#very late favorite of the year 2022 to continue the traditions!

[pommepommepomme]

1. Mt. St. Helens’ Swamp Beast

2. Makeup by Ana Takahashi

3. Hand Sculpted “Maelstrom” Cabinet by Caleb Woodard Furniture commissioned by Kelly Wearstler, 2022.

4. Nail’s by camilla volbert on selina holdbrook by debora spanhol for sicky mag

5. xintoii’s DTIYS by Isnyr

6. kustaa saksi

7. SilllDA

8. Pedro Requejo Novoa, Minotaur

9. humi by mafalda & makeup by michelle dacillo

[ghoulnextdoor]

Full Circle Lady Vampire – Unquiet Things

In September of 2017, I posted a fancy lady vampire painting to my various social medias. opining that surely my friends had it in their hearts to pool their resources and purchase it for me to hang in my boudoir for all eternity, to the tune of a cool 14K. As it happened, no one loved me enough for that! Regardless, I never forgot her lovely, spoiled little face, and I continued the tradition of posting the painting every now and again over the ensuing years. I loved her so much that I wanted to include her in The Art of Darkness, but alas, Richard Bober, the artist, never answered even one of my approximate 90 billion emails. it was not to be.

Sometime in the year 2021, Handsome Devils Puppets and I started plotting and scheming on the idea of coaxing her off the canvas and transferring her soul into the floopy-limbed, fabulously attired vessel of a custom marionette, as a sister puppet for Sei Shōnagon and Maria Germaova.

The project began in earnest in June of 2023, a month after I had written a blog post that blew up everywhere and got a lot of attention, inquiring about the mysteriously unknown artist of an iconic book cover for a certain edition of a much-beloved book. I was privy to a lot of speculation and chatted quite frequently with the podcaster who was eventually to report on it; I’d pass along more guesses and suggestions that I was receiving from blog commenters and emails, and she’d share industry tidbits and whispers that she was amassing in her detective work. A name eventually emerged that one or two people seemed quite certain about, and though it was a bit of a wild ride getting there–it was eventually revealed that those eagle-eyed individuals were correct. Y’ALL. Richard freaking Bober –the artist responsible for my favorite gorgeous goldilocked vampire mean girl– was the artist who created THAT cover art for Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time!!

That cover was something I wanted to include in The Art of Fantasy, but I thought, “Why bother? no one knows who the artist is; who would I even ask for permission?” But isn’t it funny that both these pieces of art caught my eye for various reasons, and without even realizing they were the same artist, I was hoping to have them in the pages of separate books?

I later learned through interviews with Richard Bober’s family and nephews that he was a bit of a recluse, and I don’t think he emailed much, so chances are, I was never going to receive a response to my inquiries anyway! And sadly, he died in late 2022, so he never lived to get proper credit for that book cover. From everything I’ve heard, though, I’m not sure he would have even cared!

So in a very roundabout way, this feels like it has come round full circle. Or looped around several times and tangled confusingly because I do tell a rambling story.

Anyway, isn’t she beautiful? She’s totally gonna steal my soul tonight. Worth it.

[fruitcoops]

i just reread "big head" and laughed my ass off, will you do another ego award one pretty pleeeeeaseee? (only if you want of course :))

One of my favorites! Character credit goes to @lumosinlove <3

(Part 1: Big Head)

“The 2022-2023 hockey season has officially wrapped,” Talker announced as he walked backward down the hallway of Gryffindor Arena. “This team had a run for the history books and everyone is so proud—and so grateful—to have such outstanding fans there with us every step of the way. We truly could not have done it without you.

“As a ‘thank you’ for everything you’ve done for us this year, we’d like to continue a very special end-of-season tradition: the Ego Award. Some of you may recall our reigning champion, Heartthrob O’Hara himself, and his fabulously embarrassing stories from last year.” He paused just outside the locker room with a significant look toward the camera. “Those may be big shoes to fill, but rest assured we have found the one person who can literally and figuratively get the job done. Behold.”

He swept the door open with one hand and chaos spilled out in a rush.

“Read it! Read it! Read it!” half the room chanted.

“Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!” the other half cheered.

“I can’t,” came Leo’s distressed answer, red all the way from his ears to his neck as he gripped a wrinkled piece of notebook paper. “You guys, this is such a—”

“Gentlemen!” The room fell silent as Talker spread his arms with a wide smile. “Welcome to the 2023 Ego Award, hosted by yours truly and bestowed upon our sweet baby net angel, the Nutcracker.”

“It’s Knut,” Leo said miserably. “Like the lizard.”

“Hush, Crunchy Peanut Butter. Do you have your punishment prepared?”

Leo turned baleful eyes on the camera. He looked rather like a puppy that had been put outside in the rain, hunched in his stall and surrounded by his carrion-bird teammates. “Save me.”

“Saviors are for the humble. You, sir, were voted off that island. Read.”

“Oh, god,” Leo mumbled under his breath as he unfolded the paper. In the corner of the frame, Finn watched him with unhindered glee. “My name is Leo Knut, and these are my top five most humbling moments with the Gryffindor Lions. Because clearly I don’t suffer enough for this team.”

“Keep that up and you’re getting the Potty Mouth Award, too,” Talker warned.

“You can’t—” Leo rolled his eyes. “Fine. Number five: trying to drink out of the wrong side of my waterbottle.”

“How many times?” Finn prompted eagerly.

“Once.”

A chorus of protests rose up—Leo pressed his lips into a thin line.

“Nine times. Shut up. Number four: losing a kitten in my shirt when we had a shelter visit."

"Two kittens," Sirius corrected. "One went up your pant leg."

"Oh my god, can you not?"

“That one was delightful,” Kasey agreed, nodding along. “Just—honestly, one of my favorite memories.”

Leo smoothed the edge of the page, nose wrinkling like he had smelled something unpleasant. “Is it too late to eat the paper?”

Remus tsked. “We gave you a chance. Not our fault you chose the most painful path.”

A rogue socked foot came into frame and poked Leo on the shin. “Read, Butterball.”

“Number three,” Leo continued, tilting his face to the ceiling in a clear bid for strength. “Getting stuck jumping the boards, falling back onto the ice, slipping when I got up again, and only making it over successfully with the help of two different people dragging me over the edge.”

“Like hauling a bag of bricks,” Logan mused from his place on the floor.

Dumo nodded solemnly. “Or a dead bear.”

“Slip a disc about it, Grandpa,” Leo quipped before glancing to Talker. “If I read the next one without eating this paper, can I skip the last one?”

“No,” the rest of the team answered in perfect unison.

“We all go through trying times,” Finn said with a pat to Leo’s knee. “Look on the bright side: at least it isn’t me this year!”

Leo stared at him for a long, silent moment.

“You astound me,” he said at last.

“Thank you.”

“That’s not a compliment.”

“I’m taking it as one.”

“How did I end up with this award?” He looked around the team with a lost expression. “How is it not Ginger Spice every goddamn year?”

“Because we have to switch it up so we can trauma-bond over mutual humiliation,” Talker informed him. “Also, you’re a little fucker and you can’t hide it from the good people of Gryffindor forever.”

Leo shook his head, but turned back to his notes. “Number two: leaving the ice baths to get my Gatorade, then slipping and falling in my own puddle on the way back.” He closed his eyes. “And spilling the entire bottle of Gatorade on myself. And slipping in that as well.”

“It’s important to me that people know you just laid there for, like, five full seconds,” Kasey added.

“Thanks.”

“Any time, Honeynut Cheerios.”

“After I’m done, can someone bury me under the net? I want to haunt you all for making me do this.”

Several noises of assent followed and Leo nodded.

“Cool. Sweet. I love this for myself.” He cleared his throat and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Number one: I underestimated the weight of my new gear, sat on a stool, and fell backwards off it. I took six and a half people down with me like a bowling ball wrapped in Velcro and foam. Every second of it was caught on camera and replayed through commercial breaks, then late-night television. Harzy, will you do the honors?”

“Of course, Bodacious Nutacious.”

Leo held his arms up and Finn scooped him over his shoulder with a grin as the room erupted into whoops, hollers, and applause. The camera followed the stream of players out and down the hallway; Talker stepped into frame once more, craning his neck to watch Leo and Finn disappear around the corner.

“Thanks for joining us for another year, Lions,” he laughed. “We look forward to so many more. Stay humble!”

[kickdownthewalls]

TOP 20 METAL/HARD ROCK ALBUMS OF 2023

Hey, it is Dan here from The Plague. Let me start with apologies for the lateness of posting this, but I have been using my YouTube platform to highlight my top albums for the past few years. If you are curious, you can check out my top albums for 2022 and 2021. This year, I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide if I wanted to continue the channel and eventually decided to put it to rest. But I did want to post this list somewhere to do what I can to help promote these amazing bands and albums, so I decided to get back to my roots here on tumblr. Anyway, enough rambling, let me jump into my top hard rock and metal albums for 2023. Of course, these are just the ones that I have heard and have resonated with me the most, so your mileage may vary. My tastes in recent years has skewed toward the traditional heavy metal revival, but there a few here that fall outside those boundaries, too. Let’s kick it off with #20…

20. WITCHTOWER – Voyeur

Almost missed this one even though it was released back in March of 2023. I’ve been a fan of this Spanish four-piece for a while now and this one is very much in the same vein as previous releases, combining a mature brand of classic heavy metal with some speedy moments and that touch of Mercyful Fate that bands like In Solitude and Portrait explored in the early 2000s. Some really great and effective bass playing here, too.

 19. GIRLSCHOOL – WTFortyfive?

This one I almost didn’t bother to listen to, given the rather awkward, terrible album title, but glad I gave it a chance. Girlschool have definitely become heavier on recent albums, but they retain their solid, melodic songwriting chops and the trademark gang vocals on the choruses. I really enjoyed the variety of songs, from dark-edged metal to punky hard rock to power pop. Some of the lyrics are cringey (mainly “Bump in the Night”) but others are quite good, like “It’s a Mess” and “It Is What It Is.”

 18. ENFORCER – Nostalgia

Sweden’s purveyors of classic heavy metal with a touch of speed metal are back with their sixth album. While some were put off by the overly commercial sound on 2019’s Zenith, it is nice to hear Enforcer pretty much back on track with Nostalgia. “Coming Alive” and “Metal Supremacia” have all the fire and energy of the band’s early work, while the arena-rock elements still come through on tracks like “Unshackle Me” and “Heartbeats,” which reminds me of Def Leppard before they lost it.

 17. HIGH SPIRITS – Safe on the Other Side

Fifth album from Chicago mastermind Chris Black, who has also given us the likes of Superchrist, Pharaoh, Aktor, and Dawnbringer, among others. Another classic set of tunes that bridge the gap between hard rock and old-school heavy metal, always with a positive vibe underlying things. Not quite as memorable or heavy as 2020’s Hard to Stop and I don’t think they will ever top my absolute fave High Spirits album, Motivator, but even given that, this is an excellent album and easily one of 2023’s top 20.

 16. BURNING WITCHES – The Dark Tower

Another fifth album, this time from a Swiss five-piece, this is my favorite Burning Witches album yet. Their previous albums have been solid but usually only had one or two really memorable songs, whereas this time at least half the songs made an immediate impact and others have been growing on me. I like that they play traditional, powerful heavy metal but with a modern feel and production, much like bands like Primal Fear or Dream Evil.

 15. CIRITH UNGOL – Dark Parade

I remember coming to Cirith Ungol rather late, as they often got a bad name in the press back in the day, but when One Foot in Hell came out, the cover art was just too cool to resist and I immediately fell in love with their unique take on epic heavy metal. I was so happy to see the band reunite and still deliver that classic sound. 2020’s Forever Black was good but lacked a bit in the production department, so I am happy to say that Dark Parade sounds lot fuller and more organic, plus the songs are more memorable. If this is indeed the band’s last album, they are going out on a high note, no doubt about it.

 14. TANITH – Voyage

Another band that has a pretty unique take on classic heavy metal and hard rock. They write really good, fairly complex tunes with elements of 70s-era Scorpions and UFO, but with dueling male and female lead vocals. Both singers are excellent in their own right but they also combine their voices quite often for an even greater effect. Been following these guys since being blown away by their performance at Frost & Fire IV back in 2018 and they have yet to disappoint.

 13. OBITUARY – Dying of Everything

Always my favorite of the Florida death metal bands, it is exciting to see the band really firing on all cylinders with their past couple records. This one might be my favorite since the classic Cause of Death, with some of the band’s most memorable tunes and the perfect production to showcase the band’s raw, pounding style.

 12. THE HAXANS – The Dead and the Restless

This is one of two albums in my top 20 that is decidedly not metal, but still rocks pretty hard. The Haxans are a project by Piggy D. of Wednesday 13 and Rob Zombie fame along with vocalist Ash Costello from New Years Day and they play a really cool mix of horror punk and goth rock. Although I wasn’t as consistently engaged with this one as I was with their Party Monsters debut, it features the same elements that made that one so enjoyable. They mix catchy vocal lines with stompy riffs really well and pull off serious, atmospheric tunes just as well as the more fun, tongue-in-cheek tracks.

 11. IMMORTAL – War Against All

Despite all the drama behind the scenes and line-up changes, Immortal has somehow managed to maintain a pretty steady stream of quality albums and even though it is now just a one-man project of Demonaz, War Against All is very much another quality release. Closest comparison is obviously with Northern Chaos Gods, with a nice mix of ultra-fast and more moderate, marching riffs to be found here.

 10. CRUEL FORCE – Dawn of the Axe

Third album from Germany’s awesome speed metal powerhouse Cruel Force. These guys expertly combine early Kreator, Exodus, and any number of other speed metal and proto-thrash outfits. The ripping riffs and explosive drum fills are unapologetically old-school but still sound fresh. Some touches of subtlety, too, such as the atmospheric detour in the midst of “Devil’s Dungeon” and the 7-minute epic “Realm of Sands.”

 9. MAGICK TOUCH – Cakes & Coffins

This is Norwegian heavy metal that is really hard to classify or compare to anyone else. It is heavy and melodic with clean vocals in a traditional metal way but doesn’t sound retro. As the title might suggest, the lyrics are all a bit offbeat, which further helps distinguish the band. Great songs, interesting arrangements, and solid musicianship complete the package.

 8. MEGATON SWORD – Might & Power

Second album from this Swiss traditional metal outfit shows them already expanding their sound and exploring new ideas. Still plenty of classic heavy metal here though, such as the Into Glory Ride-era Manowar sounding “The Raving Light of Day” and the pounding “Might.” The vocals are clean but very powerful and versatile and really help the band stand out. There is a certain melancholy to the band’s sound that reminds me vaguely of Sentenced, though you would never confuse the two bands.

 7. BEYOND THE BLACK – Beyond the Black

Although I have become rather burned out on the symphonic metal scene in recent years, this album really stood out. There are so many bands that play well and have decent songs and production but they just aren’t memorable. Germany’s Beyond the Black really craft some great tunes with super infectious riffs and vocal melodies. Plus, the lyrics take a compelling look at life after death, reincarnation, and related topics, which also ties in nicely with the band’s name and, thus, perfect for this self-titled release.

 6. GOATEN – Midnight Conjuring

This amazing trio from Brazil has been around for a few years and released a couple of excellent EPs, but this is their debut full-length and it is a killer. The band combines heavy riffs with some unique, melodic vocals and absolutely infectious choruses. The band’s top-notch musicianship is used very judiciously to aid in creating atmosphere rather than showing off and it perfectly sets off the creepy, unsettling lyrics

 5. SAVAGE – Glory Riders

German band that takes the very best of early W.A.S.P. and delivers it in a heavier fashion while retaining the energy and catchiness. Some nods to other 80s bands like Quiet Riot can be found, too, but the vocals and riffing owe a great deal to Blackie Lawless and company. Sadly, they seem to have split up, according to the Metal Archives and their social media accounts are down, so if anyone has any info on what happened here, I’d love to hear about it.

 4. RAVEN - All Hell's Breaking Loose

Another great slab of energetic metal from one of the NWOBHM’s longest-running and most unique outfits. Not sure the songs are quite as memorable as the previous Metal City, but very close and they have really upped the speed to make this easily the fastest/heaviest Raven album ever. Drummer Mike Heller, who joined in 2018, is just wildly overplaying throughout the album and it is glorious.

 3. THE HIVES - The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons

This is the other non-metal album on my list but it is just as energetic and powerful as most metal albums, if not more so. If you aren’t familiar with Sweden’s The Hives, they are a truly demented mix of punk, garage rock, dry humor and Rolling Stones’ swagger. Considering they haven’t released an album in over a decade, it is amazing they came back with one this absolutely powerful and it might well be their best one yet.

 2. ANTHEM – Crimson & Jet Black

One of the longest-running metal bands from Japan and one of the most consistent, Anthem continue to amaze by releasing this masterpiece, their 20th studio album. This is an instruction manual on how to create powerful, melodic, classic heavy metal songs with a modern production, stellar musicianship and the kind of diversity that keeps you glued to the speakers for the full 50+ minutes.

 1. SHADOWS – Out For Blood

Another amazing traditional heavy metal band that came out of nowhere, Shadows hails from Chile and have created the most infectious tunes of 2023. Elements of Shout-era Crue mix with early Dio and Mercyful Fate for a style that is at once familiar and unique. Although the band is the same line-up as the band Apostasy, I really hope this isn’t just a one-off album because I love it so much and really want to hear more in this vein.

 As usual, there were way more excellent albums than just 20, but this list is my personal top 20 at the moment. Honorable mentions go out to TYRANN, CENTURY, BLOOD STAR, GRAVEDANCER (Brazilian blackened speed/thrash metal), BLACKBRAID, INCULTER, METAL CHURCH, SORCERER, and DEMONIAC. Also, quite a number of EPs and singles came out this past year. ACID BLADE, INTRANCED, DRIFTER, OLD GHOUL, and BRONZE

 Of course, I also have to mention some great non-metal releases in 2023, specifically those from KYLIE MINOGUE, DEPECHE MODE, GLUME, MEG MYERS, POPPY, SPARKS, NOBRO and NICK WATERHOUSE. 2024 has already boasted a number of excellent albums, such as JUDAS PRIEST, VULTURE, KMFDM, BRONZE, SAXON, LUCIFER, MINISTRY, and SCAVENGER, to name just a few. Hopefully, I will post next year’s list in a timelier fashion but, until then - stay metal!.

[concerthopperblog]

Winter Tour 2024: Greensky Bluegrass w/ Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel @ The Eastern

Greensky Bluegrass is a five-piece jamgrass band from Kalamazoo, MI that was formed in 2000 when Paul Hoffman, Dave Bruzza, and Michael Arlen Bont first played together and then decided to take this music venture even further. Currently, the band consists of Dave Bruzza (guitar/vocals), Michael Arlen Bont (banjo/vocals), Anders Beck (dobro), Mike Devol (bass/vocals), and Paul Hoffman (mandolin/vocals). Greensky Bluegrass has released six (6) LPs and eleven (11) live albums, their most recent LP is entitled Stress Dreams (released January 21, 2022). Greensky Bluegrass announced their Winter Tour 2024 on October 30th, 2023, with special guests Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel, Melt, Molly Tuttle, The High Hawks, and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. For this tour date at The Eastern in Atlanta, Greensky Bluegrass brought Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel out to warm up the crowd.

Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel was a superb choice to start the night off at The Eastern. Duane Betts, who is a co-founding member of the Allman Betts Band and son of Allman Brothers Band member and co-founder Dickey Betts, was ready to rock the crowd with his band Palmetto Motel. Betts’ musical pedigree comes from a long line of brilliant musicians that should not be overlooked. Named after the late Duane Allman, Duane started learning how to play music at an early age and continued to hone his craft. At the age of 16, Duane performed with the Allman Brothers band on two occasions, most notably performing with them during their Woodstock ’94 music festival set.

Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel performed a soulful and passionate set that included a very special guest for two incredible songs: “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” and “Blue Sky” (Allman Brothers Band cover). Lamar Williams, Jr., the son of Allman Brothers band member Lamar Williams, provided some extra special love by performing these two songs with Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel. Most of the songs from this evening’s set are from Duane’s latest album, Wild & Precious Life, which also features Marcus King, Derek Trucks, and Nicki Bluhm to name a few.

Check out this incredible set list from Duane Betts and Palmetto Hotel below:

·         “Saints to Sinners”

·         “Colors Fade”

·         “Cold Dark World”

·         “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” *

·         “Stare at the Sun”

·         “Blue Sky” (Allman Brothers Band cover) *

·         “Waiting On A Song”

* Performed with Lamar Williams, Jr.

Head over to Duane Betts' Bandcamp page or the official Duane Betts store to show some support!

After a brief intermission, Greensky Bluegrass came on stage to thunderous applause from just about a sold-out crowd at The Eastern. Starting the night with “Just to Lie” and “Hold On” back-to-back set my night off in the right direction. It was fun getting to finally see Greensky Bluegrass perform in a non-festival setting with an extended setlist with some deeper cuts. I could see smiles and people dancing all night to this set as Greensky Bluegrass gave the people what they wanted, which was a memorable evening full of their music. The vibe from this night was everything!

Check out the setlist from this evening’s performance below:

·      “Just to Lie”

·         “Hold On”

·         “It's Not Mine Anymore”

·         “Reverend”

·         “Blood Sucking F(r)iends”

·         “Stop That Train” (The Wailers cover)

·         “Give a Shit”

·         “Tarpology” > “One Slip” > “Tarpology”

·         “Windshield”

·         “The Four”

·         “Like Reflections”

·         “Reuben's Train” ([traditional] cover) > “Burn Them” > “Reuben's Train” ([traditional] cover)

·         “Ashes”

·         “Absence of Reason”

·         “Worried About the Weather”

·         “Monument”

·         “Midnight Rider” (The Allman Brothers Band cover)

·         “Grow Together”

Head over to Greensky Bluegrass’ official store and show them some support! You can also check out my review from the 10th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que (2019) which featured Greensky Bluegrass as one of the main headliners for that weekend. That year was my favorite Banjo-B-Que line-up and I hope that they revive the festival this year.

You can still catch Greensky Bluegrass on their Winter Tour and other dates announced in 2024:

FEB 1, 2024

College Street Music Hall

New Haven, CT

with Melt

TICKETS

 FEB 2, 2024

MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Boston, MA

with Melt

TICKETS

 FEB 3, 2024

The Fillmore Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

with Melt

TICKETS

 FEB 4, 2024

The Paramount

Huntington, NY

with Melt

TICKETS

 FEB 7, 2024

Town Ballroom

Buffalo, NY

with Melt

TICKETS

 FEB 8, 2024

Stage AE

Pittsburgh, PA

with Melt

TICKETS

 FEB 9, 2024

The Anthem

Washington, DC

with Molly Tuttle

TICKETS

 FEB 10, 2024

The Anthem

Washington, DC

with Melt

TICKETS

 FEB 29, 2024

Val Air Ballroom

West Des Moines, IA

with The High Hawks

TICKETS

 MAR 1, 2024

Palace Theatre

Saint Paul, MN

with The High Hawks

TICKETS

 MAR 2, 2024

The Salt Shed

Chicago, IL

with The High Hawks

TICKETS

 MAR 3, 2024

The Sylvee

Madison, WI

with The High Hawks

TICKETS

 MAR 6, 2024

KEMBA Live!

Columbus, OH

with Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country

TICKETS

 MAR 7, 2024

Old Forester's Paristown Hall

Louisville, KY

with Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country

TICKETS

 MAR 8, 2024

Ryman Auditorium

Nashville, TN

with Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country

TICKETS

 MAR 9, 2024

Ryman Auditorium

Nashville, TN

with Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country

TICKETS

 MAY 23, 2024 - MAY 26, 2024

DelFest at Allegany County Fairgrounds

Cumberland, MD

TICKETS

 MAY 24, 2024 - MAY 26, 2024

Dark Star Jubilee

Thornville, OH

TICKETS

 JUL 4, 2024 - JUL 7, 2024

High Sierra Music Festival

Quincy, CA

TICKETS

 AUG 2, 2024 - AUG 4, 2024

Grassfire Festival

Garrettsville, OH

TICKETS

 Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music-related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2023, on all music-related events/festivals such as Tool w/ Elder Live at State Farm Areana (Atlanta), Willie Nelson and Family: Live at Seminole Casino Center (Immokalee, FL.), A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie: Live at Blue Cross Arena, Metalcore Dropouts – 2nd Semester: Fit For a King & The Devil Wears Prada Live at Town Ballroom (Buffalo), Life Is But A Dream… North American Tour: Avenge Sevenfold Live at KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Shoot For The Moon Tour: Sierra Ferrell Live at The Eastern, Seasons World Tour 2024: Thirty Seconds to Mars & AFI Live at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Dresden Dolls: Live at The Eastern, The Deathless Tour: Set It Off w/ Crown the Empire, Caskets, and Death By Choice Live at Water Street Music Hall (Rochester), RUCKUS! Tour 2024: Movements Live at Water Street Music Hall, and Crypta Live at Boggs Social & Supply by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  You can also follow my concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram.

[perfectpaperbluebirds]

Care Package

@sicktember 2022 Prompt #16

Fandom/OCs: the Black Tapes Podcast

Title: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Words: 2394

Inspiration: This snippet from @stealthy-sneezing about getting a cold for Christmas. As always, I blame all Dr. Strand fics on @sickromancer for getting me into this fandom in the first place!

Author’s comments: The prompt I struggled with the most ended up becoming one of my favorite fics. Alex and Richard have such a unique dynamic which I find so fun to write, and I love subverting expectations if you haven’t noticed, so the Christmas care package suited me exactly. Plus, I really like the characterization that I somehow captured here. This is one of the ones I most want to write a follow-up to! We may yet see Alex taking care of a sick Richard in fics ahead. 

Alex was never the first one to arrive at Dr. Strand's office, especially first thing in the morning. She wasn't great with Mondays to begin with, and the Monday after a holiday weekend was even worse. She came in at least thirty minutes later than usual, but it seemed most of the Strand Institute employees were of the same mind as her, for she saw almost no one else. The most surprising absence was Richard himself, however. She often teased him that he must sleep at his office for how often he left after her and arrived before her, so she was quite taken aback to find his office dark and cold and empty so late in the morning. 

She immediately turned up the heat, as he would have done, and started a pot of coffee. When Richard still hadn't arrived, she sat down in her usual seat and began to work on a few things, unsure what else to do. She glanced over her shoulder every few minutes, expecting to see him come flying in with a muttered excuse about traffic, but it wasn't until after another thirty minutes had passed that he made his appearance. She heard his shoes squeaking on the linoleum long before she saw him, so she turned in expectation, ready to greet him and give him a hard time about punctuality. 

He did come flying in as expected, but rather than an irritated excuse, the first sound he made was an irritated sneeze.

"Hihh-! KIIHHHPTTtchhooo!" Wet, spraying, and violent, it was a sneeze that was impossible to ignore, and Alex’s eyes widened in spite of herself. She thought he might sneeze more from the way his nose continued to wrinkle, but he suppressed the urge, likely by sheer force of will, and huffed his way to his desk with only a brusque nod in her general direction.

Alex blinked several times. "Bless you. That was… quite the entrance."

"What have I told you about that phrase?" he asked peevishly, setting down his briefcase with a forceful sniffle.

She didn’t have to ask what phrase he meant. "That the societal expectation to bless someone when they sneeze is promoting an outdated concept rife with medical, social, and religious fallacy that would be better left in the medieval era," she rattled off, having heard that particular rant more times than she could count. "But that was an especially violent sneeze, and I felt it needed some sort of acknowledgement." 

That got him to smile a tiny bit, the smirk coming and going so fast that she would have missed it had she blinked. She knew that was the only concession she would get, but she counted it as a win. He settled in at his desk, and it seemed he didn't intend to make any other reply, so she tried again. 

"How was your holiday?" she asked.

"Fine," he grunted. There was a pause, and he seemed to realize he had fallen short of an acceptably polite response. "Yours?"

"It was very nice, thank you." With anyone else, she would've gone on talking about the loved ones, the dinner, the presents, but not with him. She knew idle conversation annoyed him. Also, she had a hunch he'd likely had a lonely holiday, and she wasn’t sure he would want to hear about her very traditional, people-filled holiday celebrations. Still, she couldn’t resist one more question. "Did you get anything for Christmas?"

"Ihhh'TIHSSHH! EHSSHHOO!" The sneezes had clearly snuck up on him, and he wiped his nose in bad humor. "Nothing except a cold. The most wonderful time of the year and all." He blew his nose with annoyed finality, clearly not wanting her to pursue the subject of either the cold or the lack of Christmas presents further. However, pursuing sensitive topics was in Alex's nature as a journalist.

"No presents? I know Melissa got you a tie and matching socks!"

The tiny ghost of a smile again. "I suppose you're right. And the box of chocolates Jamie gave to everyone. But nothing else."

"Except a cold."

"Exactly," he sighed, and she thought she detected a hint of self-pity. "It probably happened when I picked up some groceries on Christmas Eve."

The inherent sadness behind this statement struck her immediately, but he seemed unaware of it. He had already returned to his work, swiping at his nose with a tissue and taking a long pull of tea from his thermos as he perused a handful of documents. Alex shook her head and returned to her laptop, but her attention never strayed far from her office mate. 

The cold he'd caught from some hapless fellow Christmas Eve shopper was clearly a nasty one. His hand couldn't stray far from the box of tissues at his elbow. If he wasn't sniffing he was coughing, and if he wasn't coughing he was sneezing, which led back to either sniffling or coughing, with plenty of nose blowing thrown in for good measure. 

Part of her wondered if he had a fever due to how sick he seemed, but she hoped he would have had the good sense to stay home if he did. Also, she'd seen him when he was running a fever once before, and he had had a distinct appearance of dizziness and lethargy at that time that wasn't present today. She considered asking him to check to be sure, but refrained, mainly due to the fact that she wasn't sure they could even find a thermometer here. 

He pointedly didn't mention the state of his health or make any indication of discomfort aside from the necessary, and she sensed his silent plea for her to ignore it as well. She respected his (unspoken) wishes, at least at first, and went about the morning as normally as possible. However, she continued to bless him whenever he let out a particularly heavy sneeze, more to tease him than anything. He accepted this with long-suffering resignation.

His stoic suffering made her want to "poor thing" him all the more, especially as his nose got more raw and red with every passing hour, and his voice was rougher every time he spoke. An idea began to form in her mind, and she worked to keep from smiling so he wouldn't suspect anything.

Lunchtime rolled around, and she saw he was making no move to leave, which wouldn't do at all. She fidgeted a few times and cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Did you bring anything for lunch?" she asked.

"I have a protein bar," he said distractedly. She couldn't help but notice how tired he was looking now, and how lethargically he was moving.

"Ah. Well if you don't mind my saying so, your body might thank you if you had something a little more… substantial. And warm. There's that great soup and sandwich place down the street."

"I don't need anything. I'm finally making progress here and I don't want to pause," he croaked with a thick sniffle, rubbing an eye. 

"Yikes, your voice is definitely going, isn't it? Good thing we're not recording the podcast today. The listeners wouldn't understand a word you're saying." She crossed her fingers under the desk, hoping he wouldn't call her bluff.

It seemed to work, though. He glanced up, a small frown creasing his forehead. "Is it really that bad?"

"I mean… It's definitely not great. You sound very contagious." 

His frown deepened, and his hand went unconsciously to his (almost certainly sore) throat. 

Alex, knowing how sensitive he was about his voice, saw her opening and went in for the close. "Oh, and you're shivering too! You know what, I'm going to get you some soup, regardless of what you say. You need something more than a protein bar."

"No, no, don’t bother. I'll go," he grunted, never one to let anyone do anything for him. He slowly stood and shrugged into his coat, shaking his head as if to clear some dizziness even as he cleared his throat. "Did you want anything?"

"Oh yes! Could you please get me one of their pasta bowls?" She quickly rattled off her order and handed over some cash, then shooed him out the door. Once he was gone, she pulled on her own coat and ran out the door. She had a supply run to make, and she needed to make it back before he did.

~~~

When Dr. Strand returned with their lunch, Alex was sitting where he'd left her, looking busy. However, there was a very conspicuous red-and-green-wrapped package on his desk. He made a face when he saw it, looking accusingly at Alex.

"What's this?" he sniffled, his nose wet with moisture from the chilly outside air. 

"A Christmas present, I assume," she said innocently. 

"From whom?"

"Is there a name on the tag or a card?"

He looked. "No."

"Then I can't tell you. Guess you'll just have to open it."

Richard rolled his eyes. "I don't need Christmas presents. I don't celebrate Christmas."

"Looks like you got one anyway. Just open it."

With a sigh he set down the takeout containers, slipped off his coat, and began to unwrap the present. He pulled out a new mug, his favorite tea bags, a soft scarf, a new book, two kinds of cold medicine, premium tissues, and a thermometer. There was a smile around his eyes, but he tried to look stern as he turned back to her. "This wasn't necessary."

"I have no idea what you mean. Someone else must've heard you sneezing all day and left that for you." She couldn't keep her lips from twitching up into a smile of her own to betray her, however.

"Someone else who knows the next book I planned to buy and that one of my favorite mugs was broken the other day?" he said wryly, wrinkling his nose and sniffling as if the mention of sneezing made him want to start up again. 

She shrugged with another little smile, giving up the ruse. "Well you insisted I not get you anything for Christmas, and I knew you'd complain about getting any kind of care package. So I thought if I gave you a care package for Christmas, the two would cancel out."

He shook his head. "That logic is very flawed. But now that it's happened, I suppose I can't tell you to take it back."

"Nope, you can't. I threw away the receipt so you couldn't even if you wanted to," she said cheerfully. "So please start using some of these things immediately. I wish you would take the rest of the day off so you could use them all, but I imagine you won't. However, my one request is that you please take your temperature now. From the way your eyes look, I think you're starting a fever."

"I think it's more than starting," he said quietly. "But what happens if I am?"

"Then I'll definitely suggest you go home. And keep suggesting it for the rest of the day."

"Then perhaps I should save the trouble for both of us and go home now."

"That might be best," she agreed. She was surprised by a pang of regret as she spoke those words. She hadn't expected him to give in so willingly, and had rather been enjoying the prospect of being able to do some nagging and some "momming". A part of her was sad this didn't seem to be required. 

"I might just do that. I'm really not feeling weh– well… Hh'RRSSH!" The stifled sneeze served only to prove his point, and make Alex more concerned. He cut his eyes back to her as he tended to his nose. "Would you still like me to take my temperature before I go?" he rasped. 

"Yes please,” she said quickly. “So I know you're okay to drive. And so I know how much I need to worry about you. You’ll say I don't need to worry at all–"

"You don't."

"But I'm going to be concerned regardless, so I'd like to know to what degree."

He didn't reply, but unwrapped the thermometer and placed it under his tongue without further comment. When it beeped, he pulled it out of his mouth and examined the reading expressionlessly. 

"101.4," he grunted.

"That's pretty high for just a cold. Is that normal for you?"

"Unfortunately," he said. "I rarely get sick without also getting a fever."

"Then I'm glad you're going home. Hopefully if you rest it'll be over that much sooner. Do you want me to drive you?"

"No. I'm fine. As I said, I'm very used to this. Fevers don't bother me." 

"Aside from making you exhausted and dizzy."

A flicker of surprise crossed his face. "Why do you say that?"

"I can see it in your eyes and the way you move."

He gave a small huff of laughter. "Is that so?"

"Never doubt a journalist's perception."

He only shook his head, deigning not to reply once again. However, to her surprise he began to pack up. It seemed he actually intended to leave. 

"He really must be feeling poorly," she thought to herself. She packed all of his new items back into the Christmas box as he shrugged back into his coat. She handed him the box and his takeout soup once his gloves were on. 

"Thank you for picking up lunch. But I'm glad you'll be able to enjoy yours at home. Take care of yourself. I hope you feel better soon."

"Will do." With his signature brusque nod, he was gone. 

He hadn't thanked her for the care package, but she wasn't offended. She hadn't really expected him to. She was almost certain he was going to make use of it, though, and that was enough for her. Anything to encourage him to take care of himself. 

After eating her pasta, she too packed up and left, as there wasn't much work for her to do without him.  She had already planned the text in her mind that she would send to him soon to make sure he was getting the rest and fluids he needed, and was taking a proper Christmas sick day. The holidays only come once a year, after all. If he had to be sick, he might as well make the most of it.

[vetteldixon]

‘E’ IS FOR ELOCUTIONIST.        JAMES HINCHCLIFFE                  Story by James Hinchcliffe                                  Illustration by Alvaro Tapia Hidalgo                  

THE 2022 NTT INDYCAR SEASON has been nothing short of spectacular. This season, the series matched records set 60 years ago with nine different pole sitters in the first nine races. There are genuinely 15 drivers who could win each weekend, and late in the season, the top six drivers were separated by less than a single win’s haul of points. To put that in perspective for all the Drive to Survive–ers, Max Verstappen could have skipped two grands prix this summer and still have been leading the F1 championship come fall.

continued below the cut!

The competition on track is better than ever in IndyCar. Car counts are higher and healthier than we’ve seen for decades, and new hybrid powertrain regulations in 2024 should add to the series’s appeal. What about the events themselves? The Indy 500 was a near sellout, we had enormous crowds at Long Beach, and Toronto saw its biggest crowd since the late Nineties. Thanks to a herculean effort from Penske Entertainment and title partner Hy-Vee, Iowa set attendance records and a new standard for race promotion. Add in known crowd favorites at Nashville and Gateway, and things are looking strong.

Of course, some races lack the allure and attendance of the past. We still have a gap in the Northeast, and there were some pre-Texas rumblings that we might be headed to the 1.5-mile oval for the last time. That tone changed slightly after the most entertaining race since the track’s 2017 repaving and reprofiling. Sprucing up an event to Iowa-like levels takes a committed partner. Hopefully, Texas’s improved raciness piques the interest of a company that could fill that role. The series cannot afford to lose another oval.

IndyCar has the best on-track product on four wheels (my unbiased opinion), healthy car counts, and seemingly increasing sponsorship, yet its fan base seems largely unchanged. The series has added many valuable official partnerships, but few have moved the needle in terms of fan growth. A high-level exec from a former IndyCar sponsor once told me that IndyCar racing was the best-kept secret in sports. That was 12 years ago. Sadly, that is still the feeling among many in the paddock.

NBC and the series have made huge strides in getting 14 of the 17 races on network television, and the network does an outstanding job covering the weekend action (as unbiased an opinion as I, a member of said broadcast team, can offer!). While some races have certainly seen meaningful jumps in viewership, others have delivered lower ratings than expected. Many factors are at play here, and other sports have felt the same effect, but one can’t help but think that the overall marketing strategy of the series needs a rethink.

Look at Formula 1. Its explosion in popularity since Liberty Media’s takeover has been astounding. This hasn’t come from closer racing. Yes, the 2022 rules package made the cars look and race better, but the action still pales in comparison to what IndyCar offers fans. Netflix has pumped up F1’s tires, but how long will that last? How many fans of DTS will stick around for life? Netflix aside, F1’s digital-media approach has been incredible. Books could be written about its targeted marketing, which has broadened the appeal of the sport beyond traditional racing fans.

IndyCar has yet to replicate this model, but not through lack of effort. The team at IndyCar works diligently with what it’s given, but it takes money to make money. An investment in itself, in the marketing and digital departments, could yield long-term benefits. IndyCar needs more resources to separate itself from others that currently have the motorsport market cornered. Does IndyCar needs its own Drive to Survive over-night explosion? No. That was a phenomenon impossible to replicate. I truly believe that slow and steady progress is as good a way forward, and it is very achievable.

IndyCar also has a ton of international appeal, and I would love to see the series take advantage of that. Races overseas used to be commonplace, which helped grow IndyCar’s fan base (and helped the teams financially).

IndyCar is doing a lot of things very right, but it can’t expect a good on-track product alone to create a surge in popularity. A focused investment, one that could bring IndyCar’s marketing to a new level, is long past due. It’s the only way to bring the best-kept secret to the masses. ■

[oblivionrecords]

Cecil Taylor at Montreux Jazz Festival. July 9, 1976 Andrew Putler/ Redferns/ GettyImages.

Click here to download or read the digital booklet of Cecil Taylor: The Complete, Legendary, Live Return at The Town Hall NYC November 4, 1973

Recording Cecil Taylor 1973

Almost 50 years ago I lucked into engineering a recording that can now, as of early in 2022, fill in some musical history.

The entire 2+ hours of the recording will be available –exclusively on your favorite streaming service– on February 15, 2022.

Pianist and composer Cecil Taylor was one of the trio of musicians –along with Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane– who defined the parameters of avant-garde jazz starting in the late 1950s and continuing to his death at 89 in 2018. Along with his performing companions –when I was working with him, percussionist Andrew Cyrille and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons were his most steady stalwarts– he started with black music, mixed up with European classical traditions, threw in his composing and arranging training from the NEC, and blew up what the world considered “jazz.”

When I started out recording in the late 60s, my goal was to make hip and popular music. You know, like The Beatles, my limited exposure to artist, experimental (though popular) music. Since things rarely turn out the way one hopes, I happily spent most of my recording experience in blues and jazz, at first of the avant-garde –or “free”– variety. While it’s music that reminds many of heavy city traffic mixed with fingernails on a blackboard, for me it provided a thrilling window into expansive thinking. These were experiences that made sure I’d work hard to never be complacent. There’s no trade I’d rather have for those times.

A half century later, it’s hard for me to imagine I was lucky enough to work with  acknowledged greats, world class talents like Cecil Taylor (and, not for nothing, that I could actually interview Ornette Coleman on my college radio show). Mr. Taylor was a leading and controversial figure in the resetting of jazz expectations for almost 70 years. But often, cutting edge artists on the fringes of mainstream culture like him don’t always command the attention of the leading recording institutions, and it’s the young, passionate fans (like I was) that can fill the breach.

Cecil’s short lived manager enlisted me to record and “produce” only because I could access some premium tape decks and microphones, and because I’d work tirelessly for his music.

The recording of the “Return Concert” happened in November 1973 at The Town Hall in New York, and later in the winter I traveled to Washington D.C. and crashed in a friend’s place to record a show at the Smithsonian. I spent months pouring over the tapes prepping them for release on Cecil’s own label, Unit Core Records.

The so-called Return Concert was meant to be a homecoming for Cecil and his longtime band mates in the Cecil Taylor Unit –percussionist Andrew Cyrille and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons– after several years in mid-West academia –Antioch College and University of Wisconsin-Madison– and though they’d played in New York earlier in the year, management tried to make it a major musical event. Based on the musical evidence it definitely should have been.

As it turned out, only the second half of The Town Hall concert was released, as Spring of Two Blue J’s, and at that Unit Core only pressed 2000 vinyl LPs. It quickly went out print, only surviving as a bootlegged CD. For decades I’ve been determined to mix the first half of the performance for the very first time and drop the entire concert. It would have to be digital since the first half was two compositions played without a pause for 88 minutes.

In the Village Voice, America’s leading jazz writer Gary Giddins called the album Cecil’s finest, and later said “it offers an improvisational coherence his earlier work only hints at. 

I still have to pinch myself about my brief association with artists like Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons and Andrew Cyrille at one of the great peaks of their association.

Cecil may not be an easy listen, but if you’re up for it there are a lot of rewards.

(More to come.)

Click here to download or read the digital booklet of Cecil Taylor: The Complete, Legendary, Live Return at The Town Hall NYC November 4, 1973

[dippedanddripped]

As if men don't have enough already, one of fashion's biggest trends as of late involves a burgeoning market of womenswear designers entering the menswear fold.

There's heavy-hitters like Celine, which in January released its first men's collection in the brand's 74-year history under creative director Hedi Slimane, and Prabal Gurung, which debuted its first men's collection in September 2018 after nearly a decade in business. A month later, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's the Row debuted their very first men's collection. Simon Porte Jacquemus unveiled his first menswear collection in a seaside cove along the outskirts of Marseille four months ago, and it's quickly become an industry favorite; "In Paris, Men Are Invited into the Couture Dream," GQ's Rachel Tashjian wrote in July. And these designers are just a few on a growing list: Stella McCartney, Gabriela Hearst and Sies Marjan have all added menswear in recent seasons as well. Arguably, much of this can be traced back to Alessandro Michele's debut as creative director of Gucci: From that Fall 2015 men's range on, his quirky, retro vision whetted the public's appetite for more expressive, creative menswear while also driving sales for the Italian house.

"One of the main reasons why those designers and brands are expanding into menswear is because the market is there, the market is growing and there is demand," Pierre A. M’pelé, editor-in-chief of SCRNSHT (aka @pamboy on Twitter) tells Fashionista of this ongoing recent trend.

Coincidentally or not, there's also a growing market for male celebs engaging with stylists for risk-taking red carpet looks. Take Ilaria Urbinati, for instance, who has a client list including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Donald Glover, Chris Evans and Bradley Cooper, or Samantha McMillen, whose clients include Ryan Gosling, Chris Rock and Chris Hemsworth — just two examples of stylists helping to elevate leading men as formidable style contemporaries to their female peers. These stylists, along with their clients, have given menswear a pop cultural legitimacy and exposure to a demographic outside of the fashion week runway continuum.

Lil Nas X at the 2019 BET Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Look no further than recent red carpets — still one of the biggest forms of publicity for fashion brands — from Lil Nas X in custom baby blue Pyer Moss at the BET Awards to Jay Z's expertly exaggerated lapels at the London premiere of The Lion King or the masterful tailoring on Tom Holland in Zegna at the LA premiere of Spider-Man: Far From Home premiere. And it's not just the suiting: There's Maluma walking the street in a multi-colored JW Anderson pullover, Post Malone in Dolly Parton-print pajamas or Justin Theroux biking the streets of New York City with the image of Britney Spears's third album screen-printed on his tank top.

The Struggles of the Plus-Size Menswear Market

Another potential impetus for this moment: social media. Womenswear-only brands and designers might see the limitations of only catering to one gender for an app as influential Instagram. Things like IG "fit pics," for instance, have helped to give rise not just to the popularity of menswear, but to the sense of pride (and clout) many are associating with it.

With an uptick in the male prioritization of sartorial statements comes a healthy influx of supply. Two more designers getting in on the action are Marco de Vincenzo and Gherardo Felloni, both of whom felt a shift in and out of the industry and decided to react as a result. "Now is the moment," de Vincenzo thought to himself in February when he finally entered the menswear foray, a desire he'd been marinating on for several seasons.

"I think that many designers, including myself, consider women's fashion a creatively freer possibility," he tells Fashionista. "In reality, it is a changeable point of view because more and more men are choosing fashion to get rid of certain stereotypes, [bulking up] their wardrobe with special pieces."

Felloni, the creative director at Maison Roger Vivier, which in 2018 released the first men's shoe in the house's 70-plus year history, says he was inspired by what he calls this historical moment in fashion. "Now, there are less and less differences between men's and women's fashion," he tells Fashionista. "Many women wear masculine shoes, and this led me to design men's styles for women. Then, as soon as I saw the collection, I thought it would also be perfect for men, and so I designed the masculine equivalent."

It's not just the delineation between traditional menswear and womenswear which is shifting, but the business of menswear itself, which has grown greatly. From the not-yet-plateaued popularity of streetwear, to luxury brands adopting the "drop" distribution model in which limited amounts of product are released in regular spurts, to expanding size ranges, menswear isn't just having a moment; it's a full blown movement, and one that shows no signs of slowing down. In 2018, market analyst Euromonitor International forecasted to Business of Fashion that menswear will outpace womenswear in growth by no later than 2022.

And with this consumer expansion, comes the possibility of widening the lens (or loosening the restrictions, depending on your perspective) on what menswear typically looks like. Questions that have long been asked of womenswear designers — like "Who is the woman wearing this? Where is she going?" — can now be ruminated over for guys.

A look from Marco de Vincenzo's Spring 2020 menswear collection. Photo: Stefania M. D'Alessandro/Getty Images

"I think the male consumer is now looking for more seasonal and exciting products, compared to the traditional men's offering of dress shoes or trainers," Mary Alice Malone, founder and creative director of Malone Souliers, tells Fashionista. "Our collection offers something in between that allows for our man to explore spaces beyond functionality and to accessorize as an expression of identity."

There's also practicality. Take, for instance, the enduring problem of men not having something equivalent to a purse that has everyday functionality. "I think Kim Jones introducing the saddle bag for men has me seeing quite a few of those on the high end, but also seeing more crossbody bags in general on men; kind of like evolved fanny packs worn crossbody style," designer Chris Gelinas says. It's not entirely aesthetic, he explains. "The tighter and shorter the shorts in summer makes carrying the essentials tricky and these seem to be the of the moment solution."

So the demand is up, and the supply seems to be following suit — that's all good news, right? It depends on how you look at it.

"The current industry is structured in a way that there is always a need for growth in order to continue making profit and continue to develop, so instead of decelerating, everyone is accelerating and opening new doors to reach those financial goals or economic goals as companies," M’pelé explains, adding that this raises a bigger question for him around the need to grow.

"Do we need to foray into beauty and cosmetics and menswear when this is not at the core of one's identity? I think this is probably the most important question we need to ask ourselves as an industry."