to call it quits and started playing backup in some local bands - Al Perry & the Cattle, Batteries, Knotts, Cheap Shots.

The whole time the Resonars were playing shows I always made demos for our songs - Scott Moody from Star Time Records heard them and asked if he could put out an LP - that's where the second phase of the Resonars began wherein I start playing and singing all the parts.

When did things for The Resonars become more serious?

I don't know if it's ever gotten serious. I suppose the awareness that people were listening came around 2011-12, and that corresponded with a new live version of the band. Up until then I held down jobs by day and recorded for pleasure at night.

Do you still play music with Eric Royer? How has he fit into your musical adventures?

I don't - he's far across the country in Cambridge, MA. We keep in contact though and I follow his music. Eric taught me how to fingerpick - I can not overstate how important that was. Also - he was the first guy that knew the world of DIY and punk rock that I'd met. Turned me on to Stiff Little Fingers and Mission Of Burma.

Tell me about your tenure in The Knockout Pills and The Vultures?

I moved to Seattle to play with the Vultures with Heath Heemsbergen, Matt Rempel, & Matt Mayo. It was straight up garage rock - maybe a little late for Seattle at that time(2000). The band lasted a year - pretty much broke up on tour in Texas. All in all it was a great experience - We all lived in the same house - Heath and Rempel were maniacal record collectors and Mayo was always upstairs practicing and was my NFL buddy. We stay in touch - he's an educator in the Houston area. After the Vultures broke up I decided to come back home - Seattle was getting really expensive and I didn't have the patience to get another band going.

The Knockout Pills was the band formed upon my arrival back in Tucson with Jason Willis, Gerard Schumacher, and Travis Spillers. Musically, it was the most educational period of my life. All three of those guys are remarkably bright and thoughtful and turned me on to tons of bands. We were compared to the Saints quite a bit and put out two fine records. The band lasted from 2001-2006. Lots of drunkenness, lots of fun touring, we felt we were destroying everybody every night.

That Butterscotch Cathedral record was terrific. How did that one come about? Will there be another one?

It's doubtful - it was a one-off record. I was working in a thrift store, and we made a stop at a kitchen cabinet door manufacturer, there were two display models sitting next to each other, one had a tag that said Butterscotch, and the other Cathedral. I jokingly told Bill and Lisa from Trouble In Mind about it and they said - great, record it - we'll put it out! I had absolutely nothing! I had my friend Chris Ayers write lyrics for Side A because I wanted to concentrate on the music and how it was going to flow together. After we cut all the tracks - we took it to Waterworks Studio in Tucson so Jim Waters could add some effects, band it all together and set levels.

Tell us about some terrific Tucson bands we might not know about.

The Exbats - a two piece band from Bisbee. They're a father/daughter unit - Kenny and Inez McLain. Best songwriters in Tucson along with Travis Spillers of Freezing Hands. Influenced by the Monkees and Ramones with poignant, intelligent lyrics.

The Rifle - Nelene, Kevin and Randy. All three are melodic instrumentalists and they have a sound that winds and wraps around each other - just bass, drums and guitar. Burger is doing their next tape. Regal songs.

The thing you should know about the great Tucson bands is that they all share members - Lenguas Largas, Free Machines, Whispering Wires, Golden Boots, Krab Legz, Sea Wren, Freezing Hands, Harsh Mistress, Carbon Canyon, Anchorbaby, Flight Thirteen. The reason is that we're all lifers and we've stuck together. Through the years it's filtered down to where there is a wealth of great songwriters but not enough players to go around - so we all play in each others bands. It's a pretty great, creative environment in which to work.

What are your top 10 desert island discs?

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Joe Henderson - Mode For Joe

Beatles - Beatles VI

Byrds - Fifth Dimension

John Coltrane - Giant Steps

Who - My Generation

Mamas & Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears

Saints - (I'm) Stranded

The Kinks Greatest Hits

Otis Rush - The Classic Recordings

Is Midtown Island studio your own? When did it open? Do you stay busy recording bands?

Midtown Island is my studio that I built in the backyard of my home. The building was completed in late 2013 and became legitimate in early 2014. It's my full time job now - some months are good - some not so much. There's only so many bands in Tucson, but in the last years There have been bands coming in from Phoenix and LA - Nanami Ozone, Tracy Bryant, Shovel, Broken Hearts - stellar stuff all!

Will there be a new Resonars record in the near future? If not what’s next in the musical world of Matt Rendon?

I'm trying to get a Resonars album done for Trouble In Mind by the end of the year - it's over half done. The goings been really slow - I had a songwriting slump due to the amount of business in the studio. but

I've figured out better ways to use my time and not abuse my ears. As soon as I did that the songs started coming. Lately I've been writing songs just to write and not making it specifically a Resonars song. I had a thing called Gotta Get Out - kind of a Stax influenced song - but I wrote it in such a high key that I couldn't sing it. My friend Travis from Freezing Hands has a beautiful soaring voice so he wrote new lyrics and sang lead. It was refreshing, liberating way to go about it, now I feel I can write any kind of song and if I can't get it across the way I want - one of my friends can.

Any final thoughts? Closing comments? Anything you wanted to mention that I didn’t ask?

I think we got it unless you want to respond to any of the answers.

This was fun!

https://theresonars1.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ComaCaveStudio

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