#(their spring tour has the earliest opening show)

[magicmorningmeteora]

The Spring of Departures Has Come

Spring is a season with longtime associations with new beginnings, including those brought about by graduation.

One harsh reality one must live with as a wota is the possibility of your oshi graduating. Be it to pursue a new career path, focus on studies or health, or to retire from entertainment (and hopefully not the mortal plane), there's many a reason for an idol to utter that word.

For Harowota, we will enter summer having seen at least three such idols take part in the ritual.

The spring of departures has come, hasn't it?

So, who's ready for Round 2?!

Note: As you can probably tell, this poll was made before Ichioka Reina's announcement. And Yamazaki Yuhane's.

#hello! project #angerme #juice=juice #tsubaki factory #beyooooonds #uemura akari #sasaki rikako #niinuma kisora #yamazaki yuhane #m3 mysteries #if you're reading this #angerme's spring tour begins in a few hours #(their spring tour has the earliest opening show) #the countdown will start soon #ichioka reina's not here because her departure came after i made this poll #and before the spring tours even began... #never mind yuhane's surprise announcement in early april... #i swear i didn't plan to have this poll come in the shadow of a grad announcement! #i originally made and scheduled this post in JANUARY!

[krispyweiss]

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio, April 21, 2024

As he led the E Street Band through “Twist and Shout,” Bruce Springsteen betrayed a roached voice much as John Lennon had when the Beatles cut their version 60 years earlier.

But, like Lennon’s, Springsteen’s voice benefitted from its battered state - conveying joy and conviction, not exhaustion.

The house lights were on and the heart-stoppin’, pants-droppin’, hard-rockin’, Earth-quakin’, booty-shakin’, love-makin’, Viagra-takin’, history-makin’ - legendary - E Street Band had already been on stage for three hours April 21 as it played its twice-postponed-in-2023 gig inside Columbus, Ohio’s, Nationwide Arena to close the U.S. leg of its 2024 spring tour. Springsteen, who at 74 retains the energy and voice - acrobatic with guttural growls and falsetto cries - of a much-younger man, was sweat-soaked, his tie tucked into his blue shirt, his vest now removed, returned alone to close the show with an acoustic version of “I’ll See You in My Dreams.”

Death is not the end, he sang, while proving the life-affirming nature of live music.

Though the band could’ve phoned it in, the expanded 18-piece - augmented with four-voice choir and five-piece horn section - instead brought a loud hailer, opening the 30-song, 185-minute set with a grimy version of “Youngstown,” the first of a handful of tour debuts that included “Streets of Fire” and “I’m Goin’ Down.” That some songs were slowed by a quarter-step seems to have been the only acknowledgement of age.

So, if these guys are actually taking Viagra, it isn’t because of on-stage impotence. The band is so hot that even relatively weak songs like “Bobby Jean” and “Dancing in the Dark” are splendid in the moment.

A few scattered empty seats did nothing to temper the raucous atmosphere inside the hockey arena. Fans hoisted signs - “I’m Mary, thanks for all the songs” was among the best - and Springsteen sung a line of “Thunder Road” to a woman who’d been dancing furiously in front of the stage all evening, causing her to light up like a strobe. Though there was no crowd surfing during “Hungry Heart” - dude is 74, remember - Springsteen did go into the audience during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” as images of late E Streeters Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici shone on the house video screens.

Back on stage, the living celebrated being alive. Steven Van Zandt played a guitar emblazoned with the Ukraine flag during “No Surrender.” Fellow guitarist Nils Lofgren spun like the Tasmanian Devil as he unspooled his “Because the Night” solo. And Jake Clemons served as Springsteen’s saxophone-blowing foil and conjured Uncle Clarence’s spirit throughout the night, thus garnering some of the crowd’s loudest adulation.

One of those moments came during a religious-experience rendering of “Spirit in the Night,” when Clemons sat on the stage and Springsteen literally leaned on his bandmate. The music temporally settled before exploding like a supernova and the climax. This was the greatest E Street moment Sound Bites has witnessed since the Band reunited for the 1995 Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Last Man Standing,” with Springsteen on acoustic accompanied by trombone, was a nod to his earliest bandmates, all gone now. “Trapped” was a singalong on the choruses. “She’s the One” borrowed the Bo Diddley beat. “Wrecking Ball” transformed the arena into the charismatic church of E Street. “Rosalita (Come out Tonight)” found the group mugging and celebrating with the faithful on a small chunk of stage that jutted into the general-admission pit. And the vaunted “Detroit Medley” once again demonstrated that if you have rock ’n’ roll in your life, your life has the potential to be heaven at any given moment.

Grade card: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Nationwide Arena - 4/21/24 - A

See more photos on Sound Bites’ Facebook page.

4/22/24

#bruce springsteen #bruce springsteen and the e street band #steven van zandt #nils lofgren #neil young & crazy horse #jimmy cliff #2024 concerts #the beatles

[gentlyrowan]

welcome to

THE EMBRACE

The heart and most secure enclave of the Nora tribe is All-Mother Mountain and the surrounding valley, known as All-Mother's Embrace. It's located southwest of Devil's Thirst, which we know from a Vantage Point to be Colorado Springs. I don't know whether any official sources confirm it, but I am strongly of the opinion (and the Horizon Wiki agrees) that All-Mother Mountain is

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN S.P.

The mountain and park are named for the indigenous people group forcibly removed from Colorado's Front Range in the 1860s.

A hundred years later, as a part of Cold War defense efforts, NORAD constructed a hardened facility inside the mountain – specially designed to be resistant to earthquakes, EMP, and nuclear explosions – for use as its command and control center. More recently, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex has additionally become a United States Space Force installation.

Fans of Stargate SG-1 will recognize the iconic entrance to the facility in which the show set the secret location of Stargate Command.

The Cheyenne people's history stretches from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains, with a large and influential role amongst the tribes of North America. Today, they make up two nations: the Northern Cheyenne in Montana and the Southern Cheyenne in Oklahoma.

The Cheyenne language is in the Algonquian language group, but the name Cheyenne derives from a Dakota Sioux exonym (a name given to a people, place, or language from outside that culture).

Learn more about the Cheyenne people here:

The complex is not open to the general public, but you can visit Cheyenne Mountain State Park if you're feeling nostalgic for the beautiful landscape of the earliest sequences of Horizon Zero Dawn.

Bonus "Personal Touch" Tour Guide Anecdote

My favorite thing about this location is how quickly my mom (not a gamer, but a Stargate fan and a word nerd) put it together when I told her this post-post-apocalyptic people group made their home atop a bunker in a mountain and were called the NORA.

1968 Public Domain Photo

#horizon zero dawn #nora sacred land #gaming tourism #horizon landscapes #horizon locations #guerrilla games #nora tribe #all mother #all mother mountain #all mother's embrace #aloy #varl #rost #sona #vala #teb

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Do you think Louis will do his next world tour pretty quickly or do you think there will be a break before that?

(Don’t come for me!)

I am leaning toward a summer-fall 2025 release of LT3, with AFHF 2025 to promote it, so I don’t think tour would start until winter 2025 at the earliest.

I know Louies are hoping for an early spring 2025 album. I think it’s too short of a time for writing/ recording/ engineering, and most of all vinyls to be pressed and distributed, which takes several months after the final engineering.

I don’t think Louis is even done writing the album. It’s pretty ambitious. I think Louis will get arena tours and festivals out of his system, and then really consider what kinds of songs he would like to write next, how he wants to present himself live, what conceptually is possible and what he wants to do differently.

Louis has ~2.6 billion streams on Spotify over 7 years. This number translates to about $650k USA. Of this amount, he might see 30% if he’s lucky (because he writes his own songs). Simple math tells us that Louis can make this amount in 1 or 2 arena shows. Touring is where the money is.

Any profitable artists will write songs with the goal of selling tours in mind. Even if the songs go TikTok viral or get heavy radio rotation, they need to sell tour tickets (yes, it includes artists like Zayn, who invests a lot in his music production but must make most of his money from physical sales and merch, not streams, since he doesn’t tour).

It means that any music project which Louis doesn’t intend to tour (songs he writes just for himself out of creative urge, or for love, or for experimentation) comes out of his own pocket.

Louis can afford the financial cost. However, he can’t afford losing the momentum of building a legitimate solo career— he knows it’s been fits and starts from 2015-2021. AFHF has been enormously helpful in building Louis’ street credibility. He is the only ex-1D member helping young acts achieve visibility at the granular level, and that doesn’t go unnoticed by other artists or by industry in general.

I also think that Louis and Matt Vines are slowly assembling a management/ music label conglomerate that will take 3-4 years to build. It’s not easy to do it while touring, but they’re doing step by step, always looking for opportunities to learn (working with Pete Doherty to launch Andrew Cushin, investing in Open Stage). Louis is serious about this goal.

[leaderlocalgaragedoorca]

Great Things to Do in Sacramento CA

Sacramento is one of the most underrated and overlooked cities in California, teeming with a plethora of attractions, landmarks and hidden gems that have earned it a reputation as a little-known city of culture, food, entertainment and adventure. From world-famous breweries to Michelin-starred eateries, there’s a wealth of fun things to do in this capital city that will leave you wanting to come back time and again!

Old Sacramento

The heart of the Gold Rush era, this historic district has been beautifully restored, replete with charmingly quaint shops, restaurants and historic buildings. It’s also home to a number of museums, including the California State Railroad Museum depicting the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, one of the country’s earliest technological feats.

Sutter’s Fort

A hive of history, this National Historic Landmark is a must-visit for any history buff or anyone who enjoys stepping back in time. With life-sized reenactments and a range of historical structures from blacksmiths to weaving stations, this park is packed with captivating detail that’ll have you immersed in a storied era like never before!

Crocker Art Museum

The Crocker Art Museum is a Sacramento institution that boasts an extensive and impressive collection, with a heavy emphasis on local and Californian art. This venerable gallery is home to an array of paintings and sculptures, although the coveted ceramic collection typically steals the show.

Sutter’s Fort

Located close to downtown, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is an authentic and immersive look into the California Gold Rush era. With a range of historic buildings and museums, this park is one of the best things to do in Sacramento for history-lovers.

B Street Theatre

The B Street Theatre is a must-visit for theater lovers and those who love live performances. It’s a thriving cultural hub and offers an array of great shows, from classic dramas to musicals and comedies.

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

A reimagined 19th-century mansion, this church is an iconic piece of architecture that’s been a spiritual center in Sacramento for over a century. The Neoclassical design and enchanting stained-glass windows create an inviting, ethereal atmosphere.

Tours are offered most days but may be canceled on occasion, as the mansion is often used for state functions and to host international dignitaries.

Taking in the beauty of the city’s landmarks on foot is an easy way to spend an afternoon exploring Sacramento. Whether you opt to hike along the Capitol Mall or simply stroll around the city’s most popular parks, it’s an ideal way to see the city in a new light.

The California State Railroad Museum

During the summer months, this iconic attraction is open for visitors to take a ride aboard a vintage steam locomotive or a modern diesel train. The museum is a great place to learn about the role that railroads played in the development of the state, and its exhibits are filled with fascinating information about the broader history of California.

You’ll find several displays on the Transcontinental Railroad and the construction of railroad lines throughout the US, with an emphasis on the impact that early immigrants had on this important industry. There’s also a section devoted to Native American artifacts, highlighting the ways in which the native tribes shaped this region and its people.

Garage Door Service - What You Need to Know

Garage Door Service is a very important part of your home maintenance. Not only does it keep you safe, but it also increases the value of your home!

When your garage door won't open by itself, it could be a sign that something isn't working correctly. Whether it's a mechanical issue, a problem with your remote, or a glitch with the radio frequencies used by the opener, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem and get it fixed.

A broken spring or cable can make it impossible for the door to move. You'll need to contact a professional for garage door repair, as it might be necessary to replace the spring or cable.

The opener motor: A garage door opener's electric motor is the power source that can raise and lower the door, and a sensor helps ensure it opens and closes properly. It's also able to stop the door in its tracks if there's an object in its path.

It can also be programmed to open and close at a set time, so that you don't have to worry about the garage door opening when you're away from home or on vacation. You can even use voice controls to open and close the door with Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant.

If you're in a hurry, it may be easier to simply pull the emergency release cord toward the garage door and lift it manually. Then you can reconnect the cord to the opener when you have the power back on.

Rail segment: Most garage doors have rail segments that connect the rail of the door to the track of the automatic opener. These rail segments are designed to last for a certain amount of time, but they can be replaced if they become damaged or worn down from years of use.

Leader Local Garage Door 2335 Natomas Park Dr, 2201, Sacramento, CA 95833 [phone] https://local.leaderlocalgaragedoor.com/ca/garage-doors-sacramento-area

#Garage Door Repair #Overhead Door Repair #Garage Door Installation

[ledenews]

The Wheeling CVB Dives Deeper into Downtown Investments

(Editor's Note: This blog was published this week by the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau. The publishers with LEDE News wanted to re-publish the piece today because of the importance of the project on the corner of 10th and Main streets.) By: Jeremy Morris Earlier this year, the Wheeling CVB announced its purchase of the former Wheeling Inn property, a long-time hotel, and lounge adjacent to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge. The announcement marks another significant financial investment the CVB has made into Wheeling’s downtown. Considered by many an eyesore, the once brilliant example of mid-20th-century motel architecture has seen better days. And the CVB’s purchase is being championed as an excellent opportunity to reclaim part of Wheeling’s story. “Honestly, it is sacred ground,” says Wheeling Historian Margaret Brennan, “We know the earliest European settlers were buried in that area.” And before that time, we know that the Ohio River and Wheeling Creek confluence served many purposes for Native Peoples. The remains from the frontier anglo-cemetery were eventually moved south of Wheeling Creek to make way for the development of Wheeling as more than a frontier outpost. Strategic Economic Leadership Frank O’Brien Wheeling-Ohio County CVB Executive Director, acknowledges hospitality is a competitive industry, “But it is strong partnerships among the players that build better tourism products.” O’Brien and his staff have become astute at inserting themselves in the pole position of large partnerships that steer the community in new directions. In 2009, after a lengthy planning process, the Wheeling CVB stepped forward to purchase The Capitol Theatre and save the historical structure from vacancy and neglect. With millions now invested in the fabled entertainment venue, the city once again hosts touring Broadway, Wheeling Symphony, and national touring concerts. The theatre even transforms into a church every Sunday. Triangle of Hospitality and Entertainment The former Wheeling Inn property has been a hotspot for hospitality since the early days of Wheeling. Boarding houses and restaurants have always established themselves near the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, as it marked a noteworthy jumping-off point during our nation’s Westward Expansion. For much of the 20th Century, the intersection of 10th Street and Main was the pinnacle of entertainment in the city (and perhaps West Virginia). The Capitol Theatre, Bridge Tavern, and the Wheeling Inn property were a triangle of economic activity. Patrons visiting from around the world would eat, drink and revel at the restaurants before ducking into the theatre for a legendary Wheeling Jamboree show. Much of the after-performance revelry continued into the wee hours every weekend. A New Gateway for Downtown Plans for the site remain in the imagination and strategizing phase. However, demolition of the Inn will commence once other construction projects in that block of downtown are complete later this Spring. In recent years there has been considerable investment in the northern end of downtown. The Bridge Tavern has seen a rehabilitation that opened its upper floors for downtown living, while the Tavern has new ownership with a slightly different feel. Additionally, a 46-unit apartment building is under construction next door to the Tavern. And other properties in the vicinity are under rehabilitation or on the market for purchase. The redevelopment of the Inn property will provide a dramatic gateway into downtown with picturesque views of the National Historic Landmark, Wheeling Suspension Bridge, and Ohio River. The Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau is a 501(C)6 non-profit organization entirely funded by the WV hotel occupancy tax and is an accredited member of the West Virginia Association of CVBs. The mission of the Wheeling-Ohio County CVB is “to enhance and develop tourism in Wheeling/Ohio County by marketing the area as a premier leisure and business travel destination, and to drive economic success and positively impact the quality of life in Wheeling/Ohio County.” Read the full article

[brn1029]

On this date in the past in music history…

May 25th

1961 - The Temperance Seven

The Temperance Seven were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'You're Driving Me Crazy', their only UK No.1 single. The song gave producer George Martin his first No.1.

1965 - Sonny Boy Williamson

Blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, Sonny Boy Williamson died in his sleep. Van Morrison, Aerosmith, The Who, The Animals, Yardbirds and Moody Blues all covered his songs. According to the Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods, touring the UK in the 60s, Sonny Boy set his hotel room on fire while trying to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator.

1967 - Procol Harum

Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' entered the UK chart for the first time, where it went on to become a No.1 hit. 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' became the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK (as of 2009). The first video for the song was shot in the ruins of Witley Court in Worcestershire, England. Directed by Peter Clifton whose insertion of Vietnam War newsreel footage caused it to be banned from airplay on the Top Of The Pops TV show. The band subsequently made another video.

1967 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd appeared at the Gwent Constabulary ('A' Division) Spring Holiday Barn Dance, held at The Barn, Grosmont Wood Farm in Cross Ash, Wales, UK.

1968 - Simon and Garfunkel

Simon And Garfunkel scored their second US No.1 album with 'Bookends'. The album featured four US singles: 'A Hazy Shade of Winter', 'At the Zoo', 'Fakin' It' and 'Mrs Robinson'.

1969 - The Who and Led Zeppelin

The Who and Led Zeppelin appeared at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland, USA. This was the only time the two group's ever appeared together, with Zeppelin opening the show. On the tickets Led Zeppelin was spelt Lead Zeppelin.

1973 - Carole King

Carole King played a concert in New York's Central Park, which attracted an audience of 100,000.

1974 - Rick Wakeman

Rick Wakeman became the first member of the group Yes to have a No.1 UK album when 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth' went to the top of the charts.

1985 - Dire Straits

Dire Straits scored their second UK No.1 album with 'Brothers In Arms', also No.1 in the US and 24 other countries. 'Brothers In Arms' was one of the first albums to be directed at the CD market, and was a full digital recording (DDD) at a time when most popular music was recorded on analog equipment. The album won two Grammy Awards at the 28th Grammy Awards, and also won Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards, and has gone on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide.

1995 - Mick Jagger

The earliest known recording of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, from 1961, was sold at Christies in London for £50,250 ($85,425).

1997 - Elvis Presley

A report showed that Elvis Presley was now the world's bestselling posthumous entertainer with worldwide sales of over one billion, over 480 active fan clubs and an estimated 250,000 UK fans who still buy his records. Ironically he had died owing $3 million (£1.76 million).

1997 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan was diagnosed as suffering from histoplasmosis pericarditis, a fungal infection of the lung, and was admitted to hospital he stayed until June 2nd. Having just turned 56, Dylan later admitted: 'I really thought I'd be seeing Elvis soon'. Treated by drugs and rest, Bob was back on the road only 10 weeks later, for 22 American and Canadian shows.

2005 - The Rolling Stones

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office in California announced that it was officially closing the stabbing case of Meredith Hunter, the 18-year-old American who was killed at the 1969 Rolling Stones Altamont Free Concert. Investigators, concluding a renewed two-year investigation, dismissed the theory that a second Hell's Angel took part in the stabbing.

2006 - Desmond Dekker

Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter Desmond Dekker died of a heart attack at his home in London, England. Had one of the first international Jamaican hits in 1968, with the 'Israelites

[nashvilleabbie]

10 Reasons to Visit Historic Granville for a Day

A decade ago, the Mayberry-themed performance in Granville grew into one year-round community celebration of the iconic Andy Griffith Show. Many similarities exist between Mount Airy, North Carolina, and the riverside hamlet in Middle Tennessee.

1. T. B. Sutton General Store

This two-story 1865 relic (on the National Register) offers more than four businesses and Granville's major restaurant. On Saturday nights, Sutton Ole Time Music Hour, a bluegrass dinner show a la Grand Ole Opry, with live advertising, takes place.

2. Museum on Granville Island

An intelligent World War II veteran who returned annually for 30 years to chronicle the town's growth, Vincent DeNardo, was the first museum to open in Granville. In halls dedicated to local schools, the military, and genealogy, visitors may learn about the town's early days, as well as the individuals and businesses that shaped it.

3. Wildwood Resort & Marina

The $2.5 million addition and the new lodge at Wildwood Resort and the Marina on Cumberland River & the Cordell Hull Lake have made visits more enjoyable. Enjoy the beautiful Brazilian hardwood docks, kayak, pontoon, canoe, and paddle board rentals, or sit on one of the covered front porches in an Adirondack chair. Granville has three B&B’s.

4. I Love Lucy Museum in Mayberry

The Mayberry – I Love Lucy Museum features items from two of America's most beloved TV shows. Examine Lucy's house, including her old kitchenware, before exploring Andy's neighborhood. Meet Aunt Bee, Opie, and other characters from both shows and enjoy their antics.

5. Pioneer Village & Sutton Homeplace

The original owner's 19th-century home was refurbished with antique furnishings, making it Granville's second-oldest home. It's not your typical old home, with quarterly themed exhibition. This spring, celebrate women's achievements around the country. The Pioneer Village behind the home features a new cottage garden, a barn and Wellhouse of Grand Ole Opry singer Jesse Donald "Uncle Jimmy" Thompson, and enterprises specializing in baskets, Blacksmithing, and brooms.

6. Tour of Granville

Be self-guided or take the guide tour of this town for only $5, beginning with the Sutton Homeplace & the Pioneer Village. Walk around six museums to see antique vehicles, ice cream, and other exhibits. Tours are provided all year, Wednesday through Saturday; arrive early and prepare to spend around three hours. Fortunately for visitors, Cordell Hull Lake and the Cumberland River are both within reasonable walking distance of each other in this two-street hamlet.

7. Farm to Table Museum

The Farm to Table Museum traces the journey from farm to plate, as well as how animals were once used for transportation. Among the displays are a reconstructed 1942 milk truck and a history of dairy farms in Middle Tennessee. Others are dedicated to tobacco, corn, and poultry. A mule display features one of Granville's earliest horse-drawn hearses.

8. Whistle Stop Saloon's New Decanter Collection

The Whistle Stop Saloon will debut 2,600 decanters of Jim Beam whiskey styled like automobiles, celebrities, presidents, and even Santa Claus. When Granville became a major riverboat port in the 1800s, he built the bar. This replica includes an assortment of whiskey jugs from around the state.

9. Festivals aplenty

Seven annual festivals celebrate anything from Mayberry to moonshine. At the Genealogy Festival on April 10, families may learn about notable women from local, state, and national authorities to The Andy Griffith Show's female ensemble. A Mayberry cruise-in brings together vintage car aficionados and TV personalities on the same day. The Cornbread & Moonshine Festival offers a cornbread-making contest, sampling, and distillery tastings. The season ends with the annual Granville Heritage Day, featuring bluegrass, crafts, and a parade.

10. Dinner Theater in the Open Air

The Darlings, the mountain musicians from The Andy Griffith Show, will perform in Pioneer Village's renowned outdoor dinner theater. Throughout the year, there are more performances.

[doomedandstoned]

Cave of Swimmers Reach Epic Heights in Infectious New Spinner ‘Aurora’

~Review by Billy Goate~

Album Art by Brian Olson

I've always said that given the right circumstances (say a good set of professional ears lodged in influential places) that CAVE OF SWIMMERS would be a sensation. Why? Because they've got all the right stuff to really connect with people at a time when heavy music has been simmering underground, well-past ready for a fresh outburst. Hamstrung by lockdowns, financial burdens, and fear aplenty, we're ready to dust off our air guitars and party like it's 1987 again (incidentally, the year I first discovered heavy music). I'm not alone in speculating that we're in for another Roaring Twenties, not unlike the carefree days that followed the last global pandemic. And it's precisely this kind of energetic vibe, with its unique Latin-meets-metal flavor, that is ripe and ready to rock 'n' revel to!

Hell, we've not heard a sound this contagious since, well, maybe Sepultura -- and that was another animal entirely. With that said, Cave of Swimmers are very much metal to the core. And oh what a crowd-rousing live show Guillermo Gonzalez (guitar, synth, vox) and Arturo Garcia (drums, backing vox) can put on! I was there when Cave of Swimmers energized a hung-over and droopy mob gathered 'round The Vinyl Stage at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, lo those many years ago at the inaugural Psycho Las Vegas.

Doomed & Stoned · The Doomed & Stoned Show - The Cave Of Swimmers Special

All that and they have an appealing back story: two friends whose families relocated to Florida amidst tumultuous circumstances in Venezuela. As teenagers, Arturo and Guillermo grew up idolizing bands like Iron Maiden and Metallica and now they've crafted a fantastic, original style of their own, with wicked guitar play and grandiose vocals built atop a rhythmic array that is simultaneously feverish and suave, with choruses that are imminently singable. Stream their latest LP at least twice through and I can predict which lines you'll be humming at work and crowing in the shower at the top of your lungs.

When the band burst upon the scene in 2013 with Cave of Swimmers, I remember the community sharing it like mad. From "Materia" onward to their incredible namesake anthem, it was as if the Latin Candlemass had emerged from the salty Atlantic to enthrall crowds like some kind of warbling Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Cave of Swimmers by CAVE OF SWIMMERS

Their music-making only got better from there. 2015 gifted us with a second EP, Reflection, featuring a song I have no doubt will one day be a doom metal standard, "Prince of the Power of the Air". I'm telling you, the Psycho crowd went stompin' nuts when they heard those quasi-Biblical lyrics sung in epic doom fashion accompanied by that stern guitar tone, leading up to an incredible solo, and then a delirious second-half, which made everyone dance (whether we wanted to or not). It's infectious, like I said. I'm telling you, this sound cannot be matched. And I'm convinced it will not be stopped, either.

Reflection by CAVE OF SWIMMERS

2021 is Cave of Swimmer's year to ascend, for thus saith the Prophet that dwelleth atop the Rocks on High! Pandemic or no, it was this duo's time to release the material that had been welling up inside of them for so long. I guess we can call this their first LP, even though every spin so far has felt sufficiently hefty to refer to as a full-length. Six songs clocking in at over 30 minutes -- it's the band's next stepping stone in their journey from the recording studio into your earbuds and mine.

Aurora by CAVE OF SWIMMERS

'Aurora' (2021) plays like the first songbird of spring, if you'll indulge my idyllic wording for a moment. It's just so full of earnestness, life, and yes joy. Three things that we've been longing for in the midst of so much treachery and nihilistic despair. Hell, I consider myself something of a nihilist, but this band melts away my grim pessimism. It's all encapsulated in the thrashy, downtuned attack married to a kind of urgent Latin vibe that says "We've got one night left to live, let's die with a smile!"

After an atmospheric introduction that foreshadows material still to come, we're treated to "The Sun," which the band released as a single awhile back. I remember telling them at the time, "You guys should be huge." I meant it with all my heart, too. Certainly, this isn't watered down pop music fare, yet I think the average heavy music listener will find it wholly accessible. I'd put this Cave of Swimmers neck-and-neck with any Top 50 touring metal act, based on this track alone. Maybe I'm just enamored of their sound and being less than objective. So sue me.

Next up: "Double Rainbow," which is a kind of resurrection of optimism. Hope for a new and better tomorrow. "Forget the hate, forget the scene, forget the life of complacency," Guillermo sings. "A second arc, new scenery, our time is here. Don’t let it go! When I hear it, I too want to believe." It's a message that's especially important for us to convey to the next generation of rockers and metalheads, lest they be weighed down by our own disillusionment and mistakes. This is a song that encourages that that brash, foolhardy youthful joie de vivre and its power to change the status quo.

"My Human" opens up with a burst of syncopated guitar that reminds me of something Tom Morello likes to cook up, but its mere window dressing for a song that develops into something purely Cave of Swimmers. A single melodic line of epic singing accented by a soft layer of synthesizer lays out the verse, followed by one headbanger of a chorus. It's a song about companionship and the consolation that we can have in one another, if we will only open ourselves up long enough to being truly human. To give and in turn receive. It also seems to speak of a hope beyond this life, at least in some ethereal, metaphysical sense.

"Looking Glass'' unloads a spitfire of "Say hello to my little friend!" style riffage that rips open into a chorus I could definitely take with me to salsa lessons, if I were to dare return. Remind me to tell you about the time I accidently cracked a partner's nose with my elbow while trying to pull off one of those fancy turn-and-swing maneuvers. Sigh. Some of us have no rhythm, whatsoever. But I recognize a good slam-dancing song when I hear it!

Which leads me to talk "Dirt." Much more gritty than its predecessors, accompanied by a spooky synth of the kind Rob Zombie or Acid Witch are apt to toy with. Even as the mood turns grim, it's a foot shuffler nonetheless. And there's no denying the power of those soaring, falconesque vocals. Guillermo seems capable of transporting listeners to a higher plane of consciousness. Good thing, too, because the message is that we've all been living in our mental prisons for far too long, reinforced by "pride and ego trips."

Billions of us Where are we going to? Chasing our tails around the sun Bleeding our hearts Divided and conquered, too Buy us for sale at the dollar store Raised like pigs on dirt

It's time to break free. The song ends with a section of flamenco-style guitar executed with deft classical technique. It reminded me a bit of Psychroptic's "Euphorinasia" -- another song that makes brilliant use of acoustic guitar.

"C.S." is Cave of Swimmer's swan song -- a send-back to their earliest work. Their reprisal reminds me of something Metallica would do. There's a certain "Nothing Else Matters" mood about it all. Then out of nowhere, a spurt of volcanic riffage and mad drumming breaks out into a Gojiraesque hoe-down. Oh yes, and there's another celebratory trve metal guitar solo lodged in there juxtaposed with complex rhythmic percussion.

I'm telling you, Cave of Simmers cannot be beat. The game belongs to them. Their time is now. Give ear...

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#D&S Reviews #Cave of Swimmers #Miami #Florida #thrash #metal #doom metal #epic doom #heavy rock #Doomed and Stoned

[mchalowitz]

the process by which time passes

REPOST. you guys. @lilydalexf is the true mvp of this saga. she happened to have the story still open and was kind enough to send it to me. i owe her so much gratitude (as well as the other amazing xf bloggers that reached out to me). although i don’t interact much socially around here, it is amazing to be a part of a fandom that is so kind and supportive! writing xf fic is a creative outlet i enjoy so much and i love sharing it. now back to our regularly scheduled reading. (also if you guys wouldn’t mind boosting this new version so i can see the feedback, i would be so grateful.)

this is something i’ve been writing (at this point) for probably almost a year, which is one reason i’ve been pretty quiet on the fic-posting front. i’m so excited for everyone to finally see it but terrified at the idea that it’s not just an idea that only i know about anymore. it was originally the back half of a wip i abandoned but i couldn’t let this part go. enjoy!!

Mulder gives her a tight hug on the side of a desert highway. Scully presses her forehead to his chest, hoping her thoughts might leave her mind, reach his heart, and convince him to stay. He still gets in the SUV and she never sees him again.

In true Fox Mulder fashion, his physical presence isn’t needed to be a constant reminder. Government officials that she once exchanged pleasantries with at the coffee machine bang down her door and rip apart the life he abandoned.

“Have you heard anything?”

Skinner rifles through papers until the door clicks shut. Her badge feels heavy on her lapel. It feels wrong to be here.

“Only the official warrant,” Skinner answers. That was weeks ago. She has to frequently remind herself that he is doing the best he can. He can’t make it too obvious he’s interested in the hunt. She certainly can’t go digging herself.

“They’re closing the X-files,” he informs her. “There is an appeal process…”

“That’s not necessary,” Scully interrupts. “My assignment was to assess the validity of Mulder’s investigations. There is nothing to assess.”

“You believe in the work.”

“I’m a scientist,” she reminds him, offering nothing else.

Her final report is a jumble of words that states, no matter what she believed, the X-Files should never be reopened.

–

Scully spends idle days breathing in wet air on her mother’s porch. She hopes the sea might soothe her.

A week later, as she plans her return to Washington, she decides emphatically that it did not.

She discovers heart medication in her mother’s bathroom cabinet. Maggie attempts to downplay the circumstances, “It was a blip on a screen, Dana. The doctor said it was just precautionary,” but to Scully, it’s a call to action.

It isn’t difficult to resign. It seemed like it should, after giving the FBI almost a decade of herself, and much, much more than that.

She cries silently in her car after handing over the keys to her dream apartment and saying goodbye to her meticulously curated life.

She reminds herself starting over is the only way to move on. But she isn’t sure she believes it.

–

Scully is a seasoned Special Agent of the FBI, an instructor of pathology, but she struggles to call herself a doctor. After an onslaught of rejected resumes, she begins to believe the medical community of Maryland agrees.

A small hospital outside Baltimore is wowed by her determination alone. At the bottom of the ladder, no one knows the reputation of Agent Scully. She showed promise and expertise in her role, even if her partner was a kook. Dr. Scully has never formally practiced medicine and her bedside manner leaves something to be desired.

Scully hopes for an opening in pathology, where she might be more understood. John From Human Resources hums along with her plight. “I’ll keep an eye out,” he promises.

She begins noticing him behind her in the cafeteria line. On a fall day, she is trying to decide on the best fruit cup when he sides up to her. He is whisper-quiet, conspiratorial in tone when he says, “I wanted to give you a heads up that Dr. Harris may be retiring at the end of the year.”

The may sounds more like an is. A weight inside her lifts.

John assures her she is the first choice when the position officially becomes available. When he leads her to her new office in January, he asks her out to drinks to celebrate, and Scully is surprised, because she forgot people could see her that way.

John is completely unlike anyone else she’s been with. He is endlessly dependable. She never has to worry about where he is because he calls when he’ll be late. He thrives on a fastidious routine and makes safe, informed decisions.

Scully finally moves out of her mother’s house and into a modern three-bedroom she purchases with John. She leads an entirely new life. She climbs the ranks in pathology and is still able to go on real dates, and eat home cooked meals while they’re still hot, and sit in the pew every Sunday. She goes on weekend hikes and uninterrupted trips to the coast and has fine, but not life changing, sex. She accepts John’s proposal on the beach with a beautiful ring.

They have a small wedding. She doesn’t take his last name.

John tries so hard, never asks about her time in the FBI, even tries to adopt a child with her. When it falls through at the last minute, they decide on a dog instead. They get divorced after two years.

In her office one late morning, the phone on her desk lights up. “Dr. Scully, there’s a man on line one asking for you.”

“Thank you,” she says into the speaker. She picks up the receiver with the assumption of a request for a consult. “This is Dr. Scully.”

“Hey, Scully, it’s me.”

She drops the phone.

–

Scully’s stomach is in knots. She is too nervous to order any food. Mulder sits across from her at a diner, looking older and scruffier, and she wonders if this is all a cruel hallucination.

“Where have you been?”

His fingers tap nervously on the table. “Farrs Corner.”

After exploring little towns in the far reaches of nowhere, she remembers that’s Virginia. When she presses for how long, she discovers he’s been within driving distance almost this entire time. Her fingers clench. She wants to strangle him.

“It’s been six years, Mulder. Why now?”

“The FBI dropped the charges against me. I helped them with a case, they wiped the slate clean. I can start my life again, Scully, come back.”

Forget strangle, Scully wants to kill him. He thinks he can just come back? His ignorance to the domino effect of his actions has to be purposeful.

There was a life they wanted to live together that never had the chance to become a reality. She has spent six years trying to fill her life with meaning. Her marriage failed, her career path faltered. They have a child that is no longer theirs.

Scully stands from the booth. She stares down at him, asserts her power.

“I thought you were dead.”

He just nods. He suggests she give him a call, now that she has his number.

She doesn’t.

–

Scully always forgave Mulder too quickly; it was their fatal flaw. She frequently ignored this piece of common knowledge by justifying his more unsavory behavior as residual childhood trauma, or a severe lack of social skills, or plainly being obtuse.

She never found a way to justify him leaving her when she needed him without looking like an emotionally manipulated moron. How could she possibly forgive the embarrassment and isolation she felt after giving up her own child for ostensibly no reason?

Scully bared her soul to him, her body, and gave him everything she had, and she still took a backseat to his quest. There was a brief time where she thought something finally switched in him and the quest would take a backseat to her. In the earliest days of the millenium, working their way up from something undefined to something real.

A month passes. She speaks to no one about her meeting with Mulder, but when she has idle moments, it fills her mind. She tries to remain hot when she begins wondering what Mulder’s life is like now. She attempts to imagine how he filled six years worth of time, because he was never a picture of duality, never able to separate his life from his work, and what can he do after leaving it behind?

It’s a slow burning curiosity. Weeks long. She begins to think he didn’t push during their last meeting because he knew it would happen like this.

She scrolls through recent calls to find the number he left on her office phone. Scully hears the hello in that familiar voice and doesn’t hesitate to respond, “Mulder, it’s me.”

–

Scully sees a dream realized when she pulls up to a little house with a spacious porch on sprawling land. Mulder never liked the city.

He is clearly thrilled to finally present his vegetable garden and his paintings while giving her the grand tour. He recounts putting in the new water heater himself and his plans to replace the roof next spring.

Mulder makes her pasta and gives her the “good chair.” When her stomach is full, they talk about old times. She hasn’t talked about these things in years because she knew there was no one else that can laugh about what she saw instead of instantly recoiling except for the man sitting across from her.

“I have to get back,” she realizes when she sees the sun beginning to set out the window. They spent almost the whole day together. He nods in understanding.

“You see I’m not living in squalor,” he jokes as he walks her to her car.

“It certainly wasn’t the dilapidated hut I was expecting,” she teases. Her tone shifts from silly to serious. “You know, Mulder, after our last meeting, I really didn’t want to come here. I thought…I think you know what I thought. But I’m glad I came.”

“I appreciate any chance you’ll give me, Scully,” he replies.

–

Farrs Corner becomes a regular destination.

Mulder easily becomes the companion she was lacking, the return of the best friend she lost. Even with the passage of time, he still knows her better than anyone else.

She stops offering up her free Friday nights for on-call autopsies and tox screens to watch movies with take-out picked up just before civilization ends.

Without a Saturday shift to spoil their fun, they indulge in the full six pack of their favorite beer. His feet are propped on the coffee table next to their abandoned pizza box, as she folds her legs underneath her on the cushion beside him. She is full-bellied and warm.

“I can’t believe you were married,” he says in disbelief, taking a swig from his bottle. “Considering how many of my proposals you turned down.”

“Maybe I would’ve accepted if any of them had been serious.”

“So you’re saying there was a chance?”

She laughs and nudges his shoulder with the side of her bottle.

When she catches his eye, she sees a person that, yes, she thought she might marry someday. When she was younger, less hard, and had never seen the face of a child that was half him, half her.

She leans forward and presses her lips to his, jerking back as soon as he begins to respond. She tries to find something to say, a reasoning, but she finds his curious gaze, and can’t think of anything to say.

He closes the distance between them and starts where she left off. His kiss is wonderful. It’s hopeful and sexy as all hell.

He nudges her jaw aside with his chin, his mouth seeking out her neck. Her fingers tangle in his hair. “Let’s go upstairs,” he suggests.

–

Standing at the foot of his bed, Scully realizes she’s never been in Mulder’s bedroom before. He has simple furnishings; dark wood and soft blues. His belt clunks when it hits the floor. His bare chest warms her back.

She remembers his warmth, his proclivity to be so tender and gentle, and to let her lead the way. She turns and guides him onto the bed.

Modest kisses quickly turn unrestrained. He breaths in long pants as he shoves her panties down her thighs, letting her kick them over her ankle before hooking them over his hips.

He slips in so easily. Scully explores his changed body; the shifting muscles in his back, his thinner, sweat dampened hair against her hands, his ass clenching as he rocks into her.

Electricity runs through her when his fingers drift to her clit, taking her right to the edge. “Fuck,” he groans, his lips at her ear. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

She moans in utter bliss, deliriously overtaken. When she comes, she shatters. Mulder thrusts two, three times more, before following behind. He spurts hotly into her with growls of satisfaction.

Breathing heavily, they lay bonelessly on their backs. She feels the sweat cooling at her hairline. Her lips break into a big smile and a laugh leaves her lips. His follows and he raises her hand to his lips, feeling his joyous puffs of air against her skin.

“We are still very good at that,” she decides, turning her head toward him.

“You did always bring out the best in me,” he agrees.

Scully finds his boyish nerves when he mentions spending the night charmingly endearing. She wordlessly moves to press herself into his side, clinging to him in answer.

–

Mulder calls their connection cosmic, though Scully doesn’t believe in cosmicity. An otherworldly connect would trivialize their effort so far in their new era.

She worried how they would assimilate into each other’s worlds without the commonality of what easily linked them before. While their forced separation may never be seen as a positive in her eyes, it did allow for the growth to be content in domesticity.

Scully adores the version of Mulder she met over two decades ago. With his unwavering desire for truth and his absolutely brilliant mind. The hours they can spend talking remind her of that man often. They spar as they always did, laugh like no time has passed.

She delights in the side of him that is at peace with the mundane. He likes filling her drawers with clean scrubs, and working in the yard until he returns smelling like freshly cut grass, and giving her drafts of his paranormal mystery novel.

Uncensored honesty is their biggest challenge. It would be so easy to never discuss what plagued them in the past. They finally get to air their fear, their guilt, and their grief. Scully thinks she and Mulder come out better on the other side.

Mulder leads her to the quiet corners of the world, using his freedom to finally venture off his little property. They luxuriate in the Bahamas shortly after their first night together and they start stopping at all the roadside attractions they used to skip. He plans to finally take her to England and show her all the off beaten paths from his youth. She would go anywhere with him.

A beach house in Maine is this weekend’s activity. Scully accidentally leaves her stack of reading on the desk in her office. “I’ll grab them quick and we’ll go,” she promises him, hanging onto the open passenger side window.

“Don’t leave the coast waiting too long,” he teases. “I’m starting to lose my island glow.” She rolls her eyes at him and pushes up on her toes to kiss him briefly.

Though she promises to be quick, Scully still signs into her computer. She printed out the newest articles hastily before an autopsy and notices now that the first ten pages of the article on top are missing. She finds herself drawn to begin reading when she goes to reprint. She pulls out her chair with blind arms, sitting down absently.

She doesn’t realize how long she’s been gone until she sees Mulder enter. “I was starting to think you’d fallen in,” he jokes.

“Sorry,” she mumbles. He brushes off her apology with a wave of his hand, rounding the desk to brace his hand on the back of her chair.

“What are you reading?” he asks.

Case 43-2009. 8-year-old with Brain Scan Abnormalities Presents Potentially Unseen Neurological Disorder.

She breaks her gaze at the screen to bring her eyes up to Mulder.

“We need to find our son.”

#x files #xf fic #fox mulder #dana scully #msr

[operafantomet]

Do you know how certain runs were able to go on for 5+ years? I understand the West End and Broadway (I guess mostly tourism?), but orig. Hamburg, Toronto, orig. Stockholm, Vienna (?) seemed to go on for a while considering how long musicals usually run in these places (tho I understand Toronto is kinda unique here, with those stories about the final years playing to nearly empty houses, if those are true?). It also makes me wonder about the super short ones like Buenos Aires, or Paris (well...)

The answer is probably as varied as the productions.

As a general note, producing (and seeing) “Phantom of the Opera” was an exclusive thing in the 1980s and 1990s, and that alone gave the early productions a solid run. Other aspects:

What many people don’t realize about Hamburg is that it’s a fairly wealthy Northern German city, with a long history of art and design. It’s the main seat of the production company Stage Entertainment, catering the whole of Europe AND Broadway with musicals, and many musicals has had a long run in Hamburg. Lion King has been running since 2001! Tourism is a part of it, but locals also tend to visit multiple times, as a sort of family tradition. And that’s why Phantom had an almost 11 year long run here.

I wanna say Toronto was in a similar situation as Hamburg. A hub of cultural life in Canada, and Phantom turning into a thing families and couples did.

In Stockholm they didn’t expect a 6 year long run. Everyone was (pleasantly) surprised for each new season they announced - a season is half a year, either spring or autumn. They did summer breaks, so it wasn’t a full continuous run as West End and Broadway, but still. A massive run, when you take the total population into account. I guess they also attracted tourists from all over Scandinavia, as this was the first ALW POTO production in Scandinavia, and the next one was years away.

All three productions above were of the earliest - Stockholm and Toronto opened in 1989 and Hamburg in 1990. They also continued as permanent productions in one town. Other early productions, for example Tokyo (1988) and Melbourne (1990), and some of the US sit-down productions, eventually turned into national tours. So they got a long run as well, but it’s harder to take into account as they moved around and had small breaks.

In recent years “Phantom of the Opera” has become less exclusive. Part because there’s so many other massive hit shows to compete with, part because the musical has visited most continents and many countries, part because filmed versions (be it legal like RAH and the 2004 movie, or illegal bootlegs) has become available. Another thing is that shorter runs has been enabled because there are multiple costume/set lots available, so each new production doesn’t have to build everything from scratch, as the early production had to. It reduces costs dramatically. Technical changes to enable quick set-ups has also been developed. Last, but not least, they’ve become more liberal on non-replica productions. Some of these has reduced costs dramatically. All in all, this makes it easier to produce Phantom for shorter runs, scheduled to run for “only” a season or two - recent examples being Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Stockholm.

ETA: None of these countries has insane ticket prices like on Broadway. I think Broadway is around double price as other productions, and the good seats more than double the price. In Copenhagen, when I was a student back in the days, I could purchase tickets for as little as $20. Yes, it was the seats furthest away from stage, up under the ceiling. But still, absolutely affordable. And this wasn’t a special discount or limited offer, it was a standard youngster ticket. The cheapest nowadays is $30 at Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen, while the cheapest at The Majestic on Broadway is $59 - double the price (and yes, I know coupons, special offers, discount booths etc is a part of the deal). So albeit Broadway and West End cater a massive amount of tourists who’ll pay “anything” to see a given show, the international productions often offer much cheaper tickets as a standard, and aims for locals as much as tourists. Which may also explain the long runs in Toronto, Hamburg, Stockholm etc.

#phantom of the opera

[natromanxoff]

Queen live at Palace Theatre in Manchester, UK - October 30, 1974

(x)

This is the beginning of Queen's first full-scale European tour.

Tonight are the first performances of new songs from Sheer Heart Attack: Now I'm Here, Flick Of The Wrist, In The Lap Of The Gods, Bring Back That Leroy Brown, and In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited (Stone Cold Crazy had already been performed as far back as 1970). Now I'm Here would be a staple in their set, performed at virtually every show hereafter, making it the song they performed most frequently throughout the years - it was clearly a unanimous band favourite, as it is the only song they performed more than Bohemian Rhapsody.

This is the first show where Queen employed the use of delay on Freddie's voice - at the beginning of Now I'm Here. The band sound a bit nervous at the beginning of the show tonight, so Now I'm Here isn't quite the most brilliant version ever played. Still, the band are surely happy to be back on stage, especially Brian May who has made a full recovery from his health issues.

On the Sheer Heart Attack tour, Freddie would be seen singing the line "Now I'm here" on one side of the stage amidst the darkness and dry ice, and a few bars later, at "Now I'm there," he would "appear" on the other side of the stage (a member of the crew would be dressed in an identical Zandra Rhodes outfit to the one worn by Freddie), giving a very dramatic effect.

Although they no longer open the show with Father To Son, the first few bars of the song are still on playback.

Brian, introducing Flick Of The Wrist, the other side of the Killer Queen single (it was a double A-side): "You probably may know, we have a little single out at the moment, and this is the one you don't usually hear on the radio."

These also the earliest known live performances of White Queen and The March Of The Black Queen. White Queen would be a bit stripped down when played live (like the BBC session recorded on April 3), and only a small portion of The March Of The Black Queen would be performed on stage as part of the medley. Queen would perform a medley of songs on most tours from here onward, and tonight it would debut in their set.

The medley on this tour consists of In The Lap Of The Gods, Killer Queen, The March Of The Black Queen, and Bring Back That Leroy Brown (including Brian playing the banjo solo, as heard on the album). For this tour and the 1975 North American tour, Killer Queen is a very abbreviated version, as it is only one verse and a chorus, leading right into the guitar solo (which was never performed in full, as it was physically impossible to reproduce all of those layers of guitars live). They began performing the second verse of the song in Japan. In an interview for "Disc" with Rosemary Horide just prior to the tour, Brian May frankly said, "I'm not sure whether we'll be doing Killer Queen because it could be rather an unexciting number to stage, but we'll certainly do some of the others." Indeed, there was a certain delicacy of the song that they never were able to replicate live.

Brian now uses two analog delays when performing his solo spot in Son And Daughter, something that has become a trademark of his. Even though the guitar solo was heard in Brighton Rock on the Sheer Heart Attack album, the song wouldn't be heard on stage until late 1975.

On this tour, Freddie sings the verses of In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited in falsetto in the higher octave, as on the studio version. A great example of this can be seen on the Live At The Rainbow video. For the next few years, the song would be performed with dry ice, and it also introduced pyrotechnics to their show, as on the very last note, it would very dramatically signal the end of the set proper. The song would remain in Queen's show into 1977, and would be revived for their final tour in 1986.

The encore on this tour is a medley of Big Spender, Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll, and Jailhouse Rock. See What A Fool I've Been would be used as a second encore a few times the following spring in Japan.

Queen now use their own recorded version of the British national anthem, God Save The Queen, as their exit music - although on this tour it plays about minute after they've left the stage. Brian May's arrangement (recorded just a few days earlier on October 27) would also close out their international breakthrough album, A Night At The Opera. The ritual of leaving the stage to this piece of music would last well over 40 years, into the Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert eras.

In addition to his Fender Strat, Brian now has an additional spare guitar - a Les Paul. But Brian ultimately wouldn't be satisfied with its sound. After this tour he would have a copy of the Red Special built for him by luthier John Birch. Brian used the Birch copy as his backup until he smashed it at a concert in 1982.

The third photo was taken by Howard Barlow.

Fan Stories

“To be honest, I can't remember much about the concert but the build up and after effects have stayed with me to this day. It was 1974 and Glam Rock was in its swan song. I was a nine year old boy who loved seeing bands like Slade and The Sweet on Top of the Pops and had decided to buy 'Tiger Feet' by Mud. On the way to purchase my first single with my 17 year old brother, he suggested that 'Tiger Feet' was for 'teenyboppers' and that I should get 'Seven Seas of Rhye' by a new band called Queen instead, who I had never heard of. After much deliberation, I put my trust in his judgement and bought the Queen single. At first it seemed a bit heavy, but later I began to love it and all things Queen. When my brother suggested going to see Queen in concert, I jumped at the chance. The concert was to promote their latest album, Sheer Heart Attack, and Manchester was the first date. Imagine that now, not one but two superb albums released in the same year (Queen II and S.H.A.) with tours to match! Ahh, those were the days. At the Palace Theatre, I wondered why nobody seemed very interested in the support band Hustler, but we found our seats, caught their set, then waited through the break for Queen to come on stage. My memory is of the theatre rapidly filling up in the following 30 minutes or so, and as it did, so did my feelings of excitement and anticipation. When the house lights suddenly went off, there was a huge roar from the audience and everybody stood up, meaning that this 9 year old couldn't really see much of the stage! I wasn't familiar with many of the songs but I do remember three aspects of the concert in particular. Firstly, the music was the loudest thing I had ever heard, and secondly, the sound was punctuated throughout the gig with huge explosions and flashes of light, accompanied by clouds of white smoke. The other thing that caught my eye was Freddie Mercury himself. He started the concert dressed all in white, finished it wearing all black attire, and never stood still for a single second of it, apart from when he was sat at the piano. He was constantly cavorting from stage left to stage right, then from the front of the stage towards the back and up onto Roger's drum riser and back down again. When I also considered his powerful voice and proficient piano playing, even as someone still at Junior School, I realised I was watching somebody very special indeed. When the concert finally ended and the house lights came on, everyone poured out onto the street, and I experienced mixed emotions on the way home. On the down side, I was upset at the ringing in my ears, but my brother assured me that it would pass. Much more enduring was the feeling that I had just experienced my first rock concert and what an astonishing experience it had been. After this gig, I believe that I had cramped my brother's style and he never took me to see another concert. I had to wait until I was 16 to go and see Queen again, which was on 6th December 1980 in Birmingham. That was the concert that truly blew my mind and converted me into a lifelong Queen fan. But the seed had been sown six years before and will stay with me forever.” - Lee Unal

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #queen concerts

[brianmayismyhusband]

QUEEN’S FIRST GIG WITH FREDDIE: (info and photos taken from queenlive.ca)

This is the very first gig Queen ever performed, a charity event organized by the British Red Cross. It was booked for Smile (the pre-Queen band consisting of guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist/vocalist Tim Staffell) by Roger's mother, who was involved with the charity. She posted numerous ads, the earliest one in February. A roadie at the time, Ken Testi, insists they were called Queen at the first gig. Roger Taylor confirmed this in 2019 with a photo of his May 27, 1970 diary that he posted on his Instagram. Another photo he posted indicates they considered calling the band 'Stone Cold Crazy' a few days prior.

Upon meeting Roger Taylor: "I remember being flabbergasted when Roger set his kit up at Imperial College. Just the sound of him tuning his drums was better than I'd heard from anyone before."

Smile had developed a reputation for being a solid band on the London college and club circuit. Brian May, being a student at Imperial College, keenly networked with the right people on campus and soon booked top acts like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd to perform there, and ensuring his band in the opening slot. Performing at Royal Albert Hall was another career highlight for them. They recorded six original tracks in the studio and released a single in the US entitled 'Earth' that flopped. Feeling no forward progress they called it a day in 1970. From the ashes of Smile came Queen.

John Deacon wasn't yet in the band at this point. Mike Grose was Queen's first of many bassists. He had briefly played in a band with Roger Taylor in 1965 called "Johnny Quale and The Reaction," founded by his brother, John Grose.

The first Queen gig wasn't Mike's first with Brian and Roger. Tim Staffell had left Smile in the spring of 1970 (on March 29, precisely), forcing Mike to join Brian and Roger on little notice to play mostly covers and blues standards at one or both of these April gigs at PJ's, a venue he co-owned at the time. The three of them shared vocal duties. There were two remaining Smile gigs in April and May 1970, and Tim was likely persuaded back by Brian and Roger to fulfill the commitment. Tim went on to play in bands in 1970 called No Joke! (which included Mike Grose) and Humpy Bong, and then in 1971, Morgan (whose namesake, Morgan Fisher, would later play with Queen as their touring keyboardist in 1982). On Morgan's 1972 album Nova Solis, Staffell's Smile track 'Earth' would resurface as part of the adventurous title track that spans all of side B.

With this knowledge that three quarters of the first incarnation of Queen played (at least one of) these April shows at PJ's and that Queen were booked as Smile at this June 27 show (and likely others over the next few months), it is now clear that there was a process of Smile evolving into Queen, rather than Smile suddenly becoming Queen at a particular moment in time as previously thought. Interestingly enough, the ad from the third week of April states the band being replaced by Smile was named Sour Milk Sea, a band who were booked the previous week but had just split up - whose singer was named Freddie Bulsara.

Born Farrokh Bulsara, the singer was going by the moniker Freddie Bulsara at this time. Freddie was well-acquainted with the three members of Smile. He was Brian's flatmate at the time, attended many of their shows, and sometimes acted as a roadie. He loved their music, but also had candidly vocalized to them his opinion that their stage presentation was all wrong and needed more theatricality. Brian later recalled Freddie saying, "This is really good - it's great how you're aware of building up atmospheres and bringing them down. But you're not dressing right, you're not addressing the audience properly. There's always opportunity to connect." At some point between April and June 1970, Freddie, Brian, and Roger would join forces musically. The photos seen above are likely from their first rehearsal at Imperial College, as confirmed by Brian May in 2019.

According to an interview in a 1977 issue of Circus, Freddie recalled the first song the band ever performed to be Stone Cold Crazy - the only original piece performed by the band that evening. "It was not as polished as they'd have liked and the audience was relatively small, but Freddie hadn't played in front of a proper audience before," writes Jacky Gunn in the As It Began book. Many accounts had recalled it to be a much slower version of the song, but Brian May said otherwise in 1998:

"Regarding 'Stone Cold Crazy' - yes, it is the same version, although there was a very early attempt by Freddie with his previous group done with a different riff at a slower tempo. I think the truth is we weren't sure it was good enough for the first album and it didn't fit the format of the second album - Queen II. By the time Sheer Heart Attack was being made, we'd had a lot of practice at it!"

Bassist Mike Grose later recalled the first gig as being a bit sloppy, as the band hadn't quite figured out the arrangements of their songs yet. "We tried to hide the gaffes but to be brutally frank we were rough," he recalled nearly 40 years to the day after the show.

Roger Taylor recalls the gig well, and stated that the band also played Son And Daughter at the first gig. The rest of their set was most likely covers - perhaps including some Smile songs, which both Freddie and Mike would have been familiar with. Doin' Alright, which would later be reworked for the debut Queen album (and respelled to read 'Doing All Right'), is a likely candidate. Mike Grose says the band covered Led Zeppelin songs at these early shows. Amongst them was likely Communication Breakdown, as Freddie had performed it last year with his band, Wreckage. Mike later stated that doing covers was easy, because they could just lift the songs off the record note for note, whereas the arrangements of Queen originals kept changing.

Roger later recalled how Freddie "didn't have the technique he developed later on; he sounded a little bit like a very powerful sheep." On another occasion he said, "Freddie had a natural musicality. It was a real gift, but he had a very strange vibrato when we first met, which some people found rather distressing. But he applied himself and forged his own persona. He invented himself."

On another occasion he recalled how rich they felt earning £50 for the gig. In a 2018 interview he added: "That was actually arranged by my mother in aid of the Red Cross. We were paid £50 which was quite a lot of money back then. I’m not sure many people turned up though."

Far from the vast lighting rigs they would have in the future, they played under only two of their own lights.

Freddie and Brian were big fans of Rory Gallagher. After seeing Rory in concert in the late 60s at the Marquee Club in London as a member of 'Taste', Brian met him backstage and asked him how he got his sound. Rory said he ran a treble booster (a Dallas Rangemaster, precisely) into his Vox AC30. Brian later recalled this to be exactly what he had envisioned his ideal guitar tone to be, and has been his primary setup ever since. The Taste show was not before June 1969, as Brian is seen in photos during a Smile recording session playing through a Fender amp, which narrows down the precise moment of his eureka moment considerably.

Brian also played with a six-pence coin instead of a guitar pick from the beginning, another key element of his unique sound, one of the most coveted tones of all time for aspiring and professional guitarists alike.

[dustedmagazine]

Dusted’s Decade Picks

Heron Oblivion, still the closest thing to a Dusted consensus pick

Just as, in spring, the young's fancy turns to thoughts of love, at the end of the decade the thoughts of critics and fans naturally tend towards reflection. Sure, time is an arbitrary human division of reality, but it seems to be working out okay for us so far. We're too humble a bunch to offer some sort of itemized list of The Best Of or anything like that, though; a decade is hard enough to wrap your head around when it's just your life, let alone all the music produced during said time. Instead these decade picks are our jumping off points to consider our decades, whether in personal terms, or aesthetic ones, or any other. The records we reflect on here are, to be sure, some of our picks for the best of the 2010s (for more, check back this afternoon), but think of what follows less as anything exhaustive and more as our hand-picked tour to what stuck with us over the course of these ten years, and why.

Brian Eno — The Ship (Warp, 2016)

You don’t need to dig deep to see that our rapidly evolving and hyper-consciously inclusive discourse is taking on the fluidity of its surroundings. In 2016, a year of what I’ll gently call transformation, Brian Eno had his finger on multiple pulses; The Ship resulted. It’s anchored in steady modality, and its melody, once introduced, doesn’t change, but everything else ebbs and flows with the Protean certainty of uncertainty. While the album moves from the watery ambiguities of the title track, through the emotional and textural extremes of “Fickle Sun” toward the gorgeously orchestrated version of “I’m Set Free,” implying some kind of final redemption, the moment-to-moment motion remains wonderfully non-binary. Images of war and of the instants producing its ravaging effects mirror and counterbalance the calmly and increasingly gender-fluid voice as it concludes the titular piece by depicting “wave after wave after wave.” Is it all Salman Rushdie’s numbers marching again? The lyrics embody the movement from “undescribed” through “undefined” and “unrefined’” connoting a journey toward aging, but size, place, chronology and the music encompassing them remain in constant flux, often nearly but never quite recognizable. Genre and sample float in and out of view with the elusive but devastating certainty of tides as the ship travels toward silence, toward that ultimate ambiguity that follows all disillusion, filling the time between cycles. The disconnect between stasis and motion is as disconcerting as these pieces’ relationship to the songform Eno inherited and exploded. The album encapsulates the modernist subtlety and Romantic grace propelling his art and the state of a civilization in the faintly but still glowing borderlands between change and decay.

Marc Medwin

Cate Le Bon — Cyrk (Control Group, 2012)

There's no artist whose work I anticipated more this decade than Cate Le Bon, and no artist who frustrated me more with each release, only to keep reeling me in for the long run. Le Bon's innate talent is for soothing yet oblique folk, soberly psychedelic, which she originally delivered in the Welsh language, and continued into English with rustic reserve.

Except something about her pastoralism seems to bore her, and the four-chord arpeggios are shot through with scorches of noise, or sent haywire with post-punk brittleness. In its present state, her music is built around chattering xylophones and croaking saxophone, even as the lyrics draw deeper into memory and introspection, with ever more haunting payoffs. It's as if Nick Drake shoved his way into the leadership of Pere Ubu. She's taken breaks from music to work on pottery and furniture-making, and retreats to locales like a British cottage and Texas art colony to plumb for new inspirations. She's clearly energized by collaboration and relocation, but there’s a force to her persona that, despite her introverted presence, dominates a session. Rare for our age, she's an artist who gets to follow her muse full time, bouncing between record labels and seeing her name spelled out in the medium typefaces on festival bills.

Cyrk, from 2012, is the record where I fell in, and it captures her at something close to joyous, a half smile. Landing between her earliest folk and later surrealism, it is open to comparison with the Velvet Underground. But not the VU that is archetypical to indie rock – Cyrk is more an echo of the solo work that followed. There’s the sharp compositional order and Welsh lilt of John Cale. Like Lou Reed, she makes a grand electric guitar hook out of the words “you’re making it worse.” The homebound twee of Mo Tucker and forbidding atmosphere of Nico are present in equal parts. Those comparisons are reductive, but they demonstrate how Cyrk feels instantly familiar if you’ve garnered certain listening habits. Songs surround you with woolly keyboard and guitar hooks, and one can forget a song ends with an awkward trumpet coda even after dozens of listens. The awkwardness is what keeps the album fresh.

She lulls, then dowses with cold water. So Cyrk isn't an entirely easy record, even if it is frequently a pretty one. The most epic song here, reaching high with those woolly hums and twang, is "Fold the Cloth.” It bobs along, coiling tight as she reaches into the strange register of female falsetto. Le Bon cranks out a fuzz solo – she's great at extending her sung melodies across instruments. Then the climax chants out, "fold the cloth or cut the cloth.” What is so important about this mundane action? Her mystery lyrics never feel haphazard, like LSD posey. They are out of step with pop grandiose. Maybe when her back is turned, there's a full smile.

Who are "Julia" and "Greta,” two mid-album sketches that avoid verse-chorus structure? Julia is represented by a limp waltz, Greta by pulses on keyboards. Shortly after the release, Le Bon followed up with the EP Cyrk II made up of tracks left off the album. To a piece, they’re easier numbers than "Julia" and "Greta.” The cryptic and the scribble are essential to how Cyrk flows, which is to say it flows haltingly.

This approach dampens her acclaim and her potential audience, but that's how she fashions decades-old tropes into fresh art. She’s also quite the band leader. Drummers have a different thud when they play on her stage. Musicians' fills disappear. She brings in a horn solo as often as she lays down a guitar lead. The closer tracks, "Plowing Out Pts 1 & 2," aren't inherently linked numbers. By the second part, the group has worked up to a carnival swirl, frothing like "Sister Ray" yet as sweet as a children's TV show theme. Does that sound sinister? The effect is more like heartbreak fuelling abandon, her forlorn presence informing everyone's playing.

Fuse this album with the excellent Cyrk II tracks, and you can image a deluxe double LP 10th anniversary reissue in a few years. Ha ha no. I expect nothing so garish will happen. It sure wouldn't suit the artist. In a decade where "fan service" became an everyday concept, Le Bon is immune. She's a songwriter who seems like she might walk away from at all without notice, if that’s where her craftsmanship leads. The odd and oddly comfortable chair that is Cyrk doesn't suit any particular decor, but my room would feel bare without it.

Ben Donnelly

Converge — All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph)

Here’s the scenario: Heavily tatted guy has some dogs. He really loves his dogs. Heavily tatted guy goes on tour with his band. While he’s on the road, one of his dogs dies. Heavily tatted guy gets really sad. He writes a song about it.  

That should be the set-up for an insufferably maudlin emo record. But instead what you get is Converge’s “All We Love We Leave Behind” and the searing LP that shares the title. The songs dive headlong into the emotional intensities of loss and reflect on the cost of artistic ambition. The enormously talented line-up that recorded All We Love We Leave Behind in 2012 had been playing together for just over a decade, and vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou had been collaborating for more than twenty years. It shows. The record pummels and roars with remarkable precision, and its songs maniacally twist, and somehow they soar.  

Any number of genre tags have been stuck on (or innovated by) Converge’s music: mathcore, metalcore, post-hardcore. It’s fun to split sonic hairs. But All We Love… is most notable for its exhilarating fury and naked heart, musical qualities that no subgenre can entirely claim. Few bands can couple such carefully crafted artifice with such raw intensity. And few records of the decade can match the compositional wit and palpable passion of All We Love…, which never lets itself slip into shallow romanticism. It hurts. And it ruthlessly rocks.  

Jonathan Shaw

EMA — The Future’s Void (City Slang, 2014)

When trying to narrow down to whatever my own most important records of the decade are, I tried to keep it to one per artist (as I do with individual years, although it’s a lot easier there). Out of everyone, though, EMA came by far the closest to having two records on that list, and this could have been 2017’s Exile in the Outer Ring, which along with The Future’s Void comes terrifyingly close to unpacking an awful lot of what’s going wrong, and has been going wrong, with the world we live in for a while now. The Future’s Void focuses more on the technological end of our particular dystopia, shuddering both emotionally and sonically through the dead end of the Cold War all the way to us refreshing our preferred social media site when somebody dies. EMA is right there with us, too; this isn’t judgment, it’s just reporting from the front line. And it must be said, very few things from this decade ripped like “Cthulu” rips.

Ian Mathers

The Field — Looping State of Mind (Kompakt, 2011)

Looping State of Mind by The Field

On Looping State of Mind, Swedish producer Axel Willner builds his music with seamlessly jointed loops of synths, beats, guitars and voice to create warm cushions of sound that envelop the ears, nod the head and move the body. Willner is a master of texture and atmosphere, in lesser hands this may have produced mere comfort food but there is spice in the details that elevates this record as he accretes iotas of elements, withholding release to heighten anticipation. Although this is essentially deep house built on almost exclusively motorik 4/4 beats, Willner also plays with ambient, post-punk and shoegaze dynamics. From the slow piano dub of “Then It’s White,” which wouldn’t be out of place on a Labradford or Pan American album, to the ecstatic shuffling lope of “Arpeggiated Love” and “Is This Power” with its hint of a truncated Gang of Four-like bass riff, Looping State of Mind is a deeply satisfying smorgasbord of delicacies and a highlight of The Field’s four album output during the 2010s.

Andrew Forell

Gang Gang Dance — “Glass Jar” (4AD, 2011)

Instead of telling you my favorite album of the decade — I made my case for it the first year we moved to Tumblr, help yourself — it feels more fitting to tell you a story from my friend Will about my favorite piece of music from the last 10 years, a song that arrived just before the rise of streaming, which flattened “the album experience” to oppressive uniformity and rendered it an increasingly joyless, rudderless routine of force-fed jams and AI/VC-directed mixes catering to a listener that exists in username only. The first four seconds of “Glass Jar” told you everything you needed to know about what lie ahead, but here’s the kind of thing that could happen before everything was all the time:

I took eight hours of coursework in five weeks in order to get caught up on classes and be in a friend's wedding at the end of June. Finishing a week earlier than the usual summer session meant I had to give my end-of-class presentations and turn in my end-of-class papers in a single day, which in turn meant that I was well into the 60-70 hour range without sleep by the time I got to the airport for an early-morning flight. (Partly my fault for insisting that I needed to stay up and make a “wedding night” mix for the couple — real virgin bride included — and even more my fault for insisting that it be a single, perfectly crossfaded track). I was fuelled only by lingering adrenaline fumes and whatever herbal gunpowder shit I had been mixing with my coffee — piracetam, rhodiola, bacopa or DMAE depending on the combination we had at the time. At any rate, eyes burning, skull heavy, joints stiff with dry rot, I still had my wits enough to refuse the backscatter machine at the TSA checkpoint; instead of the usual begrudging pat-down, I got pulled into a separate room. Anyway, it was a weird psychic setback at that particular time, but nothing came of it. Having arrived at my gate, I popped on the iPod with a brand new set of studio headphones and finally got around to listening to the Gang Gang Dance I had downloaded months before. "Glass Jar," at that moment, was the most religious experience I’d had in four years. I was literally weeping with joy.

Point being: It is worth it to stay up for a few days just to listen to ‘Glass Jar’ the way it was meant to be heard.

Patrick Masterson

Heron Oblivion — Heron Oblivion (Sub Pop, 2016)

Heron Oblivion by Heron Oblivion

Heron Oblivion’s self-titled first album fused unholy guitar racket with a limpid serenity. It was loud and cathartic but also pure beauty, floating drummer Meg Baird’s unearthly vocals over a sound that was as turbulent and majestic as nature itself, now roiled in storm, now glistening with dewy clarity. The band convened four storied guitarists—Baird from Espers, Ethan Miller and Noel Harmonson from Comets on Fire and Charlie Sauffley—then relegated two of them to other instruments (Baird on drums and Miller on bass). The sound drew on the full flared wail and scree of Hendrix and Acid Mothers Temple, the misty romance of Pentangle and Fairport Convention. It was a record out of time and could have happened in any year from about 1963 onward, or it could have not happened at all. We were so glad it did at Dusted; Heron Oblivion’s eponymous was closer to a consensus pick than any record before or since, and if you want to define a decade, how about the careening riffs of “Oriar” breaking for Baird’s dream-like chants?

Jennifer Kelly

The Jacka — What Happened to the World (The Artist, 2014)

Probably the most prophetic rap album of the 2010s. The Jacka was the king of Bay rap since he started MOB movement. He was always generous with his time, and clique albums were pouring out of The Jacka and his disciples every few months. Even some of his own albums resembled at times collective efforts. This generosity made some of the albums unfocused and disjointed, yet what it really shows is that even in the times when dreams of collective living were abandoned The Jacka still had hopes for Utopia and collective struggles. It was about the riches, but he saw the riches in people first and foremost.

This final album before he was gunned down in the early 2014 is full of predictions about what’s going to happen to him. Maybe this explains why it’s focused as never before and even Jacka’s leaned-out voice has doomed overtones. This music is the only possible answer to the question the album’s title poses: everything is wrong with the world where artists are murdered over music.

Ray Garraty

John Maus — We Must Become Pitiless Censors of Ourselves (Upset The Rhythm, 2011)

We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves by John Maus

Minnesota polymath John Maus’ quest for the perfect pop song found its apotheosis on his third album We Must Become Pitiless Censors of Ourselves in 2011. On the surface an homage to 1980s synth pop, Maus’ album reveals its depth with repeated listens. Over expertly constructed layers of vintage keyboards, Maus’ oft-stentorian baritone alternately intones and croons deceptively simple couplets that blur the line between sincerity and provocation. Lurking beneath the smooth surface Maus uses Baroque musical tropes that give the record a liturgical atmosphere that reinforces the Gregorian repetition of his lyrics. The tension between the radical ironic banality of the words and the deeply serious nature of the music and voice makes We Must Become Pitiless Censors of Ourselves an oddly compelling collection that interrogates the very notion of taste and serves an apt soundtrack to the post-truth age.

Andrew Forell

Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society — Mandatory Reality (Eremite, 2019)

Mandatory Reality by Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society

Any one of the albums that Joshua Abrams has made under the Natural Information Society banner could have made this list. While each has a particular character, they share common essences of sound and spirit. Abrams made his bones playing bass with Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Mike Reed, Fred Anderson, Chad Taylor, and many others, but in the Society his main instrument is the guimbri, a three-stringed bass lute from Morocco. He uses it to braid melody, groove, and tone into complex strands of sound that feel like they might never end. Mandatory Reality is the album where he delivers on the promise of that sound. Its centerpiece is “Finite,” a forty-minute long performance by an eight-person, all-acoustic version of Natural Information Society. It has become the main and often sole piece that the Society plays. Put the needle down and at first it sounds like you are hearing some ensemble that Don Cherry might have convened negotiating a lost Steve Reich composition. But as the music winds patiently onwards, strings, drums, horns, and harmonium rise in turn to the surface. These aren’t solos in the jazz sense so much as individual invitations for the audience to ease deeper into the sonic entirety. The music doesn’t end when the record does, but keeps manifesting with each performance. Mandatory Reality is a nodal point in an endless stream of sound that courses through the collective unconscious, periodically surfacing in order to engage new listeners and take them to the source.

Bill Meyer

Mansions — Doom Loop (Clifton Motel, 2013)

I knew nothing about Mansions when I first heard about this record; I can’t even remember how I heard about this record. But I liked the name of the album and the album art, so I listened to it. Sometimes the most important records in your decade have as much to do with you as with them. I’d been frantically looking for a job for nearly two years at that point, the severance and my access Ontario’s Employment Insurance program (basically, you pay in every paycheck, and then have ~8 months of support if you’re unemployed) had both ran out. I was living with a friend in Toronto sponsoring my American wife into the country (fun fact: they don’t care if you have an income when you do that), feeling the walls close in a little each day, sure I was going to wind up one of those kids who had to move back to the small town I’d left and a parent’s house. There were multiple days I’d send out 10+ applications and then walk around my neighbourhood blasting “Climbers” and “Out for Blood” through my earbuds, cueing up “La Dentista” again and dreaming of revenge… on what? Capitalism? There was no more proximate target in view. That’s not to say that Doom Loop is necessarily about being poor or about the shit hand my generation (I fit, just barely) got in the job market, or anything like that; but for me it is about the almost literal doom loop of that worst six months, and I still can’t listen to “The Economist” without my blood pressure spiking a little.

Ian Mathers

Protomartyr — Under Colour of Official Right (Hardly Art, 2014)

Under Color of Official Right by Protomartyr

By my count, Protomartyr made not one but four great albums in the 2010s, racking up a string of rhythmically unstoppable, intellectually challenging discs with absolute commitment and intent. I caught whiff of the band in 2012, while helping out with editing the old Dusted. Jon Treneff’s review of All Passion No Technique told a story of exhilarant discovery; I read it and immediately wanted in. The conversion event, though, came two years later, with the stupendous Under Color of Official Right, all Wire-y rampage and Fall-spittled-bile, a rattletrap construction of every sort of punk rock held together by the preening contempt of black-suited Joe Casey. Doug Mosurock reviewed it for us, concluding, “Poppier than expected, but still covered in burrs, and adeptly analyzing the pain and suffering of their city and this year’s edition of the society that judges it, Protomartyr has raised the bar high enough for any bands to follow, so high that most won’t even know it’s there.” Except here’s the thing: Protomartyr jumped that bar two more times this decade, and there’s no reason to believe that they won’t do it again. The industry turned on the kind of bands with four working class dudes who can play a while ago, but this is the band of the 2010s anyway.

Jennifer Kelly

Tau Ceti IV — Satan, You’re the God of This Age, but Your Reign Is Ending (Cold Vomit, 2018)

Satan, You're The God of This Age But Your Reign is Ending by Tau Ceti IV

This decade was full of takes on American primitive guitar. Some were pretty good, a few were great, many were forgettable, and then there was this overlooked gem from Jordan Darby of Uranium Orchard. Satan, You’re the God of This Age, but Your Reign Is Ending is an antidote to bland genre exercises. Like John Fahey, Darby has a distinct voice and style, as well as a sense of humor. Also like Fahey, his playing incorporates diverse influences in subtle but pronounced ways. American primitive itself isn’t a staid template. Though there are also plenty of beautiful, dare I say pastoral moments, which still stand out for being genuinely evocative.

Darby’s background in aggressive electric guitar music partly explains his approach. (Not sure if he’s the only ex-hardcore guy to go in this direction, but there can’t be many.) His playing is heavier than one might expect, but it feels natural, not like he’s just playing metal riffs on an acoustic guitar. But heaviness isn’t the only difference. Like his other projects, Satan is wonderfully off-kilter. This album’s strangeness isn’t reducible to component parts, but here are two representative examples: “The Wind Cries Mary” gradually encroaches on the last track, and throughout, the microphone picks up more string noise than most would consider tasteful. It all works, or at least it’s never boring.

Ethan Milititisky

Z-Ro — The Crown (Rap-a-Lot, 2014)

When singing in rap was outsourced to pop singers and Auto Tune, Z-Ro remained true to his self, singing even more than he ever did. He did his hooks and his verses himself, and no singing could harm his image as a hustler moonlighting as a rapper. He can’t be copied exactly because of his gift, to combine singing soft and rapping hard. It’s a sort of common wisdom that he recorded his best material in the previous decade, yet quite apart from hundreds of artists that continued to capitalize on their fame he re-invented himself all the past decade, making songs that didn’t sound like each other out of the same raw material. The Crown is a tough pick because since his post-prison output he made solid discs one after each other.

Ray Garraty

#dusted magazine #best of 2010s #brian eno #marc medwin #cate le bon #ben donnelly #EMA #ian mathers #the field #andrew forell #gang gang dance #patrick masterson #heron oblivion #jennifer kelly #the jacka #ray garraty #john maus #joshua abrams #bill meyer #mansions #protomartyr #tau ceti iv #Ethan Milititsky #z-ro #converge #jonathan shaw

[blackkudos]

Chance the Rapper

Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and activist.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Chance the Rapper released his debut mixtape 10 Day in 2012. He began to gain mainstream recognition in 2013 after releasing his second mixtape, Acid Rap, which gained critical praise. He then released his third mixtape, Coloring Book, in 2016, which garnered further critical acclaim and attention. It earned him three Grammy Awards, including the award for Best Rap Album; upon winning, it became the first streaming-only album to win a Grammy Award, and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. His debut studio album The Big Day was released on July 26, 2019.

Alongside his solo career, Chance the Rapper is a member of the Chicago collective Savemoney, and is the vocalist for the band the Social Experiment; they released the album Surf in May 2015, led by trumpeter Nico Segal. He is also involved in social activism in the Chicago community where he resides.

Early life

Chancelor Johnathan Bennett was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ken Williams-Bennett, was an aide to the late Chicago mayor Harold Washington and then-Senator Barack Obama. His mother, Lisa Bennett, worked for the Illinois Attorney General. Bennett grew up in the middle-class neighborhood of West Chatham on Chicago's South Side. When Bennett was sixteen, his father began to work in the Department of Labor during President Barack Obama's first term. Bennett personally met President Obama in his youth and discussed his aspirations to be a rapper, to which Obama responded with "word". Bennett was originally going to move to Washington, D.C. following Obama's win in the 2008 presidential election, though those plans eventually fell through. Bennett attended Jones College Prep High School where he was a member of the Jewish Student Union.

Bennett's interest in music began with Michael Jackson, who he exclusively listened to on cassettes until the fifth grade. Growing up, Bennett's parents were constantly playing music, including Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke and other artists in the jazz and gospel genres. Bennett began listening to hip-hop after hearing "Through the Wire" by Kanye West on the radio while walking through Hyde Park, Chicago. After finding out the song was on West's debut album The College Dropout, Bennett purchased the album, making it the first hip-hop album that Bennett listened to. Bennett considers West a huge influence on him and has said that he was inspired to begin rapping by West. Bennett and West met each other in August 2014 at Bonnaroo Music Festival.

Bennett began rapping in the sixth grade when his cousin let him start using his studio. In his freshman year at Jones College Prep High School, Bennett formed the hip-hop duo Instrumentality alongside a friend. Many of Chance's earliest performances took place at the YOUmedia Lyricist Loft at Harold Washington Library in Chicago. After placing second in a local songwriting contest, Bennett met then-Chicago Mayor, Richard M. Daley who enjoyed his music. Bennett spent most of his junior year and a small amount of his senior year writing a draft for his debut project, 10 Day, which was later released after Bennett was suspended for ten days after being caught smoking cannabis.

Music career

2011–2012: Career beginnings and

10 Day

At Jones College Prep High School, some of his teachers ridiculed his aspirations to become a musician. In early 2011 during his senior year, following a 10-day suspension for marijuana possession on campus, Bennett recorded his first full-length project, a mixtape entitled 10 Day (also known as #10Day). In December 2011, he released a song titled "Windows", and publicly announced his 10 Day project. In February 2012, Bennett was highlighted as one of Complex magazine's "10 New Chicago Rappers to Watch Out For". Bennett says he spent "about eight months recording, writing, and making connections off of the hunger to put out something". Bennett released the mixtape on April 3, 2012, and it has since been downloaded over 500,000 times via mixtape-sharing site DatPiff. The mixtape was well-received locally and helped Bennett make connections with producers such as Chuck Inglish, Kenny Jame$ and Blended Babies. The mixtape also grabbed the attention of Forbes magazine, which featured it in the publication's Cheap Tunes column.

2012–2015: Acid Rap and The Social Experiment

In July 2012, Bennett appeared on American rapper Childish Gambino's sixth mixtape, Royalty, on the track "They Don't Like Me". Gambino would go on to ask Bennett to join on his first concert tour of North America as his opening act.

On April 30, 2013, Bennett released his second mixtape, Acid Rap, on DatPiff. The record has been downloaded over 1.5 million times. Bennett enlisted guest appearances from Twista, Vic Mensa, Saba, BJ the Chicago Kid, Action Bronson, Childish Gambino and Ab-Soul. Acid Rap was well-received by critics. At Metacritic, the mixtape received an average score of 86, based on 21 critics, which indicates "universal acclaim". It was nominated for Best Mixtape at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. On May 6, 2013, the song "Paranoia" (produced by Nosaj Thing), after initially being featured as a hidden track on Acid Rap, was released as a contribution to Yours Truly and Adidas originals' "Songs from Scratch" series.

In June 2013, Bennett was featured in a commercial for MySpace as part of their relaunch, alongside fellow American rappers Mac Miller, Pharrell Williams and Schoolboy Q, among others. In July 2013, Acid Rap debuted at number 63 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, due to downloads on iTunes and Amazon. In August 2013, Bennett performed at the Chicago music festival Lollapalooza. Acid Rap was listed on multiple 50 best albums of 2013 lists, including 26th for Rolling Stone, 12th on Pitchfork's list, and ranked 4th by Complex. It was also listed as one of NPR Music's 50 Favorite Albums of 2013. Bennett began his Social Experiment Tour in Champaign, Illinois, on October 25, 2013, lasting until December 19, 2013.

In March 2014, Bennett appeared in a shoppable online video for Dockers, promoting the brand's spring line, in which Bennett talks his style, love for creating music, and how it feels to live in Los Angeles. On May 5, 2014, XXL revealed Bennett was included in their annual freshman class, alongside fellow up-and-comers Isaiah Rashad, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan, Vic Mensa, August Alsina, Troy Ave, Kevin Gates, Lil Bibby, Jon Connor, Lil Durk and Jarren Benton. During Fall 2014, Bennett and other artists participated in Verge Campus tour. In November 2014, Bennett was presented Chicago's "Outstanding Youth of the Year Award" by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

In January 2015, Bennett was listed number 7 on the "Forbes 30 Under 30" 2015 music list. In March 2015, Bennett released a short film called Mr. Happy, which was directed by Colin Tilley. Mr. Happy centers around the main character, named Victor, who is struggling from depression and was attempting to commit suicide. After many failed attempts to kill himself, he discovers Mr. Happy. On April 30, 2015, Bennett gave a lecture at Harvard University's Hiphop Archive & Research Institute. Just before midnight on May 28, 2015, Surf was released for free on the American iTunes store as an iTunes Exclusive. The album received high acclaim from music critics, receiving an aggregate score of 86 on review site Metacritic, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 17 reviews. In June 2015, Bennett performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in the superjam concert collection. He also made a guest performance with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, on stage with Earth, Wind & Fire. On July 19, 2015, Bennett and Lil B announced that they recorded a collaborative mixtape. The two rappers released it on August 5, titled Free (Based Freestyles Mixtape).

On October 13, 2015, Bennett released a video for a new song, titled "Family Matters", on his website. The song, which shares the same name as his fall 2015 tour with D.R.A.M., Metro Boomin, Towkio (and Hiatus Kaiyote on select dates), is a rework of the Kanye West song "Family Business" from his 2004 album The College Dropout. A few days before this, a video surfaced online of Bennett performing a new song live, ending the song by saying the words "third mixtape", leading many to believe the wait might be coming to a close for his next release. On October 27, 2015, Bennett premiered a new song, titled "Angels" featuring Saba, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. On December 12, 2015, Bennett performed on Saturday Night Live, on a new song, titled "Somewhere in Paradise".

2016–present: Coloring Book and The Big Day

In 2016, Bennett was a prominent figure on Kanye West's album The Life of Pablo, co-writing and appearing on several tracks, including "Ultralight Beam", "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1", "Famous", "Feedback", and "Waves". According to West, the album's release was delayed due to Bennett's desire for "Waves" to make the album's final cut. Bennett was also featured on a track titled "Need To Know" on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's album This Unruly Mess I've Made. The following March, Bennett was featured on Skrillex's remix of Hundred Waters' "Show Me Love". On April 16, 2016, Chance and other musicians, including Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes, Janelle Monáe, and J. Cole, met with President Obama at the White House to discuss the My Brother's Keeper Challenge initiative.

On May 12, 2016, Chance's third mixtape, Coloring Book (promoted as Chance 3), was released, streaming exclusively on Apple Music. In the first week, the mixtape was streamed over 57.3 million times, which was equivalent to 38,000 units sold, debuting at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart. It became the first release to chart solely on streams. The mixtape was met with widespread acclaim from music critics, and on review aggregator site Metacritic, received an average score of 89, based on 21 critics, which indicates "universal acclaim". On July 13, at the 2016 ESPY Awards show, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he performed a tribute song titled "I Was A Rock" for the late Muhammad Ali. On August 16, 2016, Chance wrote the single "We the People" paired in a Nike commercial titled "Unlimited Together", a film directed by Hiro Murai. A second commercial was released on October 4, by Nestlé, to promote the Kit Kat bar, with Chance starring in costume remixing their jingle. On September 15, 2016, Chance began his Magnificent Coloring World Tour in San Diego.

Bennett announced the Magnificent Coloring Tour with an event called Magnificent Coloring Day Festival at Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field, with a line up including Lil Wayne, Young Thug, Skrillex, Tyler, the Creator and Lil Uzi Vert, taking place on September 24, 2016, being the first-ever music festival at U.S. Cellular Field. This one day festival event also featured a surprise appearance by Kanye West. Bennett launched a campaign in conjunction with rapperradio.com to get his music on the radio on August 17, 2016.

In September 2016, H&M solicited Bennett to headline their new campaign. In November 2016, he continued on the Magnificent Coloring World Tour, but cancelled the rest of his shows on the European leg due to personal reasons. In November 2016, Bennett announced during an interview with DJ Semtex that he was working on his debut album. Bennett was offered a chance to sign with Kanye West's GOOD Music in December 2016, though he refused due to his popularity as an independent artist and the freedom of not being attached to a label. In an August interview about his debut album, Bennett said he may sell the album, a departure from his previous projects' free distribution format. After a report was leaked claiming that audio distribution platform SoundCloud was close to bankruptcy and had laid off most of its workers, Bennett had a phone call with SoundCloud CEO Alex Ljung. Following the phone call, Bennett went onto Twitter, posting that SoundCloud is "here to stay". It was later reported that Bennett was just reflecting on what Ljung had previously published in a press release following the leak. Soon after, Bennett released a SoundCloud exclusive track with Young Thug called "Big B's" to benefit the platform, a surprise move that was planned in response to the SoundCloud bankruptcy leak.

In February 2017, Bennett performed at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, receiving 7 nominations and winning 3 Grammys. His performance featured Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann, along with a gospel choir and orchestra conducted by Tom Brooks. On July 13, Bennett performed a NPR Tiny Desk Concert where he recited an original poem. The poem, entitled "The Other Side", was crafted on his ride from his hotel, in Washington D.C., to the NPR music offices and was written with black marker on typing paper. Chance also performed, "Juke Jam", a song off of his album Coloring Book, and a cover to Stevie Wonder's song "They Won't Go When I Go" released in 1974.

In July 2017, Bennett was nominated for an Emmy Award for his song "Last Christmas" that was performed on Saturday Night Live. He shares the nomination with Kenan Thompson, Eli Brueggemann, and Will Stephen in the category for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. In August 2017, Bennett headlined day three of Lollapalooza at Grant Park in his hometown of Chicago. His performance drew record crowds with some estimates making it the largest attended performance in the event's history. In November 2017, Bennett curated and headlined the Obama Foundation community event at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The event capstoned the inaugural Obama Summit event which featured special guests including former President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Andra Day, Gloria Estefan, Aziz Ansari, Lena Waithe, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more.

In 2018, he featured on "Logout", a song from Saba's album Care for Me and "Best Life" from Cardi B's debut album Invasion of Privacy, and released 4 new songs in July. Bennett performed at Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life on October 31, 2018, a tribute concert celebrating the recently passed rapper Mac Miller. On November 29, 2018, Bennett released 2 new songs, "My Own Thing" and "The Man Who Has Everything", and announced on February 11, 2019, that his debut album would be released sometime in July of that same year. During Super Bowl LII Bennett appeared alongside The Backstreet Boys in a commercial for Doritos with the two artist performing a remix of "I Want it That Way" In May of that year Bennett was featured in Ed Sheeran's song "Cross Me" On July 26, 2019, Bennett released his debut studio album The Big Day.

In 2019, he wrote the song "True Kinda Love" for Steven Universe: The Movie alongside Rebecca Sugar, James Fauntleroy, Macie Stewart, and Julian Sanchez, with vocals being performed by Estelle and Zach Callison. In December 2019, Bennett cancelled his "The Big World Tour" for the second time in order to spend time with his newborn daughter.

In January 2020, it was announced that Bennett will be the host of the reboot of Punk'd that will air on the streaming service Quibi.

Artistry

Musical style

Bennett has stated in interviews with XXL and Complex that Kanye West, James Brown, MC Hammer, Prince, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Esham, Eminem, Souls of Mischief and Freestyle Fellowship have influenced him. When asked about the gospel influences in his music, he also has stated that Kirk Franklin is one of his favorite artists, and his favorite composer.

Bennett's music has been described as versatile and uplifting. His music generally contains jazz-inspired melodies and gospel influences. Bennett's lyrics usually have references to Christian theology, his struggles with his faith and his upbringing. Chance incorporates choirs into his music to attempt to maximize the gospel undertones. Sharde' Chapman at HuffPost has described Bennett's lyrics as "creative" and "colorful".

Bennett often does traditional singing songs, and possesses a light-lyric tenor voice with an expansive vocal range that spans three octaves. Bennett's vocal range reaches its extreme low at the bass F♯ (F♯2), and rises to its peak high at the tenor high F (F5).

Fashion

Bennett's fashion style is a large part of his public image, and he has taken interest in the industry. Bennett has designed hats for the Chicago White Sox. The Hollywood Reporter has said that Bennett is "redefining fashion" with his style of generally wearing overalls and contesting traditional hip-hop fashion norms. Bennett wore a suit that was meant to imitate Michael Jackson at the 2017 BET Awards. Bennett was seen wearing Thom Browne clothing at the 2017 Grammys. Bennett has been known to wear a signature hat with the number three on it. “I’ve rationalized it to myself that it stands for the third mixtape, the Holy Trinity, and the three-pronged family of myself, my daughter, and my girl.” Bennett said in an interview in regards to the meaning of the number three.

Activism and politics

Bennett's father, Ken Bennett, has been involved in Democratic Party politics on the local and national level. Ken Bennett worked for Barack Obama as a presidential appointee and as an aide. Ken Bennett also worked on Obama's presidential campaign in 2008, and has worked as an aide to Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel and as 2019 Chicago mayoral campaign co-chair for Toni Preckwinkle. Despite his family's ties to the Democratic Party, Bennett has called himself an independent voter, though he has a history of supporting Democrats. Bennett volunteered with Barack Obama's reelection campaign by phonebanking in Hyde Park, Chicago and has given speeches at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

In November 2014, Emanuel named Bennett as Chicago's Outstanding Youth of the Year for his activism. Bennett's work to support Chicago youth includes hosting Open Mike nights for Chicago-area high school students in collaboration with Chicago Public Library, which drew the attendance of fellow Chicago natives and celebrities like Hannibal Buress and Kanye West. In December 2015, Bennett joined with Detroit-based nonprofit group Empowerment Plan to start an initiative called Warmest Winter 2016. The initiative raised money to give 1,000 specially manufactured coats, which doubled as sleeping bags and shoulder bags, and were manufactured by homeless citizens of Detroit, to homeless citizens of Chicago. In June 2016, he hosted the Teens in the Park event, a free youth festival on Chicago's Northerly Island that drew an attendance of 3,300.

Bennett co-created a new nonprofit called SocialWorks in September 2016, an extension of his Open Mike program which aimed to create youth programs for residents of Chicago, among other goals. Open Mike nights and the Warmest Winter initiative later became part of SocialWorks.

Bennett has actively fought to combat gun violence in his hometown of Chicago and in 2014, along with his father, promoted the "#SaveChicago" campaign. The campaign sought to stop gun violence over Memorial Day Weekend. During 2014's Memorial Day weekend, Chicago went 42 straight hours without a shooting. Bennett met with President Obama at the White House on April 16, 2016, to discuss My Brother's Keeper Challenge, an initiative of the United States Federal Government to promote intervention by civic leaders in the lives of young men of color to address their unique challenges and to promote racial justice, with other musicians, including Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes, Janelle Monáe, J. Cole, and others. Bennett started a Twitter campaign for May 23, 2016 using #May23 to stop gun violence for 42 hours.

On March 6, 2017, after a meeting with Governor Bruce Rauner that did not go well only days before, Bennett announced his intention to donate $1,000,000 to Chicago Public Schools in order to help offset the lack of government funding provided. Following this, a movement arose to try and inspire Bennett to run for mayor of Chicago. This was backed by fellow media personalities including musician Drake.

Bennett is an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, having criticized him numerous times and drawn comparisons to former President Barack Obama. During the 2016 Presidential election, Bennett said he was not scared of a Trump presidency. When asked why by GQ, Bennett said "You gotta just understand, like, shit has been fucked-up, right? Like, 'Make America Great Again', that's not a real thing because shit ain't really switched up for [white middle class]". Bennett endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on October 6, 2016, expressing concerns about the way she was treated in the media and also expressing that she could "fix Chicago" and led a "march" to numerous polling stations with thousands of Chicagoans. Following the victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, Bennett said "Trump was going to win, anybody in the world who's surprised by the election of Donald Trump has been ignorant of racism, and the tides and patterns of American history and world history." In February 2017, Bennett posted publicly on Twitter that he was worried President Trump was going to change constitutional term limits. Bennett has compared Trump's fascination with Chicago to "going to war". In August 2017, Bennett claimed to have a "bigger voice than Donald Trump". Bennett also became an outspoken critic of Chicago Mayor Emanuel later in his term, though his father had worked for Emanuel and he himself had earlier accepted Emanuel's support.

Bennett has been an active Twitter user, with several of his tweets on social issues going viral. For example, Bennett garnered attention from Time magazine when he tweeted criticism of an article titled "In Wake of Weinstein, Men Wonder If Hugging Women Still OK". Following Kanye West's Tweets announcing his support of Donald Trump in April 2018, Bennett tweeted in support of West's freedom to choose to be Republican, sparking controversy among his fanbase. Trump later tweeted thanking Bennett for his support of West, though Bennett disavowed Trump's praise.

In July 2018, Bennett purchased the Chicago journalism website Chicagoist from WNYC. The website had been inactive since it was abruptly shut down by former owner Joe Ricketts in November 2017, and Bennett planned to relaunch the website later in 2018. Chicagoist did not relaunch in 2018, and it is currently planning a 2019 reopening, according to its website.

In the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, Bennett was an active supporter of Amara Enyia. Bennett initially endorsed Enyia at a press conference in October 2018. Bennett campaigned with Enyia and made major donations to her mayoral bid. Fellow rapper and Chicago native Kanye West also donated to Enyia's campaign. In the February 2019 election, Enyia finished fifth out of fourteen candidates, and did not advance to the mayoral runoff. Lori Lightfoot and Preckwinkle, who had hired Chance's father as campaign co-chair, instead advanced to the runoff. In the runoff, Bennett endorsed Preckwinkle, criticizing Lightfoot as having worked against the interests of Chicago's black community.

In 2020, Bennett will be honored by Unicef at their annual gala in Chicago with the UNICEF Chicago Humanitarian Award.

Personal life

Bennett lives in his hometown, Chicago. Bennett once shared a house in North Hollywood with James Blake. Describing his time in North Hollywood, Bennett called it "ungodly". After graduating from high school, Bennett attended a community college for a week before dropping out. Bennett has taken numerous recreational drugs during his lifetime, including LSD and Xanax, but has since stepped away from them.

Family

His younger brother, Taylor Bennett, is also a rapper. Both brothers began rapping at the same time and have a similar style. Both the rappers also draw inspiration from Chicago native Kanye West.

In July 2015, Bennett announced that he was expecting his first child with his girlfriend Kirsten Corley, whom he began to date in 2013. In September 2015, Corley gave birth to their daughter, Kensli. Kensli was kept out of social media until December 31, 2016, when Bennett posted a picture of her on Instagram. In May 2016, after they had stopped living together, Corley wanted the courts to declare Bennett as the father of their daughter, requiring him to pay child support.

In February 2017, Bennett's child support case reopened in an attempt to work out child support terms and a parenting schedule as Bennett and Corley moved to separate residences. The Chicago Sun-Times published an article about a dispute between the two in March 2017. Bennett replied to the article saying "Y'all better do y'all jobs and stop worrying about how good my family is. Just a friendly reminder. Don't let anybody get between you and your family." On March 21, 2017, the dispute was settled out of court. Corley and Bennett reconciled, and on July 4, 2018, they became engaged after 5 years together. The two married on March 9, 2019 at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California with guests including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Bennett spends much of his free time with his daughter, and frequently takes her on outings. These have included a Chicago Bulls basketball game, meeting the Obamas and working out.

In September 2019, Chance's wife Kirsten announced they had their second daughter named Marli.

Christianity

Bennett is a Christian and refers to Jesus Christ in many of his songs. Bennett was raised as a Christian by his grandmother but later fell out of the faith. He rediscovered his faith when his daughter was born with atrial flutter. Speaking about the situation, Bennett said "[I just] pray a whole lot, you know, and need a lot of angels and just see shit in a very, like, direct way. And…you know, God bless everything, it worked out well." Bennett wrote on Twitter following the situation on January 31, 2016, "Today's the last day my old life, last day smoking cigs. Headed to church for help. All things are possible thru Christ who strengthens me."

Bennett has labelled himself as a Christian rapper following the release of his mixtape Coloring Book. Bennett believes that God is to thank for his blessings and his success. He has attended multiple dates for Kanye West's Sunday Service, most notably performing his verse on "Ultralight Beam" at Coachella 2019 and in his hometown at Chicago's Huntington Bank Pavilion.

Discography

10 Day (2012)

Acid Rap (2013)

Coloring Book (2016)

The Big Day (2019)

#04/16

[krispyweiss]

Corona, Corona: Bob Dylan’s Never-ending Tour Hits Pause Button Due to COVID-19

Bob Dylan’s so-called never-ending tour is on pause.

With coronavirus ravaging the United States, the songwriter canceled concert dates slated for June and July “in the interest of public health and safety and after many attempts to try and reschedule these shows for a workable timeframe this year,” he said in a statement.

“We hope to be back out on the road at the earliest possible time once we are confident that it is safe for both fans and concert staff.”

Nathaniel Rateliff, who was to open the shows with the Night Sweats, expressed “deep regret” at the news from Dylan’s camp.

Point-of-sale refunds will be given.

The 2020 concert dates would’ve been U.S. fans’ first opportunity to hear live renditions of songs from the forthcoming Rough and Rowdy Ways. Due June 19th, Dylan’s 39th studio album represents his first LP of new material since 2012’s Tempest and first release since Triplicate in 2017.

Dylan previously scrubbed a spring tour of Japan and has no dates scheduled.

5/13/20

#bob dylan #nathaniel rateliff and the night sweats #rough and rowdy ways