#truly the diego album of all time

[equallyshaw]

So I lay in your arms and pretend that it's love | trevor zegras.

based off olivia rodrigo's song- scared of my guitar!

trevor x singer nameless oc!

not too sure if i wanna do gif's or pictures like that above..trying something new out (:

word count: 2.3k+

warnings: tbh, she's toxic...pls dont be like her.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

◦

Perfect, easy, so good to me So why's there a pit in my gut in the shape of you? Distract myself, say it's somethin' else Maybe I'm just overwhelmed, maybe I'm confused

◦

for around 11 months it was pure bliss...the two of them everywhere and anywhere. onlookers looked on with smiles and hushed whispers about how 'in love' they were. the two of them moved quickly in their relationship, but nobody found anything weird with it based on how their friends watched them and how they spoke about one another in the media when asked. trevor loved bringing home flowers whenever he came back from a roadie, or just because he felt like it. he showered her with gifts from the get-go as her own life was beginning to fill with riches, as her music career took off.

but once the 1 year mark was coming closer and closer, she began to feel a sense of dread. a sense of anxiety and fear, she hadn't had before. whenever she heard his name in passing or whenever somebody asked her about him, she'd freeze and stutter; not sure what to exactly say. or what was weirder, was that she spent more and more time at her apartment in la and not at his newport house...claiming that the record label was hounding her for an album and she was working day and night, like a dog. she did whatever she could in order to not think about him may it be hanging with friends, driving up and down the coast to san diego to visit family and taking spur of the moment trips with her friends. and when people asked her what was wrong or what she was thinking about, she'd always say 'work' and every white lie that came with that topic.

but when she see's trevor sporadically, she understands why she fell in love with him in the first place. he's charming, relentlessly nerdy, incredibly kind and respectful; all of which she adores. and while basking in that feeling for a bit of time, she feels guilty about how her feelings change when she's not with him. she then chalks it up to work, and how much pressure the label is giving her. so maybe just maybe, she'll stick it out with trevor.

◦

Barely sleep when you sleep next to me

But I keep thinkin' I'll find a cure

I say that I'm fine, I tell you all the time

I've never felt so happy and sure

◦

shortly after their one year, as she stays with trevor about once or twice a week, she can't help but toss and turn all night. claiming she's just stressed and overly exhausted, and he buys it all. he buys all her, "I've never been happier" or "I've never felt so sure about something in my entire life". he buys the, "once im done with the album ill move in with you." too, yet she knows they wont last. that sickening and dreadful feeling that keeps her up at night.

she goes to all of these lengths just to keep her heart from collapsing and her conscious from crumbling above her, and yet she knows right from wrong. she know's that the one that would be hurt the most is him.

◦

But I'm so scared of my guitar'

Cause it cuts right through to the heart

Yeah, it knows me too well so I got no excuse

I can't lie to it the same way that I lie to you

◦

but then when she sits down to write and come up with the chords for a song, she cant help but cry. everything becoming too much for her, her closest friends and producer seeing right through her. her music speaking the words, she can't help but think but not say. she knows that if she lies in a song, she'd be betraying her heart and her soul. her music being her lifelong love and escape, would truly affect her relationship with it.

◦

So I lay in your arms and pretend that it's love

◦

around a year and five months, she stopped writing. she stopped playing her guitar until the early morning hours. she stopped recording, citing that she was dealing with some personal issue. once the acknowledgment of 'oh shit, i need to break things off- soon' hit her mind one day during a writing session, she knew she couldn't write or sing until she did just that. and so she made her way down the coast to newport to do just that, but when she walked inside she saw a doe-eyed and blissful trevor in her midst. she crumbled right then and there, allowing him to make their way to the bedroom. she laid in his arms, not being able to fall asleep once again; and reminding herself that she loved trevor .. or at least needed to remind herself more. was it though? at least on her part?

◦

I was ravin', no boy like you I had the nerve to just stop stringin' you all along But I'm not half as decent as you I'd rather be tied to someone, even if they're wrong

◦

trevor was the guy, she thought when they first met. she thought that they were end game and would go to the absolute ends of the galaxy to believe that, to show and make people believe it too. and after some point, she felt guilty about stringing him along and talking about their future plans together. another morning she stopped by abruptly on her way from san diego, she knew she had to break things off with him. yet when she arrived at his place, she found him making breakfast and the brightest smile she hadn't seen in awhile. he went along and continued with his breakfast but not before making a cup of coffee for her and a extra serving of his breakfast for her. before leading her over to the dining room table and held her hand as they ate. guilt crept up her spine as she looked at him, talking about something that had happened on a road trip and she felt a pang in her heart. she was a coward. rather than break the band aid and say what she'd wanted to say for months now...she let him continue to speak.

he was a better person than she was, she thought. he would have ended things a long time ago if he'd felt what she'd felt or thought. he wouldn't have continued to string her along. he was a good person like that. but her? she was half the person he was, he was a good person with good intentions. the culprit?

she didn't want to be alone.

◦

I make excuses, my friends know the truth is I'm not as alright as I claim I say that I'm fine, I tell them all the time As they watch all the life fade away

◦

the life was draining from her and her friends watched as it did. she was hiding herself away in her los angeles apartment, shortly after she stopped writing. they were all rightfully concerned with her mental health and wouldn't take the 'im fine's!" she hurled at them time and time again. they even reached out to trevor and even he could not get her to come out of her shell. though, he never got the full story of why she was like that. he dropped around unannounced before and after practice, sometimes staying the night but most times slipping out after she'd fallen asleep. but not without a soft kiss to her temple, and tiptoeing out. his family and friends grew concerned when he opted to stay in newport for the offseason. by the offseason, she'd gone back into the studio and pushed through. the studio eating up whatever she had written, and loved it all.

◦

I pretend that it's love, love

'Cause what if I never find anything better? The doubt always creeps through my mind So we'll stay together 'cause how could I ever Trade somethin' that's good for what's right?

◦

with no end in sight, she continued to push through with the relationship, trying to get back to how things were before when she was without a doubt, happy and in love. when trevor does finally leave the sunshine state to go visit family and friends, she stays up thinking about her and trevor's future. would she find anybody better than him? would she find the love that they shared early in their relationship? would she find somebody almost as arrogantly confident? somebody with an infinite passion for what they do? their (affectionately) dumb friends who adored her? and somebody with a zest for life? her journals filled to the brim that summer with what had been eating her up inside.

when trevor comes back right before the season begins, he take's her out to malibu one early morning before the sunrise. she was groggy and tired from the night before, and so when she was awoken abruptly she groaned; trying to desperately to go back to bed. trevor said that he wanted to go for a sunrise and she hummed, thinking he'd go by himself. but instead, he tickled her enough to wake her up and she dreaded getting out of bed. they drove up to malibu that September 2nd, and held one another as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. he bit the inside of his cheek, body filled with nerves and anxiety. he whispered her name to begin with, and in the most trevor and most un trevor way, he proposed. she turned around to see him with tears in his eyes and visible anxiety washed over his features. she smiled softly feeling the inside of her scream to say no and beg her to leave the life she grown used to the past mere months. her smile grew wider and faker, as she said yes. trevor had gotten her dream ring from new york, and she gushed as he pulled it out. tears swelled her eyes as she felt her heart tug at the effort he'd made for her. she was going to show him the same effort as well, even if it hurt her to no end.

◦

her record label demanded an ep of some new songs they knew she undoubtedly had written after she got engaged. her album release was a massive success, going #1 and platinum in many countries. her career was reaching new heights and she was engaged? she was the it girl everybody wanted to be. yet she felt so very far from it, but kept that signature smile on at all times.

she felt herself buy into the idea of marrying trevor when she saw how excited her family was when they showed up to a private dinner the very evening of her album released. they gushed and gushed over the ring and endless possibilities her and trevor could have together. she saw how good both of their families bonded and got along with one another. she could feel the pride and gratitude that oozed off of trevor that night. he loved - no absolutely adored this life the universe had bespoked upon him. the singer was just another addition. he thought he had everything before they met, but when he saw her get absolutely hammered at a party they were both invited to; he was enamored. the grace she carried herself with when dancing, talking, singing and most importantly; the love she oozed for her friends was intoxicating. he could not and never wanted to get enough of it.

the look he gave her that night was one she'd never, ever forget in this lifetime. it was how all girls wished to be looked at. the one that would spare nothing to make their partner happy. the one where you know they'd go to the ends of the earth for you and with you. it was as if she hung the moon and the stars for him.

who would pass that up?

◦

I let the thought in, it's already done

◦

she brought into the idea of going through with the wedding after the release party and found herself immersed in wedding planning. she found herself non stop traveling with trevor that summer, after a serious playoff run. she found herself thinking of their future together because lets be honest, it was there. and she couldn't help but get excited just a bit when trevor had said, that she was going to be most beautiful bride and future mom to ever grace this planet. she looked at him through the mirror and again that look, captivated and brought her in.

◦ But I lay in your arms and pretend that it's love Yeah, I lay in your arms and pretend it's enough

◦

their wedding was a dream. an absolute dream. hollywood and hockey royalty showed up and showed out. the wedding of all weddings. they danced the night away to taylor swift. then as a surprise, trevor and his groomesman shamelessly, did a group dance to one of her upbeat songs as she sat there blushing like a fool, covering her face in embarrassment. they spent the night basking in everybody's presence, the singer not having a second to spare a second thought about what was going to be coming in the next few months. she knew that the world and everybody in their lives would be asking about kids and what not. yet, she pushed that towards the back of her mind. she played the role of a loving and adoring newlywed. she smiled to the camera's as if there was no tomorrow. her friends actually believing that she was happy and that she had found her way back to trevor. and in a way, that was true. she felt stuck with no way out.

the couple retreated back to the ritz carlton new york hotel suite, with a bottle of very expensive champagne, thin slice pizza and new york cheesecake. after stuffing their faces in between making out, the two fell asleep. or at least trevor did. the singer looked up at the ceiling, wide awake and unable to sleep. she had played the part this long...what was another ten?

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

umm....sorry about that! part two is coming at some point because i wanna hurt myself even more lmao...

please like and reblog if you did and id love to hear your thoughts too!

tags: @cuttergauthier @zegrasbabyyy @hockeyboysarehot @slafgoalskybaby @sc0tters @sweetestdesire @jayda12 @starshine-hockey-girl @cellythefloshie

[black-arcana]

LACUNA COIL Enlists LAMB OF GOD's RANDY BLYTHE For New Single 'Hosting The Shadow'

Italian goth metallers LACUNA COIL have released a new single, "Hosting The Shadow". After their successful collaboration with Ash Costello of NEW YEARS DAY on previous single "In The Mean Time", the new track includes a guest appearance by Randy Blythe from LAMB OF GOD.

LACUNA COIL comments: "'Hosting The Shadow' is a trip through light and dark, where silence reveals its hidden secrets. Obscure moments can become occasions to evolve, to learn to master one's own shadow — which is crucial in order to prevail.

"Randy Blythe did an incredible job on this track. We absolutely adore his voice and his evil laugh! Our admiration for him is infinite and to have him as a guest on this song is a dream come true. Partnering with a friend you respect immensely, that also kicks ass on stages around the world: it doesn't get any better than this. We're looking forward to the day we can perform 'Hosting The Shadow' live together!"

Blythe adds: "I was super excited when LACUNA COIL asked me to sing on a song with them. Not only am I a big fan of their music, they are truly beautiful souls who have been like family to me for 20 years now. We've played shows together all over the world, and I've always wanted to jump onstage and sing with them. I can't wait until it actually happens with 'Hosting The Shadow'!"

This past June, LACUNA COIL announced the departure of guitarist Diego Cavallotti.

Cavallotti, who joined LACUNA COIL in 2016, initially as a fill-in guitarist following the exit of Marco "Maus" Biazzi, later said in a social media post that "this decision is not the result of my dissatisfaction or desire to explore new opportunities."

When LACUNA COIL announced Cavallotti's departure on June 17, the band wrote in a statement: "As we step into a new cycle, writing and recording our next album, we are parting ways with Diego 'DD' Cavallotti. We thank him for the many unforgettable moments shared over the years and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

"All future live plans remain unchanged and the new songs are taking form, we can't wait to share them with our fans."

LACUNA COIL recently completed the "Ignite The Fire" U.S. tour with support from NEW YEARS DAY and OCEANS OF SLUMBER.

In April, LACUNA COIL released "In The Mean Time", featuring Costello. The song's title is a reference to the mean times the world is living in, as well as a reference to the state the band itself is in, between cycles.

In July 2023, LACUNA COIL released the official lyric video for a new track called "Never Dawn". For the song, the band partnered with CMON, the renowned board game publisher behind the popular game "Zombicide".

In a recent interview with Brazil's Sonoridades Inc., LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia spoke about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2019's "Black Anima" album. She said: "I can't really tell you a lot. I can tell you that we are progressing very fast. We are almost, like, 100… We completed, let's say, the demoing. We still have to record the rest of the songs, but we will soon — probably after the tour, after the [May 2024] North American tour. And if everything goes as projected, before the end of the year [it] will be released. And that's already a big news, because we always say, 'We don't know. Maybe.' … I absolutely love the songs. I'm part of the process. But I'm very pleased."

Asked if "Never Dawn" will be on the upcoming album, Cristina said: "I think it will be. I think it will be, 'cause it will make sense. And it also fits with the other songs — it really fits with the other songs. Many heavy songs."

LACUNA COIL has spent some of the last couple of years promoting "Comalies XX", the "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies".

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14, 2022 via Century Media Records.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

Photo credit: Cunene

[moonjxsung]

hi bb!!

how are you?

tofu is doing well for now! the doctor said her eye will probs take a while to heal (like your cat’s, i’m sorry that happened to her too☹️) and it might not be as pretty as before. but whatevs about that, i just want her to be okay. thankfully we started treatment at home (ive had cats with basically every type of disease ever so i kinda know what to get them) but i still wanted to check it out professionally of course when i got back from uni). so for now, eye cream and constant checkups to se if it’s actually working because she could still become blind from that eye. but im remaining positive because its been working.

that said, we had to separate her from little devil maknae soju (we suspect she was the one that did it) because we saw soju hitting her🥲🥲🥲 i still feel super bad that it happened but im trying to power through without blaming myself😅

crying @ the party over hanji is so real though!! i’m glad you had fun!!! not you taking pics of your pcs/ holder for me🥹🥹🥹that pc holder is so cute😭😭😭 i’ve been looking for a cute double pc holder but have had no luck! i saw one once that said bias and on the other side bias wrecker!

and sherlock! i was sooo excited when i read that they had covered it! i think they all did so good. but han really popped his pussy with jjong’s notes (jongho did too!) and you can’t really expect a bad vocal performance from seungmin ever! i love ateez’s cover too but tbh i think i like skz’s better, like imagine if we get a well-produced version instead of a crowd recording😭😭😭 i just know shinee are super happy about it! (fun fact: my first ever kpop bias was minho when i was like 12 and the fact that my current bias is also a minho is crazy to me. maybe i have a minho radar).

i love you bb! have the best (rest of) the weekend! take care of yourself & stay hydrated💕

-🐈‍⬛

Ahhhhh I hope Tofu gets well soon!!!! That’s so rough, it’s so hard seeing your cat’s eye like that and just seeing them in constant discomfort 💔☹️ sending all my love to sweet Tofu (and some to devil maknae Soju too I suppose, just don’t do it again pls 💘)

Ahhh the party was SO much fun!! We’re all taking our first group trip to San Diego in June bc my sister lives there and my friend is graduating from her master’s program so we’re gonna head down there together and have a big celebration and get our matching tattoos !! I think we’re each getting 2 and then I plan on getting another in Chicago so it’s going to be a bunch of tattoos for me in summer I think I’ll be at 9 total by the time fall comes around 👼🫶 the double pc holder is my fav ahhh I got it at a cupsleeve event actually !! I was trying to decide between keroppi and kuromi and imagine my surprise when the guy said it was double sided 😦😦 SOOOO CUTIE

THE SHERLOCK PERFORMANCE WAS EVERYTHING TO MEEEEE OH MY GOD I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR DAYSSSSSS THEY DID SHINEE SOOOO MUCH JUSTICE FRFR🫶🫶🫶🫶 also being Minho biased at age 12 IS SO REAL…… Choi Minho truly the peoples’ bias 😫🤲 I’m honestly so scared for the future of shinee with all the contract news but I’m just praying for Onew comeback and Shinee album as soon as possible 🤕 I’m Onew biased + Taemin wrecker and my sister is Minho biased + Kibum wrecker and we’re BOTH whores for jjong bc LOOK AT HIM……. Shinee my beloved ☹️🤲💎 I love being a staywol in 2024 life is so good frfr I love that Shinee just adopted skz

I love you bby I hope you had the best weekend!!!!!! 🫶💝💖💕💓💗💞💘👼 also random piccies of my men. my husbands frfr (don’t tell hanji)

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Bob Dylan - The Power & The Glory (A 2022 Touring Year Story)

Bob Dylan kicks off another leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour this week in Osaka, Japan. Will he playing a totally revamped set? I'm guessing no, but who the hell knows? Meanwhile, I'm going to start spreading the rumor that Bob will almost certainly be releasing an album of new material in 2023. I have nothing, absolutely nothing, to back this up, but I'm just going to try to manifest it. Manifest with me, people!

To get psyched for more live Dylan, check out this very very nice compilation of audience recordings from last year's shows, gathering some highlights and rarities — like Bob's Jerry Lee Lewis tribute in Dublin or the very rowdy "Friend of the Devil" in San Francisco. And is that a little Twin Peaks theme I'm hearing inserted into "Key West" from March 6??? Prove me wrong!

Another way to get psyched: check out James Adams' new episode of the Pretty Good Stuff series on Aquarium Drunkard. This latest hour features some of Bob's finest performances in Japan from over the decades. I was particularly blown away by the 1994 rendition of "What Good Am I?" — a truly outrageous and amazing vocal on that one.

One more thing! Last year, I wrote a review of the Dylan show I caught in San Diego, which for one reason or another, was never published. Here it is, plus a recording of the show, as an incredibly special treat for you Doom & Gloomsters.

Bob Dylan - San Diego Civic Theatre, San Diego, California, June 17, 2022

You couldn’t count on much over the past 30+ years, but you could usually assume that Bob Dylan was somewhere out there, still on the road, perpetually headed for another joint. But the bewildering pandemic year of 2020 brought it all to a shuddering halt, causing the longest break in Dylan’s relentless live performance schedule since the mid-1980s. Bobcats across the globe had to ask themselves that tough question: Was the Never Ending Tour finally … ending?

Of course not. Or at least not yet. In late 2021, Dylan kicked off the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, which promises to stretch into 2024 — an ambitious span of time in an increasingly unpredictable decade. What keeps him going? One can only assume that, at this point, Bob doesn’t need the cash (if he ever really did). In his own eccentric way, he must still be interested in connecting with audiences, sharing his songs, reveling in the power that this music delivers. And maybe, just like the rest of us, the various COVID-19 lockdowns made Dylan a little stir-crazy.

Whatever his reasoning may be, there was a tingling sense of anticipation in the air when the lights went down at the San Diego Civic Theatre this past June. The songwriter’s advanced age (he turned 81 in May) and the still precarious nature of live shows these days makes Dylan’s continuing presence feel all the more precious. And to be sure, when you got your first glimpse of the man — looking a little frail, a tad ghostly — your first thoughts were of his (and perhaps your own) all-too-human mortality. As he sang later: “I’ve already outlived my life by far.” But Dylan refused to let us wallow. Instead, he kicked off the show with a long, occasionally shambolic, guitar solo over a sweet, bluesy shuffle. As it rambled on — and on! — you couldn’t help but grin. Never mind mortality — this Nobel Prize winner still just loves to jam.

“What’s the matter with me? I don’t have much to say,” were the first words Dylan growled this evening — the opening lines of 1971’s “Watching The River Flow.” But they were sung with a wink. As proven by his 2020 masterpiece Rough And Rowdy Ways, Dylan still has plenty to say. The San Diego setlist (which rarely changed from night to night during this spring/summer jaunt) was dominated by numbers from the album — the only tune missing was “Murder Most Foul” (which Dylan likely thinks of as a separate piece altogether). It’s a daring move. Bob has never been of the McCartney school — you’re never guaranteed to hear the hits at a Dylan show. But he hasn’t played shows so heavily tilted towards new material since the “born again” days of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The gambit paid off. The Rough And Rowdy Ways numbers were captivating, from the hushed majesty of “I Contain Multitudes” to the deep blues crawl of “Crossing The Rubicon,” each moment filled with drama and gravitas. Dylan’s vocals sounded magnificent and clear; those Sinatra records from the last decade seem to have made him rethink his approach, with fantastic results. The sweet croon he slipped into on a ravishing “I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You” was positively breathtaking, as he held dangerously long notes, the music breaking down beautifully behind him. On the other end of the spectrum, “My Own Version Of You” was a harrowing ride, Dylan relishing the song’s increasingly grotesque imagery. And even though the new stuff is relatively fresh from his pen, Dylan typically couldn’t help toying with an arrangement or two: “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)” was reinvented entirely with a curious chord structure and bewitching vocal that traded the studio version’s apocalyptic dread for a more open-ended playfulness.

The band here (stalwart bassist Tony Garnier, guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio, multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron and drummer Charley Drayton) deserves special credit. There was rarely a lead voice breaking out in the mix — save for Dylan’s nervous, Monk-ish piano solos. Instead, there was a cohesive collective synergy, instruments interlocking, rising and falling in unison. The result was a kind of richly textured minimalist blues rock, free of cliché, zero fat on the bone. Occasionally, Dylan would pick out a hypnotic riff and his musicians would circle it patiently, adding subtle colorings around the edges. Occasionally, they’d drop out entirely, as with the almost a capella intro to “Gotta Serve Somebody,” which gave Dylan plenty of space to play around in before the song kicked into a full-tilt boogie.

Bob’s chatter was limited to a brief but hearty band introduction towards the end, but he wasn’t entirely uncommunicative. Several times in-between songs, he’d step out from behind his upright piano, put a hand on his hip, cock his head and fix the crowd with a quizzical stare. Was he soaking in the applause? Trying to get a sense of who his audience is in 2022? Just letting us all get a good look at him? Maybe all of the above — but most of all, it seemed as though Dylan was silently asking, once again, after all these years: “How does it feel?”

[lv-creator]

Pearl Jam's 'Ten': A Look Back at the Grunge Classic that Launched a Generation

Before the release of "Ten," Pearl Jam had gone through several lineup changes and lead singers. It wasn't until they met Eddie Vedder that the band truly found its sound and identity. Vedder, a San Diego native, was working as a gas station attendant when he received a demo tape from the band. He was so moved by the lyrics and music that he recorded his own vocals over the tracks and sent them back to the band. The rest is history. Vedder's powerful, emotive voice and his ability to connect with the lyrics on a personal level gave the band a unique and compelling sound that set them apart from other bands in the Seattle scene.

When Pearl Jam released "Ten" in 1991, they were part of a burgeoning Seattle music scene that would soon be dubbed "grunge." However, while bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden were starting to gain mainstream success, Pearl Jam were still relatively unknown. That all changed with the release of "Ten."

The album, which featured hits like "Jeremy" and "Alive," was a commercial and critical success, eventually selling over 13 million copies in the US alone. The band's raw, emotive sound and socially conscious lyrics resonated with listeners, and Pearl Jam quickly became one of the biggest bands in the world.

One of the standout tracks on "Ten" is "Jeremy." The song, which tells the story of a troubled high school student who ultimately takes his own life, was a hit for the band and its accompanying music video, directed by Mark Pellington, was in heavy rotation on MTV. However, the video was also controversial due to its depiction of the suicide and was ultimately censored.

At the time of the album's release, Pearl Jam were often compared to Nirvana, another band from the Seattle scene. However, the two bands had a somewhat fraught relationship, with Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain publicly criticizing Pearl Jam for their commercial success. Despite this, "Ten" cemented Pearl Jam's place in rock history as one of the defining albums of the 90s.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider liking, sharing, and commenting on it.

[assim-eu-sou]

S2 Recap

Favorite Extended Sequences (in chronological order):

Sleepover/Fake Diego Call

Angie's Farewell

Madrid Podemos

Gregorio's speech to Diego

Soy Mi Mejor Momento (finale)

Favorite Songs (in no particular order)

Soy Mi Mejor Momento

Algo Se Enciende

Si Es Por Amor

Alcancemos Las Estrellas

Peligrosamente Bellas

(But tbh, the whole Hoy Somos Más album is sooooo good).

Character Thoughts:

Violetta: You will always be my baby. This girl has been through the wringer, with the Esmeralda deceit, Jeremías, and Diego. Then add to that losing her voice, losing Angie, and then losing her passion for a time. I just want to give her a big hug. And she honestly handles it with more grace than most people ever could. She deserves every good thing that comes her way.

León: A male protagonist that deserves rights. I appreciate his Entre Dos Mundos arc as someone pursuing a double major, although the motorcross seemed to come out of nowhere. I'm mad that he was mad about the non-consensual kiss and he certainly had his moments that frustrated me but like. He cares about Vilu so much.

Ludmila: She's so stupid... I love her. It's hard to remember what about her is real and what I made up because I think about her so much, so I won't say too much. Her fake friend era was such a time. It was hard to watch her cause Vilu pain, but what can I say except I know where she's coming from. Seeing her finally realize that hurting Vilu wasn't going to solve her problems was such a moment.

Naty: babeygirl. period. poor thing goes through it with Ludmila and I'm glad she ended the season happy. and yet, in the end, she will always choose Ludmi. she is unconditional. there's not much more that needs to be said here.

Francesca: Ah, Fran. She's always looking out for Vilu and that is something that I treasure. Her going-to-Italy arc was so.... yeah. As someone who knew they were leaving their hometown for college and also someone who knows they have to leave their college town whenever classes aren't in session, I get it. It's a lot. She had a really hard time letting her heart say yes to Marco, which could be frustrating, but I don't blame her. Commitment is hard, especially when you wonder how permanent things can be.

Camila: Ooooooh she's so funny. So many lines here and there that cracked me up. Her boy scrapbook was funny to me because like. That's such a normal thing to do. Not. But similar energy to something I'd do at the same time.

Diego: I hate this show for making me feel sorry for him by the end of it. He's almost even likable now. Dang it. I despised this man at the start of the season... creepy stalker. But in the end... idk. Something happened. All of the dynamics that he's a part of just make it.

Andrés/Broduey/Marco/Maxi: They exist. I don't think enough thoughts about them to say more than that.

Germán: I HATE HIMMMMMMM. Stupid Jeremías and stupid helicoptering send him STRAIGHT to prison. He did not deserve applause for Soy Mi Mejor Momento. That belonged to Vilu and the kids. As the child of overprotective parents, I have a lot of thoughts about Germán and how the show Violetta itself could be a metaphor for other things, but that should be its own post, so I won't expand for now.

Lara: she's so cool! Funky lil mechanic! Never did anything wrong tbh. I hope she ends up happy wherever she is.

Gregorio: this man is unhinged. But his development with Diego destroyed me. Like. I felt it in my soul. He truly has the range.

Angie: Her scenes with Vilu are always so special. But poor woman, she definitely needed to go to France. And her send-off... affected me. One of the deserves better girls for sure.

Jade: Please free her from the shackles of Germán and Mati. Enough said. Also her opera scene was ICONIC.

Esmeralda: It would be nice if she got a redemption arc in S3 but that won't be happening so... oh well. I also like how she brought Ámbar with her. Seeing Vilu being an older sister was cute.

Pablo: what was WRONG with this man for the majority of the season? Bring S1 Pablo back!

Olga/Ramallo: They exist. They care about Vilu. They put up with Germán. I couldn't do their job.

Pairings (Platonic and romantic)

Leonetta: A main ship I can support. Madrid!Podemos was so much. And all Leonetta hugs... so true. There's just a lot of care there.

León and Fran: such a fun dynamic, especially in Madrid. Best detectives. They just want to protect their girl Vilu.

Fran and Cami: these two fight like a married couple but in the end they have each others' best interests at heart. They often give each other advice that they need to take themselves lol.

Ludmila and Vilu: Vilu puts up with so much, bless her. The way she kept trying to let Ludmi in to her circle at the beginning of the season? The way she just moves on so quickly at the end? And the way Ludmi finally comes to her senses and wants to help her get her sparkle back? Yeah... s3 sisters will kill me.

Ludmila and Diego: Oh... so much. They're just so much. I want to study them under a microscope. Just a shocking and entertaining dynamic all around. The way they both despise and care about each other.

Diego and Vilu: Their start and end was not good. They had some cute moments, unfortunately. In another life, maybe. I can tell that in the end, he really did care about her, and was caught in a very rough spot. He wasn't in the right but I get it. I will be interested to see where their interactions go from here.

Fedemila: I mean I had fun. I like seeing Ludmila enamored. I like seeing her try. And they're both just so much, so diva.

Naxi: Maxi just. doesn't trust Naty. So while she ended the season happy, she deserves better, I think.

Brodemila: They are what they are. They're always gonna be in conflict. But their cute scenes are cute.

Marcesca: It would never work out in the end, but it was nice for what it was. Like him learning Italian? So good. His Madrid gestures may have been a bit toooo grand lol. Still. after S1, Fran deserved someone at least as decent as Marco.

Caxi: not the worst tbh. I don't have strong feelings either way.

Natila, Cadmila: Some enjoyable moments for both of these pairings. Tension between Cami and Ludmi. Naty and Cami making the music video. Their trio dynamic. So much fun!

Franletta: the softe girls!!!!!!! They fight so hard for each other. Fran pulling the fire alarm? Vilu convincing Fran's dad to let her stay? That whole arc was so much. All their hugs and just being attached at the hip... yes. Sweeties.

Luty: I don't even need to say anything. We know what they did to me. Just. Yeah. There are so many moments that aren't even subtext, just straight (not) text. Like yeah. Solo te quería desear suerte. And fin.

[definitionmusic]

ILL POETIC ACCEPTED INTO UC-SAN DIEGO COMPUTER MUSIC PhD PROGRAM

From Ill Poetic - "I'm proud to announce that I've been accepted into the @ucsdmusic Computer Music PhD Program. It's been a long and perilous road, but I made it!

From Trotwood, Ohio. From battle raps at Top Cats and making beats above a bagel shop in Cincinnati to right here. From flying to San Diego 8 years ago, living in a Motel 6 in search of our new life, hanging on by the tiniest threads...to right here.

A few thoughts:

I've been an undergrad at UCSD for two exhilarating years. Most people in this program just know me as Tim, but none of this would have been possible without "Ill Poetic". Every album I've released was on my application CV. Every tour, every festival, @definition_music_llc, @beatbox_records, it all mattered. I'm sharing this for the young, dedicated, talented indie artists out here booking tours, mixing client records, selling beats and putting out albums trying to get this month's rent paid. It's tough to make that hustle last and stay sane. But it matters.

You can bring those accomplishments into an academic space where you're incentivized to expand your artistry and mind. This world is hungry for curious artists from the outside to influence it and though challenging, the doors are far more open than you'd assume. For the past two years it has been my job to learn new things and apply them to creative endeavors. I now get to continue down that path, and perhaps transition this into teaching at university level myself one day. When the times comes, I really invite some of my artist friends to explore this option.

In closing, I clearly did not do this alone. As always, thank you to my wife, my son, my dad, my team, my friends, and the faculty at both San Diego City College and UCSD Music (especially @kingbritt) for their unwavering support and belief in me. It's beyond humbling. A special thank you to my mom: she would be in tears to hear me tell her this. I would too. But I truly like to think her energy is floating through the universe nudging doors open for me to push my way through. Thank you mom. And thank you all for the years of support.

I have a few more exciting announcements to share in the coming weeks. Onward to the next great adventure."

[chorusfm]

Origami Angel Announce New Album

Origami Angel will release Feeling Not Found on September 27th. Today they’ve shared two new songs from the album, “Dirty Mirror Selfie” and “Where Blue Light Blooms.” Track Listing * Lost Signal * Dirty Mirror Selfie * Where Blue Light Blooms * Viral * Underneath My Skin * Wretched Trajectory * AP Revisionist History * Living Proof * Fruit Wine * Sixth Cents (Get It?) * Secondgradefoofight * HM07 Waterfall * Higher Road * Feeling Not Found Press Release If you've got it, flaunt it––and all over the upcoming 14-track full length from Washington, D.C. duo  Origami Angel, that's exactly what vocalist/guitarist Ryland Heagy and drummer  Pat Doherty do. Simply put, their new album, Feeling Not Found, is the future of emo. Recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip (Turnstile, Title Fight, The Wonder Years) at Studio 4, Feeling Not Found revolves around the deeply modern experience teased in the title: an emotional and spiritual 404 error, a sensation of cellular-level malfunction and data corruption, of being lost in an oblivion of digital information, and the desperate struggle to reconnect to how it feels to be human and whole.  Origami Angel will headline a mammoth trek across the U.S. this fall in support of Feeling Not Found, and they're bringing along Arm's Length, Macseal, and Forests for support. All tickets go on sale this Friday. Two songs from Feeling Not Found are out today: "Dirty Mirror Selfie" may quickly rise in the ranks of the Origami Angel discography, with its furious pogo-ready riff plunging into a power-pop declaration of intent.“Where Blue Light Blooms,” a stunning, operatic track, finds Heagy and Doherty giving a workshop in outside-the-box songwriting and includes one of the most thrilling bridges you’ll hear on a rock song this year.  Origami Angel want to be the best like no one ever was, and so far, it seems like very little is going to stand in their way. Over the last few years, the duo has released some of the most exciting music to come out of the emo/pop-punk scene in years, and they're doing it their own way. Their 2019 LP, Somewhere City, has been called one of the best emo albums of the last 15 years by Consequence and their song "Doctor Whomst" called one of the 100 best emo songs of all time by Vulture. From that point forward, the duo has consistently reinvented expectations year-after-year––starting with 2021's massive double-LP, GAMI GANG,a pair of contrasting EPs in 2022 called re:turnand DE:PART, and a 2023 East Coast summer mixtape,The Brightest Days. Together, Heagy and Doherty are truly setting the tone for what the next decade of emo will sound like. Tour Dates Thu 10/24 Nashville, TN - Eastside Bowl Fri 10/25 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Heaven Sat 10/26 Orlando, FL - The Beacham (Half House) Mon 10/28 Austin, TX - Mohawk Tue 10/29 Fort Worth, TX - Tulips Thu 10/31 Mesa, AZ - The Nile Fri 11/1 Pomona, CA - The Glass House Sat 11/2 Pomona, CA - The Glass House Sun 11/3 San Diego, CA - SOMA Sidestage Tue 11/5 Roseville, CA - Goldfields Roseville Wed 11/6 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall Fri 11/8 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre Sat 11/9 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre Sun 11/10 Seattle, WA - Showbox Wed 11/13 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre Fri 11/15 St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall Sat 11/16 Chicago, IL - House of Blues Sun 11/17 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall Tue 11/19 Lakewood, OH - The Roxy at Mahalls Thu 11/21 Boston, MA - Big Night Live Fri 11/22 Philadelphia, PA - TLA Sun 11/24 New York, NY - Webster Hall --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/news/origami-angel-announce-new-album/

[independentartistbuzz]

Indie 5-0: 5 Questions with Hearsing

Hearsing, the groundbreaking musical project of Avery Murphy and Jordan Taylor, marks a new chapter in their storied careers with the release of "Silicon Prairie." This innovative single highlights their evolution from high school bandmates to professional musicians. Their journey began in high school with the surf punk band SUBPAR, which they co-founded alongside Lukas Henderson and Austin Corona. Over the years, they have garnered acclaim in various musical ventures, including LILACS, Jean Dawson, and Lizzy McAlpine.

SUBPAR achieved notable success, with their self-titled album surpassing 3.5 million streams on Spotify and maintaining a dedicated monthly listenership of over 21.5k. This early success set the stage for Hearsing, which blends their surf punk origins with nostalgic melodies and a wide range of influences to create a unique western music style.

Listen to “Silicon Prairie” here:

In March 2021, Hearsing debuted with a self-titled collection of home-recorded tracks, marking the start of their musical exploration. In 2024, they truly come into their own with the release of their first professional studio EP, "Pastoral." Recorded under the expert guidance of producer and singer-songwriter Henry Chadwick, known for his work with Jesse Daniel and Coffis Brothers, the EP showcases Hearsing's artistic growth. It also features the dynamic drumming of Ellington Peet, noted for his work with Runnner and Babehoven.

The lead single from "Pastoral," "Silicon Prairie," is accompanied by a visually stunning music video directed by Diego Diaz Lundquist. The video takes viewers on a cinematic journey through familiar and otherworldly landscapes, perfectly complementing the ethereal quality of the track. This immersive experience highlights Hearsing’s boundless creativity and artistic vision.

Below is an exclusive interview with Hearsing, where Avery Murphy and Jordan Taylor discuss the inspiration behind "Silicon Prairie" and their transition from high school friends to musical innovators. They provide insights into their creative process, the evolution of their sound, and what fans can anticipate from their upcoming performances.

In the interview, Avery and Jordan reveal how their shared history and diverse musical influences have shaped Hearsing's unique sound.

As Hearsing continues to carve out their place in the music world, their story serves as a testament to the power of collaboration, creativity, and perseverance. "Silicon Prairie" and the "Pastoral" EP mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Avery Murphy and Jordan Taylor, promising a bright future filled with innovative music and compelling narratives. Don't miss their latest release and the exclusive insights shared in the interview below.

What has been the most challenging part of the music industry, and how do you overcome those challenges?

There are a ton of barriers to entry, and barriers to success. It’s not as simple as writing and recording music that is good. These days you have to be a business person, be a PR person, be a social media manager, be a booking agent, be a videographer, be a creative director, be a copywriter, be a playlist pitcher, be so many things that for us feel so beyond what we originally set out to do – which is write, record, and perform music. So it’s really easy to get overwhelmed by all of that and for the music to get a bit lost in the process. It has definitely been a journey creating this EP, and even more of a journey getting it released – but in the end we’re really happy with what we’ve done and so excited for it to be out in the world. 

As for overcoming those challenges, you have to take it one thing at a time, and at the end of the road you’ve got to just be confident that you did your best and your creation is going to resonate with the people it’s going to resonate with. Making peace with that is a constant practice, but when it’s all done and the project is out, we get to move on to the next thing and do it all again, and that can be a really reassuring aspect – that its this iterative process that we get to keep doing and bettering, because we love the act of making music. 

Can you describe your songwriting process and how you collaborate as a duo in particular on your upcoming EP, Pastoral? 

We have a very collaborative writing style. Sometimes one of us writes a demo of the song and brings it to the other, or one of us writes the lyrics and the other sings, or one of us writes the chords and the other writes the lead lines, or does the arrangement. In the end we always create the end-product together. Neither of us would take complete credit for any song, because it really does happen super collaboratively. 

Before we recorded Pastoral, we were writing a ton of music together, so when the time came to get in the studio and record, we went through the 30+ demo songs we had and picked the ones that felt cohesive together as a project. Then we ended up cutting a couple more songs after recording – and what we were left with ultimately became ‘Pastoral’

How do you hope to contribute to the broader musical landscape and leave your mark?

We just want our music to mean something to people. Both of us really owe so much to music, it is such an important part of our daily lives and listening to our favorite artists' creations has kept us sane and made us feel seen and heard at times when that seemed impossible. So if we can do that for as many people as possible, that would be a contribution to the musical landscape and to the world that we would feel really proud of. 

What are your goals or dreams for the future of Hearsing?

MSG baby! 

Is there anything else you'd like to share with your fans or potential new listeners?

Hearsing is for everyone forever. We want our songs to soundtrack the good moments, the bad moments, and the ugly moments – we just want them to mean something to you! 

This EP feels like the first real offering of our music, and we have a whole lot more coming, so strap in! 

Our second single, Silicon Prairie will be our May 31st, and the whole Pastoral EP is out June 21st.

[bringinbackpod]

We had the pleasure of interviewing Caye over Zoom video! American Music Supply Sign up for updates from American Musical Supply by texting “BIB” to 800-458-4076 & get $20 off your first order of $100 or more. You’ll receive about 4 messages per month, message and data rates may apply. Consent not required for purchase, reply HELP for help and STOP to opt out. LA-based artist/producer/songwriter, Caye (pronounced KAI), shares his brand-new single, “LOSE SLEEP.” Written and produced by Caye himself, “LOSE SLEEP” is a melancholic, R&B tinged track about being addicted to something you know is bad for you. “LOSE SLEEP” follows the previously released tracks – "SCARS," “MILFORD SOUND,” “DOPAMINE,” “SOME LAKES” and “WE LOVE PT. 1” – which will be featured on his upcoming debut album, We Love. For the first time in his career, Caye is leaning into what makes him unique, instead of shying away from it. On both a musical and personal level, We Love reflects Caye’s own experiences as a creative and as a person. With this project, he feels at home singing over wavy didgeridoo lines, sultry piano, and rock inspired production, but it’s the lyrics, themes, and genre-less blend of influences that truly capture who he’s evolved into as an artist today. Caye recently announced his first ever headlining tour. Kicking off in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 1st at The Moroccan Lounge, the tour will visit 10 cities across the US including San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA, Washington, DC and New York, NY before wrapping in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday, April 1st at Milkboy. Based in Santa Monica, Caye is an artist/producer/songwriter with an evocative falsetto and a gift for melodic improvisation. He's been steadily winning fans across the US and around the world since breaking onto the scene in 2015. Building on his classical training by experimenting with jazz, hip hop, calypso, and reggae, Caye defies genre to create a signature sound that is all his own. Inspired by the creative freedom of Bon Iver, the soul-moving rhythms of Bob Marley, and the lyrical genius of Kanye West, Caye creates music that’s as captivating as it is technically complex. Caye has always felt at home behind the console and began by rapping over his beats—earning Wiz Khalifa’s attention and ultimately a feature from him on Caye’s single “Easy”. Throughout the years, bars transformed to choruses and verses, as Caye honed his vocal control, range, and his now signature falsetto. In addition to producing all his own records, Caye has continued to hone his sound by producing for Alessia Cara, Meghan Trainor, and Abhi the Nomad. In 2020, he set out on an artistic exploration, traveling to remote regions of California with his instruments, art supplies, and a band of like-minded creatives. The last 2+ years have culminated in a full-length LP that thrives on headphones and speakers but is best experienced when improvised live—in the same method it was written. Grounded in his love for the steel drum, We Love explores Caye’s excellence across instruments that create music that’s emotionally engaging and spectacularly cinematic. 2022 promises to be his biggest year yet, which will introduce his expansive new sound to his ever-growing audience. The full album, We Love, will be released as singles, with a new one out each month for the rest of the year. He intends to continue spreading inspiration and building his reputation, with live shows beginning early in 2023. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com . www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #Caye #LoseSleep #NewMusic #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB https://www.bringinitbackwards.com/follow/ Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! https://www.facebook.com/groups/bringinbackpod

[armandyke]

if I uploaded chapter 9 but it was just the lyrics to every song in the album kick up the fire and let the flames break loose by the cooper temple clause do you think anyone would notice

[truthoradair101]

OK YALL I HAD A REALIZATION YES IT IS FOUR AM AND I REDOWNLOADED TUMBLR JUST FOR THIS AND I MAY BE SLEEP DEPRIVED OR I MAY HAVE REALIZED SOMETHING HUGE

These. These incredible albums that nobody ever talks about right????

Written by Gerard Way our KING! HOWEVER

What did he ALSO write? The Umbrella Academy. What do these two things have in common you may be asking? The numbers. So? Well the SO is the weapons. They match up for not one but TWO of them. Number two- Diego (knives) and Number Five- Five (Grenade)

Diego is fairly self explanatory but for those who don’t remember this iconic sequence of events in episode 1x07 (? The day that wasn’t one? I’m going with seven but don’t quote me on that) Five stole grenades from the Handler’s office (to be fair she stole them from history so it’s a wonderful case of karma bitch.) and then proceeded to kill her with them. This is probably one of the only times we see Five truly CHOOSE a weapon, his work with the commission done with guns as most work is, and in the doughnut shop he used what was around him. But this? This took planning. Aka Five is to grenades as Diego is to knives.

So how is this relevant? The other three. I’m pretty sure it’s explored more in the comics, but as for the show, we haven’t seen Luther, Allison, or Klaus REALLY get violent like Diego and Five do. Now.... if this were to be explored. I think maybe the weapons could match up with the characters to some extent. Luther is seen confronting Vanya with a pistol early in season two, but other than that the gun hasn’t been explored, but it really could.

As for Allison, please tell me I’m not the only one that would be so happy to see her use that thing on that album cover that I’m too tired to think of the name for.

And Klaus? Yeah I want to see him go axe throwing and have it go wrong ngl.

As for the MUSIC? Number one tends to be the angstiest? As is Luther a lot of the time the others are just traumatized and depressed but overall we skip their angst.

Number two.... let’s start with ambulance. “You don’t know a thing about this life/ and we are up for everything it takes/ to prove we’re not the same as them/ and we will wear our masks/ again out after dark/ cause we are up for everything it takes.” Diego is definitely a character that we have seen try to prove himself time and time again throughout both seasons. He turns into a vigilante and is the ONLY one who keeps up the masks in his work. And why? He’s trying to prove he’s worth something, yes, but also that he’s NOT like his DAD.

Number three is the sad one. This reflects much more of Allison in season one I think. It’s more about the beauty in sadness in my eyes, and I think it has to do with her relationship with Claire, especially in the second half of the season. As the world ends, it’s all about her daughter and seeing her go through that is an emotional rollercoaster.... much like the conflicting sides of number three.

I’m really too tired to do a deep dive into numero cuatro but the one thing my brain is linking is Klaus in the VERY first episode(s) to kiss the ring, which is just like YAY! THE KING IS GONE BE GAY DO CRIME! (Not the be gay part as much but it’s fun to say so there you go). This... is Klaus in the beginning especially need I say more.

Number five to me is really like the rallying anthems of the album (? Is it considered one? We’re going with it). And WHO is the one that forces everyone together? FIVE! Surrender the night is more about sacrificing things to move forward in life, which Five is trying to do by preventing all the many apocalypses caused by his poor siblings.

Anyways that’s my very deep dive into parallels between conventional weapons and the Umbrella Academy. The game is did this make sense or am I just tired? I’m hoping the answer is both but anyways in short conventional weapons is underrated and beautiful anddddd I think may foreshadow the future of the Umbrella Academy. Or I’m just losing it because I’m running off of no sleep and it’s exam week. Pick your poison.

[louisupdates]

Concert Roundup: Directioners rejoice as Louis Tomlinson finally tours solo

Postponing a tour is never ideal, especially if the tour is for an artist’s debut solo album. After almost two years, Louis Tomlinson was finally able to kickstart his very long-awaited “Louis Tomlinson World Tour,” and performed to a sold out crowd of 2,800 on Mar. 10 at Fox Theater in Oakland, CA as his third to last showing in the United States.

Tomlinson is a world renowned British popstar, who first started when he joined four other teenagers in creating the internationally loved band, One Direction. After the band’s indefinite hiatus in 2016, Louis has been creating his own music as a solo artist. It’s safe to say that while the chapter of One Direction might have closed, the fans never left.

On the day of the show, fans started lining up outside the venue at 4 a.m. for the prime spots, leaving the line twisted around buildings and nearby restaurants. Never underestimate the dedication of Tomlinson’s fanbase. They became a big part of the show in so many ways, passing out their homemade posters with Tomlinson’s lyrics for a fan project and giving out pride flags to hold up throughout the show. There was this joyous, wildly inclusive and non-judgmental atmosphere created by Tomlinson and his fans where everyone simply felt safe and free.

Before Tomlinson took the stage, Sunroom, a band originally from San Diego, took the position as the opening act. Their music embodied all the feelings of carefree, sunny Southern California beach days. The group consists of four, 20ish-year-old guys who looked like they were just playing music for their friends out of their garage (in the best way). Their influence of ‘60s rock music served as the perfect start to an electric night.

After hours of anticipation, Tomlinson finally made his way to the stage with a backing band, a giant lit up smiley face behind him, and his microphone. “Louis Tomlinson World Tour” was everything.

He started his 90-minute set with “We Made It,” from his 2020 debut album, “Walls,” which seemed to encapsulate every feeling from the buildup of the delayed tour. The audience was clearly VERY excited with Tomlinson’s presence; it seemed there wasn’t a second where the crowd wasn’t screaming as loud as they possibly could.

“You guys are f***ing mental. You have to be the loudest show yet,” Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson ran through his debut album with songs such as “Two of Us,” “Always You,” “Habit,” “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart,” “Defenceless,” and “Only the Brave.” Not only did Tomlinson’s performance and vocals prove his hard work has more than paid off, but he also proved to be an outstanding songwriter. His writing game is truly something else.

With just one album, he included steller covers of Kings of Leon’s “Beautiful War” and Catfish and the Bottlemen’s “7,” as well as his recently unreleased song “A Copy of a Copy of a Copy.” Tomlinson also gave his fans the One Direction content they desperately needed. He wasn’t shy to embrace where he got his start, and looked equally as thrilled as the audience when “Drag Me Down,” “Little Black Dress” and “Through the Dark,”’ made an appearance in the setlist. The nostalgia and love that flowed through the venue was especially apparent as the crowd very loudly sang the backup vocals to their forever favorite 1D songs.

What was most surprising was the way Tomlinson was able to make his large audience feel small. It was so personal. This concert was a rare blend of entertainment that did not once feel choreographed or rehearsed. Between Tomlinson’s unmistakable Doncaster accent and flipping off fans (a true act of endearment for Louis fans), he would also take time to individually acknowledge and interact with certain people in the audience. He even giggled and shook his head when reading a sign that said “please hit me with your tour bus.”

The concert came to its end and Tomlinson delivered an insane final performance of “Kill My Mind” with his band completely rocking out in unison with the flashing red lights. As he ran off the stage leaving the crowd in tears and shock, there was no doubt that he accomplished an exceptional debut solo tour.

[melisa-may-taylor72]

Accolades such as “greatest single long-playing achieve­ment since Sgt. Pepper” and “the most important record album ever made” fall over Queen’s latest album as easily as butter melt­ing on a hot potato—but few realize what a hot potato the album actually was in its pre-release days. It took a bevy of high-powered attorneys, some low-life finagling, and more than the usual amount of wheeler­dealing just to get the album out without its being hacked to death by defamation-of-character suits.

Guitarist Brian May explains: “I’m in real difficulty here because I’ve been threatened with libel because our old management had a good go at stop­ping the album coming out. They thought “Death on Two Legs’’ was about them. They wanted us to take the track off and we nearly had to, and in fact they got a load of money out of our publishing company be­cause it supposedly was libelous, but it’s never been proven. It’s all very stupid—they wanted to sue Freddie, the band, the publishing company, and the record company.”

All very dramatic stuff, but a band like Queen survives not on operatic finesse alone, but on gut-level melo- dramatics in the business department as well. When you produce your rec­ords, write the songs, play all the in­struments, and do everything your­self, chances are you’re going to have to pay some legal dues, too. But ah! the rewards—such as the single, “Bo­hemian Rhapsody,” hanging into the #1 spot in the British charts for seven weeks in a row!

“We’re a bit more in the public eye now, we’re starting to get recognized a lot more,” says Brian May. “We’re carrying on working just as we did before, but obviously we’re very pleas­ed with how the record’s doing. It’s sold more than a million copies in England— can’t believe it.” But it’s true: Queen’s stature in England has risen from that of The #1 teenage hard rock band to that of the-group- that-made-the-single-that-every-house- wife-knows-by-heart”.

What propelled Queen in that di­rection is their Night at the Opera album, a slight departure from what Queen fans know to be the Queen sound. The hard rock screams have temporarily subsided, replaced by ex­perimentation with different voicings of instruments and production tricks. Those who found Queen’s approach overdecibelled can relax to the quiet “ ‘39” or “Good Company” and tap their feet to “Lazing on a Sunday Af­ternoon” without fear of being gui- tarred to death. “It’s just what came out,” says Brian. “They’re offshoots of our main direction. There’s plenty of time for the rock.”

“The album wasn’t really supposed to go in the direction that it did, it was just the songs we had. While we were making it we were thinking, ‘Yeah, it is getting a bit light,’ but rather than fight against it we de­cided to do it properly and then think again afterwards. So instead of try­ing to heavy up the lighter things, we pressed on. We had a few things we didn’t use, but we’re getting more demanding of ourselves. There are a few heavy things kicking around, but we may use them on the next record.”

The two strongest forces in Queen have always been Brian and Freddie. With A Night at the Opera, where experimentation and branching out in new directions are the most obvious characteristics, the personalities of the band are often obscured by the newly emerging elements. “Some­times I feel that Freddie and I are going in different directions, but then he’ll come up with something and I’ll think, ‘My God—we do think alike.’ When I’m working on one of his things I can tune in very easily to what guitar part he wants, and vice-versa. In terms of what we’re trying to do in songs, we are moving in different directions, but I think that could be a good thing.”

QUEEN II: Critical response to the band is now almost unanimous­ly favorable in both Great Britain and the United States, which is quite phe­nomenal when you stop and think of how anxious many critics were to pan them two years ago.“I’m not going to take it too seriously,” Brian says, “because I remember what the critics said about Queen II. It would seem that everybody is beginning to like us. … very much. I can take it at that level, but there’s no doubt in my mind that sometime in the future there’ll come a time when we get slagged for everything. Queen II is still my favorite of the Queen albums, certainly the most daring. Especially for the time. I think we’re still finding our feet now, and the way I feel about the new album is that we’re searching for new directions and most of them are sort of half-formed. We’ve got the Queen II feel in some places, and in others we’ve got the Sheer Heart Attack polish. I don’t think we’re quite sure where we’re going”.

“This album, at the very least, ne­gates all the comparisons to Led Zep­pelin that we’ve been living with for the past three years. I think Physical Graffiti is amazing, by the way. I saw Zeppelin at Earls Court, and I met Pagey afterward, for the first time. It was great, he was very nice and gentle. I respect him a tremendous amount for “Kashmir” and “The Light,” for being able to put his brain on record—- it wouldn’t matter if he couldn’t play a note.”

Economic criticism has been less favorable, however. A Night at the Opera was wide­ly rumored to be “the most expensive album ever made” when it was released, a point which Queen’s management denies. Nevertheless, Queen has been taken to task by quite a few English journalists for spending so much money estimated at £30-40,000—making one record. Brian has a retort: “We wouldn’t have spent so much money if the studios weren’t so bloody expensive!

The album was recorded in seven of them, sometimes three at once.” We weren’t mucking about for any of it, it was four months of solid work. It came down to having the equipment available for four months, and we didn’t begrudge the amount of time spent in the studios, but it comes to a fair amount of money. There’s a lot of things that seem light, like “Good Company,” which actually took a great deal of time and care. All those trumpets and clarinets being fashioned from guitar sounds—I took it quite seriously because I wanted to do it right, even though it was a light­hearted thing. We worked too hard for our own health, we got a bit down and depressed.”

While Queen was laying about England between record and tour, a few of them got going on some independent projects. Brian and Roger produced an R&B group’s single, but there were some record company hassles and it may be some time before the record gets released. And on the eve of the Amer­ican tour, Freddie Mercury went into the studios with a singer/songwriter managed by the Rocket Organization (which manages Queen as well) to try his hand at production. “Eddie How­ells is the guy’s name, and he’s man­aged by David Mead, and they’re do­ing a single for Warners. I’m play­ing some guitar on it.” Brian re­strained himself from going out on any limbs before the American tour in order to get himself physically fit. His health had been a crucial prob­lem on an earlier American tour, and he’s not particularly anxious to spend time in hospitals when he could be on­stage instead. “I actually get more tired offtour than ontour,”he admits. But I am in good health.”

HAIRY LEGS: Once the English leg of the tour did get started, word started to flow very quickly back to the States about Queen’s dramatic stage show—a stage show to end all stage shows, with Mercury donning short-shorts to add a bit of the hairy leg to Queen’s otherwise pristeen pre­sentation. “The show is the same, but different,” Brian says confusedly. “We’ve merely developed what we did before with some new material from the new album. It’s a bit of re­shuffling. Plus we do “Doing All- right” from the first album, which we’ve never done onstage before. And “Seven Seas of Rhye,” which we’d do in England but never in America be­fore. It’s quite a lot different, ac­tually.”

American audiences got their first chance to sample the new presenta­tion on January 27 in Waterbury, Conn., when the first concert of Queen’s scheduled 32-date, 21-city American tour got underway in the Palace Theatre. After arriving in the States at Kennedy International on January 20 and spending a couple of days in New York for interviews, Queen began five days of rehearsals at the Palace to ready their show for American fans across the country.

After Waterbury they dove headfirst into the intensive six-week tour, which featured extended runs in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles before its scheduled end March 12 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Despite the novel direction of the new album, onstage Queen proved to be the same rocking outfit they’ve always been, letting loose with the same kind of guitar-bass-drums-piano barrage they’ve delivered in the past. “We don’t do “39” or “Lazing on aSunday Afternoon” in our show,“ Brian explains. He seems a bit defensive of Queen’s rock spirit, which is kept intact in the live set by “BohemianRhapsody,” “Sweet Lady,” “Prophet Song” and the deletion of the “experimental tunes” from A Night At the Opera.

By the by, those who missed Queenon earlier tours but want to see how they’ve changed now have the means. Queen bave joined the prestigious ranks of the Zeppelins, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones whereby sorne illegal entrepreneur has issued a boot­ leg album of one of their American concerts. “I hate those things-they rarely give an accurate picture of the group,” Brian states unequivocally, and in this case he’s right. The Queen bootleg has transistor radio fidelity, and the only truly audible members of the band are Brian and Freddie. Yet the fact that a bootleg exists confirms the fact that Queen is now well on their way to the top.

CIRCUS MAGAZINE, APRIL 1975

@natromanxoff, @mephisto92, @moviestorian, @x5vale, @39-brian, @onegoldenglance, @crosmopolitan, @an-abyss-called-life, @his-majesty-king-mercury, @i-live-for-queen, @brian-39-may, @toomuchlove-willkillyou, @brimaymay, @sail-away-sweet-sister, @drummerqueenrmt, @old-fashioned-roger-boy-deactiv, @briianmaay, @l-over-bo-y, @inui-mycroft, @deacytits, @iminlovewithrogscar, @drowseoftaylor, @brianmayislongaway, @balticlover, @astrophysicist-guitar-god​, @miez-lakatz, @brianmayoucease, @jesus-in-a-life-boat, @roger-taylors-car, @silapril, @sherrifanciesfriskyfreddie, @tenderbri, @brianmydear, @thosequeenboys, @millionairewaltz-carpediem, @painandpleasure86, @bribrifrenchfry, @xlucylennonx, @a-night-at-the-abbey-road, @inthedayswhenlandswerefew, @madformeddowstaylor, @queenrogertaylorfan, @let-roger-get-a-lunch, @queen-for-life, @rethought, @darlinginnuendo, @mymakeupmaybeflaking, @old-but-still-a-child, @let-roger-get-a-lunch, @warriorteam1924, @funnydressesweirdhairanddance, @painkiller80, @thefanhuman13, @yourtieddownmother, @hgmercury39, @brimi-stardust, @thefairyfellermercury, @retroromantics, @foxmonkey, @sophiaintheskywithdiamonds, @holybrianmaywritingbear, @lydiannode, @39-yellow-daffodils , @ure-gonna-loveme-when-u-seeme, @kaykaybeachgirl, @rhysjoejoshtomfarisblog @redspecialandclogsandcurls, @briansrainbowsocks, @delilahmay39, @ohmybribri, @bless-the-queen, @infunitehearbeat, @sketchiesscketches, @everythingaboutfreddie, @doitforthevine67, @recordsoftheseventies, @tenementfunsterwithpurpleshoes, @drummah-in-a-rocknroll-band, @beatlegirl1968, @maylorsqueen, @shearrehartatacc, @gralto, @alittlepeoplemagic, @rainbowsockbrian, @sailawaysweetbrimi

[vfdarkness]

AVFD Script - S2EP03 The Forgotten Man

[[Intro]]

You’re at a bus stop and your bus is late.

Finally, it pulls up, you step aboard, and for a brief moment… 

the driver’s facial features - their eyes, nose, mouth are in all the wrong places. 

As you stare, their face quickly rearranges itself to appear more normal. More human.

The door closes. There’s no one else in the vehicle.

You need my help.

[[AVFD intro music kicks in]]

This is A Voice From Darkness.

[[AVFD intro music fades out]]

Hello, this is Dr. Malcolm Ryder, parapsychologist, here to help you with all problems paranormal, supernatural, and otherworldly. And we have a wonderful show planned for tonight. There’s two national alerts for the state of Florida - one for the panhandle, and another for the everglades. After we go over these we’ll explore one of the strangest roadside attractions in American history. And of course we’ll finish our show with the phone lines open so you, our listeners, can call-in. But first, let's get to our national alerts

[[National Alerts music starts]]

A sinkhole has appeared in the middle of Kelson Ave in Marianna, Florida. The hole’s depth is currently unknown however twenty feet down, stone carvings of faces appear. The carvings continue for as far down as anyone can tell. Each is unique yet is made to grotesquely express either the emotion of fear or that of delight. A spelunker descended into the hole to gather information about its depth. Two hours into his descent contact was lost and he was pulled out. When he resurfaced he was said to be in a daze. He removed his harness and immediately jumped back into the hole. Please be careful while driving on Kelson, Ave in Marianna, Florida. 

Our second national alert is for the Florida Everglades. The Singing has returned to the wetlands. All those in the area are advised to wear hearing protection for at least the next 72 hours or until otherwise instructed. The source of The Singing is unknown but is said to compel all who hear it to walk into the wetlands and be devoured by the creatures there-in. Again, please wear hearing protection if you’re within earshot of the Florida Everglades.

And that’s all we have for national alerts this evening. 

[[NA music fades out]]

Next up we have Today In Odd America, where we’ll discuss a manifestation that once haunted every corner of this land. And afterwards we’ll open the phone-lines.

[[Today In Odd America]]

Today in Odd America we find ourselves across the highways of our country. Forty four years ago today marks the last known visit to a roadside attraction commonly called The House of Narcissus. No physical evidence of this place exists. It was never found in the same location twice - yet hundreds of oral testimonies swear to its existence. Tonight I will cobble together disparate accounts from those who claim to have toured the fabled roadside museum. My hope is this will paint you a picture of what the experience was like for those who wound up touring a space dedicated completely to themselves. 

“I was driving down Route 8,” Maise Bridges stated to the Columbus Dispatch in 1955. “It was late and dark. No other cars were on the road. Then I saw it - a billboard illuminated by a single dim light that read: Know Thyself, Next Exit. No other words. But next to them, taking up the entirety of the right side was a painted picture - of me. Unmistakably me. Done in a sort of… Norman Rockwell style I suppose. I just… What was I supposed to do? Of course I took the next exit.” 

All descriptions of The House of Narcissus begin this way. A strange billboard on a lonely road, mere seconds to decide to take the exit or not. Oddly, there are few confirmed cases of those who saw the billboard and kept driving. It’s impossible to say if that says something overall about human nature or merely the people The House chose to manifest for.

“I was overwhelmed when I first drove up to the house,” Curtis Johnson said to the Louisville Times in 1948. “I’m not ashamed to admit it, but I might have cried a bit. I mean the place was just, just magnificent. Out there, in the middle of this grassy field, in the middle of nowhere there’s this small piece of heaven, you know? I didn’t feel like I was about to tour some cheap-o roadside scam where they show you a mannequin in a five dollar gorilla suit and tell you it’s Bigfoot. I felt like I was home. Of course I rushed right outta my car up to the door. Why wouldn’t I? I was home.”

Descriptions of the museum are typically left vague. Abstract. At least when describing the exterior. Visitors will speak of the joy they felt upon seeing the house. Often they’ll say a sense of nostalgia or homecoming overwhelmed them. However no one was ever able to give a single concrete detail of what The House looked like. How many stories were there? What color was the siding? What the house looks like remains a mystery to this day. But there’s much agreement about its interior. At least in some respects.

“There’re no employees, no turnstyle to go through, nothing like a museum or roadside attraction typically has. You just go in the front door, and you’re suddenly there - in the first room. It’s filled with photographs along the walls. They were all of my family, friends, neighbors, teachers, former classmates, folks from my church, employers, co-workers. People I might have talked to only once in passing. None of these were photos I took or remember anyone else ever taking. None are in any photo album I own,” said Judge Michael Harvester in 1972, when he called into the KIRT radio station of Olympia, Washington. 

The Photo Gallery is always the first room visitors find themselves in. Under each photo is a brass plaque, on which a single sentence is etched: the last words said by whomever is touring the house to the person featured in the photograph.

Even this first room can be disarming to a visitor. As Judge Harvester said: “You don’t realize how many people you speak to, thinking you’ll do so again, but then never do. It adds up over a life. It really does. I didn’t look at all the pictures, or read all the plaques. I had to stop after awhile. I saw one in particular… the last words I said to an old neighbor of mine, lived a few houses away from the place I bought right after law school. Me, him, and some of the guys down the block would get together to play poker twice a month. Last thing I said to him, ‘I’ll see you in a few weeks.’ I don’t remember what happened after that. I guess the poker game fell apart. I don’t think either of us moved, I don’t remember us getting into any fights. But I never spoke to him again. And that’s just one example. People like to call that first room the photo gallery, and that makes sense, I guess. But that’s not what it is. It’s a monument. A monument to lost relationships.”

Most visitors to The House expressed regret coming there at all after visiting this first room. Unfortunately, the way they entered disappears after entry - replaced by a wall filled with photographs. Once you enter, The House forces you to continue through the rooms. That is, if you wish to leave.

“The second room was a full scale replica of my childhood home,” said Sara Lopez to the San Diego Tribune in 1966. “All five rooms of our house back on Balboa Avenue. “I went through the cabinets in the kitchen. The dishes… they were identical to ones we had. There were these little hand drawn designs on them. They’re abstract, hard to describe, but the plates in that museum. They matched perfectly how I remembered them. It was impossible.” Most statements regarding the second room share similar amazement at the level of detail on even the most insignificant items - stains on the carpet, entryways scuffed and dirty from children’s shoes. “What really got me about the second room, “Sara Lopez said, “were the smells. The kitchen had this overwhelming odor of garlic and cumin, spices my mother put in everything. The carpet near the entryway smelled like wet dog. Our lab, Daisy, would run through our neighbors sprinkler then come inside, right to that patch of carpet, and roll around. Little things like that, I’d forgotten about completely. Hadn’t thought of in years, but suddenly a million memories came rushing back to me.”

The average visitor reported spending somewhere between four to five hours in The House of Narcissus. There were outliers of course, in both directions. Some, after seeing the photo gallery, ran through the other rooms without lingering. Others claimed to have spent days and only left when they were near dehydration.

There are dozens of other rooms in The House. Too many to go over tonight. But I’ll end by stating what’s in the only obligatory room, the last room. The room with the only way out.

At the very end of a long hallway is a plain wooden door with a small sign above that reads: What if…

Inside is a small movie theatre. There’s a single red cushioned seat in the room with the perfect view of a small screen. To the right of the screen is a door with an exit sign above. The door will not open unless the visitor sits down in the chair and watches, truly watches and listens, to the film that plays in that small theatre.

“On the day of what was supposed to be my wedding I called my best friend - my bridesmaid. I cried and I gave her the awful job of telling my husband-to-be I’d changed my mind,” said Tonya Blanton to the Sante Fe Dispatch in 1958. “I was living in Minneapolis at the time. Born there, was to be married there, figured I’d die there eventually too. I don’t know what overcame me. But I got in my car and drove. Found myself in New Mexico and started a new life. My parents were furious. And I never spoke to the man who was to be my husband ever again. He sent me a letter when I’d settled in Santa Fe. I wasn’t brave enough to open it. But in that last room. In that last room of that awful house - a film played. It showed what my life would have been had I stayed in Minneapolis. I won’t… I won’t say what all I saw. What all I missed out on. All I’ll say is I know I made the wrong choice. I’ve thought about that every single day since visiting that terrible place.”

Tonya Blanton is not a unique case. Chicago journalist Studs Terkel in his book The American Road: An Oral History devoted a chapter to The House of Narcissus. He conducted over twenty interviews with those who'd toured the roadside wonder. When asked if they could change places and live the life they saw in that last room - would they? Every person he interviewed said they would.

The House of Narcissus only existed for some sixty odd years. The last known visit occurred in 1977, outside of Spring Green, Wisconsin. “People say I must’ve burned the place down or something,” Buddy Palmer, the last recognized visitor, said to the Madison Gazette in 1980. “I didn’t, I swear,” he went on, “but if I had some matches and kerosene on me, would I of? Sure thing. No one should ever be forced to watch the movie that plays in that last room. I’ll think of that picture the rest of my life. I’ll know I messed up early on and I’m not living my best, happiest life. You know how hard it is to get out of the bed in the morning with that hanging over you? Sometimes that movie plays in my dreams. I usually gotta call in sick to work the next day when it does. I just can’t stop thinking about it. The rest of the place too… it’s just... Just too much.”

For those of you listening to this while driving alone, rest assured, you’re unlikely to see a billboard with your own face staring back at you and the words: Know Thyself, Next Exit. But in the rare chance such an event occurs, please consider my advice: don’t take that exit. Just keep driving. There are some truths about ourselves perhaps better left unexplored.

And now back to our main show.

[[TIOA music fades out]]

​​ACT II

RYDER

And we're back and we already have a caller on the line. Why don't you tell us your name and the nature of your supernatural problem.

RENE

Hello, Malcolm. I was wondering if we'd ever get the chance to speak again.

RYDER

(uncertain)

I don't recognize your voice. Have you called into the show before?

RENE

A few times, yes. And we met once or twice in person.

A beat.

RYDER

Who is this?

RENE

My name is Rene Dupont. And though I've explained this to you before, I will kindly do so again. I exist with a peculiar condition. People can rarely retain memories of me. Not in any form. As this conversation gets to a certain point, I'll begin to vanish from your mind as well as most of your listeners. If you try to write down anything about me during this call, you'll likely only produce gibberish or the vaguest of details.

RYDER

I've read case studies of similar situations. There was a man in Utah-

RENE

(interrupts)

Yes, yes.

Nathaniel Cotwell who lived in a small town that couldn't create new memories of him past the age of eight. And so as an adult they'd still treat him as if he were a young boy. You studied him and Sarah Pullman of Butte, Montana who went missing one night in the woods. When she found her way home again, her family had completely forgotten her.

A beat.

RENE

The few times we've spoken, you've wished to demonstrate knowledge of people who've existed with Memory-related ailments and those are your two most common examples.

RYDER

It seems we have spoken before. Mr. Dupont-

RENE

Please, call me Rene. No need for formalities. We're old acquaintances after all.

RYDER

Yes. Of course. And why have you called into the show tonight, Rene?

RENE

There's been a man following me. Repeatedly.

A beat.

RYDER

(realizing what he means)

And of course that's a difficult task to accomplish, as it's so hard to remember you.

RENE

You're correct. I am Anonymity Incarnate. But there's a man in a grey suit who seems to have found my scent. A further detail about him: he's missing one of his fingers. I'll let you guess which.

RYDER

Why is The Traveling Salesman after you?

RENE

I called you in search of an answer to that very question.

RYDER

In all likelihood he wishes to strike a deal with you. That's why he seeks anyone out. That, or to kill them.

RENE

Let's assume the former for the moment: what sort of deal would he want to make with me?

RYDER

I have no idea. Perhaps he needs information from someone. But he doesn't want this person to know they've given their secrets up. I imagine with your talent that's something you'd be good at.

RENE

Before the wall was destroyed in '89 I was employed on both sides doing something akin to what you just suggested.

A beat.

RYDER

Then that might be what he wants. Or perhaps something more... metaphysical.

RENE

Such as?

RYDER

Your ability to be forgotten. Julian already has some power over memory, but not that.

RENE

Could he really take that from me?

RYDER

Not take. Trade. The Salesman doesn't steal, Rene, but his deals are often one-sided, exploitive, as he'll neglect to tell you pertent information before you agree.

RENE

So he wouldn't really be taking something from me so much as he'd be giving me the gift of being able to be remembered.

A beat.

RYDER

That's a dangerous way of viewing such a deal.

RENE

Dangerous for you, perhaps, but of great advantage to me.

RYDER

It would be dangerous for the whole country for The Traveling Salesman to be easily forgotten. One of the few weapons we have against him are the memories of devastation he's brought about by the deals he's made. The only reason anyone ever turns him down is because his reputation precedes him. Take that away-

RENE

(interrupts)

I have the means and resources to go to many other countries. Julian Holloway can have this one.

RYDER

You'd potentially sacrifice hundreds of millions of people to-

RENE

(interrupts)

To be remembered. And yes, I would. This "talent" of mine came to me when I was young. For most my life I've been unable to have a meaningful relationship with another human being.

To even have an extended conversation. What's my name?

RYDER

Rene...

Malcolm searches his mind for the surname.

RYDER

Rene Dupont.

RENE

You're close to forgetting already, Malcolm Ryder.

A beat.

RENE

If I made a deal with your friend for him to take this power away, you'd never even know.

RYDER

The Traveling Salesman is not my friend.

RENE

If your former friend might help me where no one else could before, including yourself, then I would take him up on his offer.

RYDER

That is if he even wants to help you. He could be searching for you, as I already said, to kill you.

RENE

And why would that be his objective?

RYDER

There are limitations to his power. I don't fully know what they are, but I know they exist.

RENE

Again I ask, why would this necessitate him wanting me dead?

RYDER

Because you possess power in one of his realms - Memory and Dream. And if you have more power than he does, and if he can't use you, or your power, towards his own ends, he'll want you dead. You're a liability otherwise.

A beat.

RENE

You're bluffing. Trying to stoke fear in me so I stay away from him. So I can't make a deal. If what you said was true, your friend Charlotte Price would be dead.

RYDER

Charlotte has found ways to take care of herself. She's forged alliances with things even Julian fears. Have you done the same?

A beat.

RENE

What you're telling me is that I need leverage before I allow Julian Holloway to try and offer a deal to me.

RYDER

That's not what I'm saying at all. Under no circumstances should you attempt to make any deal with him.

RENE

That's not what I took away from this conversation. Thank you so much, Malcolm. As always, you've been helpful.

RYDER

No, wait-

Dial tone.

A long pause.

RYDER

There was someone on the line just now. I swear there was.

I have notes I made, most are illegible which isn't like me. Of what I can read: Shadow, Mirror, Flesh, Spirit, and Dream. I tried to write Memory but it seems my hand was unable to. Odd...

A beat.

RYDER

I think we'll end the show there tonight. I'd like to play back the recording of the past several minutes. See if I can see what I'm missing.

A beat.

RYDER

But if you're experiencing anything supernatural, paranormal, or otherworldly, please feel free to call in next time on A Voice From Darkness.

[[AVFD outro music fades in and out.]]

[carewyncromwell]

Music ask: 33 & 55

33. Your favorite artist from your city/state/country?

Carewyn: "(laughs) Oh, that's easy -- the Beatles!"

((OOC: I actually decided to make Liverpool Carewyn and Jacob's hometown because of one of my favorite songs by Suzanne Vega called In Liverpool, as well as its association with music through its association with the Beatles!

As for me, although Adam Lambert was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, he was largely raised in San Diego, California, which is my hometown!))

55. An album you learned to love after listening to it again and again?

Carewyn: "I acquired a better appreciation for ABBA's work in general, over time. I always thought their work was pretty fluffy and used to think it was funny that Jacob would be such a big fan of them, of all bands...but after he disappeared, I found myself listening to their songs more. And perhaps because I was a bit older, and was missing Jacob as much as I was...I got it a bit more, I guess. Sure, their overall feel is very light and bouncy, but the songs themselves are often more serious than they sound, if you listen to the words -- about break-ups, on-again-off-again relationships...even drifting apart from your significant other."

((OOC: This is probably going to get people chucking stuff at me...but I can actually put Hamilton for this! Yes, I liked it on first listen -- of course I did -- but as much as I loved the history of it all, it took me a while before I really got what Lin-Manuel was doing, with the music genres and references. I was used to thinking of stories set during the Revolutionary War really embracing the aesthetic of that period, the way shows like 1776 do, or even a more operatic style the way Les Miserables depicts its story's setting. It wasn't until Farmer Refuted that it really clicked for me about why this show was using a hip hop and rap-inspired sound to tell this story set in the 18th century -- namely, it was using a fresh, new, dare I say revolutionary music style to speak for the revolutionaries in this story, in contrast to the more "traditional" sound expressed by more conversative voices of Loyalists like Seabury and King George III. And once I got that, I enjoyed the rest of the soundtrack that bit better -- and, of course, listening to the whole thing again multiple times afterwards, I grew more and more admiration for the finished result. I was able to better appreciate the elaborate rhymes and the beautiful echoes of familiar refrains and themes across the musical's score. And yeah, now I truly do think of it as a masterpiece.))

Send Carewyn and me a music ask!