#every life performance every dance video i always feel energized after watching them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chibicalzones · 3 years

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𝐚𝐨𝐛𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐬𝐚𝐢 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦

⋆° where you transfer schools and join your new high school’s dance team!

...these are also just my personal headcannons if the volleyboys were a dance team instead in which some may or may not be from personal experiences :D

i was gonna do a fukurodani one first cuz @myhaikyuudump ‘s post triggered smth in me but i’ll probs make this into a series!

warning: mentions of bullying but it’s not explicit

post made by: alex 🍒

— oikawa

he’s been part of the school’s dance team ever since he was a freshman, which not many can do, and now since it’s his last year, the coach granted him the role as dance team captain

he loves being captain if that means he can boast about his team that much more, plus he takes his duties pretty seriously

is literally the type to put “aoba johsai dance team” “ajdt 2020” “dt for life” in every single one of his socials - instagram, twitter, facebook, etc. everyone needs to knows he’s on dance team

as much as he loves his team, they’re more known for and primarily train in hip hop, and he’s part of the handful that is classically trained in ballet

so when competition season rolls around, everyone would be part of the large hip hop dance category that they’re a shoo-in to win, but oikawa and a few others would have to compete in the small categories with 3-5 people in jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. which are usually extremely competitive!

so he’s over the moon to have you part of the team! not only do you blend in with the team so perfectly, he believes that you’re what the team needs to finally win in a category besides hip hop since you’re hands down so talented!

that way, he can spend his time at nationals actually dancing and not just watching almost the entire time

out of all the members, you probably spend the most time with oikawa

you expect just as much because you’re both the in the same dances, which is practically every dance. but you honestly do enjoy his company since you and him have a lot more in common, have a similar childhood, than the rest of the members

oikawa used to dread summer practices and camps but you makes it so much more bearable

would drive you to and from dance practices every day

all the time that he spends with you, he secretly lets you in on the “behind the scenes” action on being an officer and what he does all year long

because he’s 100% sure you’ll be captain your third year as well

is secretly anticipating the national dance pageant so you and him can win Mr. and Ms. Dance together

— iwaizumi

he’s co-captain of the entire team but he’s like the unofficial hip hop team captain because oikawa sometimes can’t handle the energy during hip hop practice and iwai just knows the counts better

he only joined dance team because oikawa dragged him into it but he needed up really liking it by the end

has casually danced and took some classes over summer to fill his time before auditioning and the odds were in his favor

absolutely loves the friends that he’s made through dance team and is definitely the type to still keep in touch with the alumni after they graduate

he always gets a center moment in every single hip hop dance they do through the years whether it be for competition, concerts, rallies, events - people go wild whenever he’s center!

when you did some research on the school and it’s dance program, you did some snooping on the members page and after watching countless dance videos, he’s the first one that you notice

but meeting him in person was quite intimidating the first time. it took you a couple of weeks before you could actually have a conversation with him with just the two of you

since you hang out with oikawa during dance practices and oikawa hangs out with iwaizumi, you end up hanging out with him a lot too. so you eventually ease up to him

you may be comfortable with oikawa more, but iwaizumi is the one that constantly checks up on you

all these years, he’s seen what oikawa has been through and he sees that in you. he really worries for you because he knows how exhausting it is to be a new member and constantly having to work your way up so you can eventually fill the holes once the third years leave

always takes you off campus to eat lunch or go somewhere to eat after school so you’re energized for practice later that day

he’s the first to give you his number and makes it clear that you can text or call him if you ever need anything

— matsukawa

didn’t expect people to know him for dance team but he’s surprised he’s pretty famous around school

known for the tricks and flips that he does during all their routines

actually has really good musicality but whenever he choreographs a piece for the group, he doesn’t know the counts

talks so causally to the coaches as if they were friends but isn’t a kiss up

thinks summer practices are too tiring and offers everyone to go to his place after to cool off

strangely enough, you got along with mattsun faster than you did iwaizumi

when the team started to learn their large hip hop routine for competition back in the summer, you were having such a hard time learning the dance because your body just wasn’t used to moving your body that way

and you didn’t want to bother iwaizumi or oikawa because you knew they’d be too busy looking after the whole team

so during the group’s free time, he would play the music over and over again and practice the dance with you, carefully going through everything section by section

even gives you an extra key to the dance room so you can practice before school

you can always count on him for help on any of the dances you’re in together

yells the loudest whenever you’re on the floor / stage. even when he’s watching from the wings

always tries to make each moment of his last year fun!

— hanamaki

joined the dance team his second year but turns out to be an awesome dancer and makes friends oddly quick

one of the few that auditioned to be part of the smaller group pieces for compeitions and got in

gets a killer turn section and always squeezes in a triple to transition into the floor during improv

despite only dancing for such a short time, agencies have come in contact with him to see if he was interested in signing under their talent agency but he always resigns because that just isn’t for him

all the third years have a solo except for him because he didn’t feel like it was fair that he wasn’t a “third year senior” and that someone else deserves it more

like you!

is amazed at how gorgeous you dance and knows you’ll be gracing the floor with your talent, getting all those gold metals, plaques, and trophies!

he might be a little jealous over you but seeing you being so passionate over the sport makes him work even harder to make himself — and the team — better

absolutely does not and cannot tolerate other people’s bullying towards you. he just doesn’t understand how or why people felt the need to be rude towards you. and have the audacity to voice it out.

one time when he caught a group of dancers from another school talk bad about you, saying nasty things that obviously weren’t true, he snuck behind their back and said in a low voice, “you know those aren’t very nice thing to say” and looks down on them until they run away scared

also deletes any hate comments on the team’s official social pages before you could read any

the very first time you perform your solo, he buys you a bouquet of flowers to give to you afterwards

and then during the end of the year dance concert, he watches you from the wings performing your solo for the last time and he starts to tear up because he’ll definitely never forget this year where he was able to watch you grow

— kindaichi, kunimi, and kyotani

your #1 support group

and fan club!

absolutely loves watching you dance

they all joined the same year you did and they’re all slightly jealous of you because damn, how can someone be good at literally everything

it’s almost upsetting >:( but they love you too much to actually be mad

they just have such a deep appreciation for you and what you bring to the team as a whole even though they don’t show it that often

learns a lot from you

when they first watched you dance contemporary and ballet, that inspired them to practice extra after hours so they could be ready for when they have to audition for dances later on the year

the goal is that the trio will be good enough by the time their third year hits and they’ll be the ones on the floor with you performing all the small dances

ever since you guys first met at orientation, you were all attached to the hip in and outside of dance. basically on the same playing field for next three years in terms of fitting in with the team

you’re not in the same classes but you guys all study together at the library on sundays because that’s your only day off

one time, the team was at a competition the same day as your birthday and they paid the announcer to say something like, “happy birthday to our best friend, dance your heart out!” right before they played the music for your solo

and during their last year, they’ll all gather around in the wings as they watch you perform your senior solo for the last time and silently cry together because they’ll really miss you

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straykidsupdate · 4 years

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How Stray Kids ‘Naturally’ Created Their Debut Full-Length & Achieved New Career Highs

All musicians wrestle with the balance between authentic artistic expression and clear commercial viability—with that heat all the more intesified for a boy band like Stray Kids navigating the fast-paced, real time results-focused K-pop industry. The eight-member outfit is known for their message-driven, self-produced work that stand out from their peers not just for taking such strong ownership in their output but for the experimentation that’s led to everything from increasingly irregular song structures to a small dictionary’s worth of newly coined vocabulary. It all makes their newly released Go Live full-length album even more remarkable as how it was not just their most organic output to date, but also led to a slew of new career highs too.

After two-and-a-half years and nearly a dozen EP releases since hitting the K-pop scene, Go Live has already become Stray Kids’ biggest-selling record to date in their native South Korea a month out. Songs like the bombastic, self-assured lead single “God’s Menu,” as well as the equally aplomb follow-up single “Easy,” shot up the download and streaming charts in a way past SKZ tracks have not, all indicating that the general attention and interest in the band was expanding as their core fanbase continued to be all the more impassioned.

While the powers above could have required a Stray Kids musical overhaul after the rollout of 2019’s Clé: Levanter saw a member depart the group, music videos need to be re-edited and songs re-recorded, Go Live instead doubles down on what makes up Stray Kids and reclaims their story in no uncertain terms.

I speak with Stray Kids members Bang Chan, Changbin, Han, Seungmin and Felix while they’re in the midst of promoting the album, energized from the positive response but also aware that their unique inner-workings and structures undoubtedly helped . They hold close to the importance of practice, communication, the community they’ve created for themselves and for fans—as well as their love of television and food—to create something that undoubtedly speaks for them. Some topics are still off-limits for the band, but what’s clear is that they’ve reclaimed their narrative and proven there’s undoubted commerciality in allowing for their organic creation.

Stray Kids say this album came out naturally, but what these humble creators likely don’t realize is the power in being able to not have your most natural expressions become something connects with so many people. That’s good business no matter the industry.

youtube

Jeff Benjamin: Congratulations on the response to Go Live. It’s your best-selling album, you’re rising up the charts, how are the promotions?

Bang Chan: We’re actually really, really excited, and we’re still really excited. Performing our new songs and showing people our music is really big honor. We’re just really, really happy. The fact that people are giving attention, particularly to our songs, we just want to say thank you to everyone. And thank you to you too, Jeff. [Laughs]

Jeff Benjamin: Oh, of course! I’m really happy for you guys, particularly because I’ve been reading you feel this album is the best representation of Stray Kids to date. Why exactly is that?

Han: With this album, everything went out naturally. From the preparations to everything we made, we just went all in—especially with our song “God’s Menu.” The inspiration came from different dramas we watched in our everyday lives. Every song on this album just came out the way it came out, really naturally.

Bang Chan: And for me, I’ve always liked experimenting with my lyrics with cooking metaphors.

Jeff Benjamin: Right. I mean, you, Changbin and Han are 3racha.

Bang Chan: Yes but with this album, a lot of things came out really naturally and on the spot. I think that made this album a little more special. Before, with the I Am series or the Clé series, we would think about what we wanted to deliver as a message and then make the music. But with this album, it just came out—I’m not sure how—but it just came out from within our soul.

youtube

What are everyone’s favorite songs?

Felix: “God’s Menu” is mine because it’s not only a song with a concept of cooking, but the way we’re cooking is all genuine. We’re trying to make it sweet, sour, all kinds of tastes we want to show through our genuine color. That’s just something we’ve been doing from the start and so this concept really does match to our goal in life.

Seungmin: My favorite is the b-side is “Blueprint,” I know Lee Know and I.N have the same opinion as me too.

Han: I really like “Phobia” because it’s a song that was a neat challenge for us, it’s kind of emotional while also showing the color of Stray Kids.

Bang Chan: It’s really tough to pick a favorite because I think everything is really really good. But I’ll add one of Hyunjin’s is “TA” as well.

Changbin: “God’s Menu,” I really feel that it’s one of our best. When it finally got released, I got a surge of energy and confidence.

Jeff Benjamin: I feel your confidence “God’s Menu!” Even on “Pacemaker” I see references to past works; lyrics about going at your own pace remind me of “My Pace.” Are there purposely connections to past Stray Kids music?

Felix: From the start, we wanted to produce music genuinely. Even to this day, we’ve kept our pace steady to get to where we are now—we just want to keep what’s genuine to us.

Seungmin: We always try to be more confident through practice. To be honest, there were times that we weren’t confidence but through various attempts we found our own color and gained more confidence.

youtube

Stray Kids’ R&B side came out on “Another Day,” which was written by Han. The pressures of time is once again referenced like in the past tracks, but is time still scary to you?

Han: When I wrote “Another Day,” it talks about how we and the time we had when we’re preparing music and how we’re always feeling pressed by it. But when it came to this album, we felt really really confident with our goals and what Stray Kids had to show. While we were writing, we really had a lot of confidence.

“Haven” was written by Bang Chan and brings this message of breaking molds to really clear terms. As a leader, how do you inspire your team to take the road less traveled?

Bang Chan: With the song “Haven,” the concept itself, I think of it as a safe place for Stray Kids and our fans, Stay. Basically, a place everyone can gather, they can do whatever they want—they can sing, they can dance, they can do whatever they want and not worry about anything. It doesn’t matter what you believe in, when you’re in this special district we have, everyone matters and everyone is special. I talk a lot about how we’ve grown, but for me the reason why I’m able to have the opportunity to lead in this way is because the boys give me a lot of strength. I might be the leader, but I don’t tell them, “OK, do this, do that, we’re going to do it like this, guys.” It’s more of a “what do you guys want to do? What do you guys think is right?” and as the leader I gather all the opinions and go with the best option for everyone. That’s what’s most important about being the leader. It’s because of the members I can lead.

youtube

The first full-length album appears to be so important at your label, JYP Entertainment. You had the full support of senior label artists like 2PM, DAY6 and TWICE. Did anything feel special or different in that regard?

Bang Chan: It is our first first-length album, we released a lot of EPs, but what felt like such a big thing to me, gave me goosebumps and made me feel so great was having seniors like [2PM’s] Jun.K, [DAY6’s] YoungK and [TWICE’s] Sana come and cheer us on. It gave us a lot of strength and a lot of confidence for the album. A full album is really special, and because it’s a special opportunity, we wanted to put in what Stray Kids are really all about right now.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now. Are there any messages, causes or words of comfort you’d like to share with readers right now?

Bang Chan: We are really aware of all the things that are happening around the world and we know our Stays are going through it as well. We may not be close distance-wise but, luckily because we have the Internet and our music, we want to say that we’re always there for them. You can always come find us for comfort—just like I said in “Haven”—and know that we never forget about you. We’re always, always there.

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Source: Forbes

#stray kids #200715 #era: GO生 #t: article #t: interview #forbes

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uwua3 · 4 years

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Um hi! I was wondering if I could get headcanons on kazunari spending time with an old friend after being separated for a long time? Thank you so much! 🌸

of course! i’m sososo happy for this request :O it allowed me to get closure for a similar experience i’ve had, so this was healing ♡ thank you so much, i love you!!! (^з^)-☆

summary: sometimes, friends aren’t forever. nevertheless, friendship break ups were definitely more painful than romantic ones

warnings: angst, breakdowns, closure, crying, friendship break ups, hitting (jokingly), insecurities

author’s note: as seen in the title, this contains lots of social media (especially tik tok) references! please read this and understand, it’s okay to not be friends with someone anymore—not everyone is meant to be your bff, and that’s okay ! you’re okay ♡ (reminder: this is a platonic writing! no romantic feelings whatsoever)

word count: 5,267

music: electric love – børns

tik tok famous

🌻🎨 miyoshi kazunari

the kazunari you were best friends with was gone—instead, it was someone you didn’t recognize

you scrolled through the account tagged in an ad promoting a play in your area, the stranger familiar in a painful way. why you had clicked, you had no idea, but here you were: stalking your ex best friend’s instablam profile

it felt like high school again. laying in bed between four pitch black walls, with nothing but your phone illuminated by kazunari’s smiling face in a trending post. nights spent thinking about the artistic popular boy in your grade caught up to you even in university

swipe. another selfie of kazunari grinning with his friends. swipe. a group photo with his cast members, apparently. swipe. the same promotional poster for his company’s play that was just advertised to you not too long ago

you stared at the screen, mindlessly scrolling through each and every single post just to see his face again and again. there was no reason to, you hadn’t thought of him in years

but... why couldn’t you look away?

before you could end up years in advance of his perfectly structured feed, a notification appeared at the top of your screen

kazu-PIKO started a live video! watch it before it ends!

your finger hovered over the rainbow circle now around kazunari’s icon, hesitating due to the countless worries in your head. what if he remembered who you were? though, with a followers count like his, he was maybe too famous to even notice

when you decided to leave his life for good and ended the friendship before senior year, you never expected to find him again. you had moved on and treasured the good memories before everything became a mess, but now, all you wanted to do was see your best friend again

sighing, you decided it wasn’t worth it. there was no point bringing up the past, it was a process but it was time to keep letting go. you were about to exit his profile but you must’ve misclicked, because suddenly you were brought to kazunari’s slightly sweaty but energized grin on the screen

you could’ve left the live any time. pretended like none of this happened and you could never see kazunari again in your entire life

but... no, you stayed and settled back into your bed, watching the screen as kazunari talked on and on

he was wearing an elaborate costume you were sure he just finished performing in, his cast members bustling around him excitedly in what seemed like a dressing room. it must’ve been closing night, considering the bouquets of flowers all around them from adoring fans and more

“what’s up, what’s up~?” kazunari yelled out, a chorus of shushes in the background apparent even as he laughed. taking a quick gulp of water, kazunari said something to a person behind the camera with a wink and promise of hanging out post after–party. you followed the comments, all of them congratulating kazunari on his final show of the season

he was always the more popular, friendly, and extroverted one. of course he had a fanbase, he was meant to be in the spotlight. and, you... weren’t

“kazu here! wanted to see how everyone liked summer troupe’s newest play~ how’d i do? super good?” kazunari giggled, resting in a director’s chair as the mirror behind him reflected four other people trying their best to avoid the camera (wait... was that famous child actor tenma sumeragi—?!)

“you know... we’ve been thinking—” kazunari started, stopping with a loud protest when a towel hit his face. “stop thinking, you only get bad ideas.” a rough voice complained, the tone harsh but quickly turned into an accidental yelp when kazunari panned the camera to reveal a young green–haired boy who moved to the side to hide

laughing again, kazunari said something about how yukki–chan was too cute for his own good before continuing his statement, using the towel to wipe his forehead

“anyways~ isn’t it time for a mankai instablam?!” kazunari exclaimed, the chat matching his vibe by keyboard smashing to express their support. you wondered why that name rang a bell, but ultimately became distracted by kazunari’s effortless sunshine disposition

“frooch—” a quick side eye glance to his left with a nervous laugh, “sakyo–san! definitely meant that... i love you, sakyo~” a kiss was blown in the same direction and a defeated sigh of “kazunari...” was heard

“sakyo finally let us kids have some fun and get instablam for the theatre company! run by yours truly, but posted by everyone~ check it out!”

you noticed he dropped the username in the comments and when you looked back up, it felt like he was looking into your eyes again. you missed him, a lot

you followed the mankai profile, watching the count rise up as you got lost in the numbers. he wouldn’t notice, he couldn’t have, he would never

when the live ended, it felt like the room was suddenly too quiet. like you were missing your other half... you ignored it and went to bed, tired from social media

(hours later, kazunari let out a sigh of relief, closing the door to his dorm gently as his back slid against the surface. he hit the floor softly, his mood ruined once he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the recent followers again. he never thought he’d see you again, but here you were, following his company’s instagram)

(it had been a long time since he missed you like this. kazunari turned in from the party uncharacteristically early, just to stare at your profile. if only he could follow back)

you didn’t know when it became a habit, but the first thing you did when you woke up was check the mankai instablam. one thing led to another, and you’d find yourself continuining your day but with the casual obsession of seeing if it was kazunari who posted

over time, you learned the company members’ names just from the sheer content twenty (20) boys could produce. from following the profile to catching up on the blogs to every livestream in between, it was an understatement to say you were a fan

you never did follow kazunari’s personal blog, but he would always be your favorite. something about his acting and friendliness drew you in all over again, fighting to be the first to like his new update

sure, at first, you didn’t physically recognize him. he had dyed his hair now, a much more vibrant blonde with stylish and trendy fashion to make him stand out. his black hair and basic school uniform days were gone and only in your memories

but, throughout the years apart, he had remained the same. once a people pleaser, always a people pleaser, you suppose. you could never keep up with his intense energy and rambunctious vibes, he was a force on his own

mankai_company just posted a photo!

you subconsciously smiled when you saw kazunari posted again, this time a selfie instead of the usual group hang out photo. he seemed to be in a track suit inside the practice room, his reflection showing it was just misumi making a triangle with his hands behind the phone

(some part inside you wished you could’ve taken cute bonding pictures together with kazunari... but that time was gone now)

you were about to scroll through the rapid comments before you noticed the caption with the typical kazu stars and emoticons

“heya mankai fam~! ^_−☆ check out our newest tik tok account! @ mankai_company ~ see ya there!!! – kazuuu ✨”

you weren’t exactly shocked to see sakyo finally let the gen z kids of the ensemble finally get their hands on a shared tik tok account. switching to the other app, you followed and put on notifications like always

maybe it was following mankai that changed the algorithim, but suddenly your feed on tik tok was... different, to say the least

kazunari’s rising popularity wasn’t just from his theatre gig, but also his own individual account. of course he had his own content, you should’ve known

kazunari was becoming a well known tik toker who often posted anything under the sun. dance videos, funny pranks on his troupe members, and acting povs that were way too professional

you didn’t think anything of it until you had swiped through your “for you” page, liking anything that made you laugh and find momentary serotonin in the humor. as you were about to skip past one, you noticed the username

kaz-PIKO: like this and i’ll message them~ ☆

message who? you restarted the tik tok only to see kazunari was in his usual training outfit, the yellow and black tracksuit and gold headband as he sat in front of the practice room mirror with his phone recording his reflection

(you noticed it matched the outfit in his instablam post that advertised the mankai tik tok account a week ago)

reading the text that occassionally came in on screen, you held your breath as you made the connections

kazunari pointed to a corner where the colored text appeared: “i have this best friend i lost contact with...” next, a cut to black when he covered the camera with his hand. then, a quick transition of all the photos you had ever taken with him with your face covered with a sticker

(you didn’t think he’d keep them in his phone after what had happened)

“i miss them, they were everything to me.”

(he was everything to you before, too)

“i noticed they followed me recently, should i dm them?” the video cut back to kazunari who shrugged and it ended there

you released a deep breath, pausing your daily afternoon scroll to fully comprehend the situation

of course kazunari noticed. he was too perceptive for his own good, he could never forget a face, or username, for the life of him

but was this... a sign? a call out from the universe to have closure from such a long friendship that defined your youth?

you didn’t bother opening the comments, you didn’t need anything convincing you otherwise. you moved on, ignoring kazunari’s latest tik tok even though it stayed on your mind all day. you couldn’t think of anything else

never in a million years did you expect to find yourself back as your high school self, hopelessly wishing you could be worthy of your childhood best friend. this time, you were just a little bit older

kazunari took his ten minute break after helping summer troupe with moving stage props, sighing as he refreshed his tik tok account again. the views kept going up, yet, no like from your account

all he needed was a like from you, some signal you were ready to talk again, and he’d message you right away

but until then, kazunari pocketed his phone and distracted himself with a loud cheer for the snacks director brought to the stage. he would have to patiently wait for you to see

another few days pass before kazunari is doing the same exact thing as you—scrolling through tik tok and sending them to active groupchats and other friends

then, it happened

going viral online wasn’t anything new, but not to this level

thousands of comments made kazunari’s phone ping like crazy, everyone insisting on knowing who the person was in his latest tik tok. it seemed like the algorithim grabbed his video and sent it to every person’s fyp, because suddenly all the spotlight was on him to go send a message

at first, kazunari was overjoyed with this new level of attention. how cool! that just meant more instablam likes~ he hoped his art posts would receive the same recognition, so he scrolled through his comments only to see the most liked comment

wait, isn’t this [insert your @] from high school?

oh my god

your phone was going off consistently, the tik tok notification soind buzzing on your bed. you sleepily woke up from a short nap to hundreds of people mentioning you. oh no... what had you done now?

you opened the tag. it was the same kazunari tik tok you made a point to avoid before. but now, it came back, louder than ever

kazunari was generally tik tik popular, but not this famous! you checked the comments and noticed your friend had started this chain of tagging. of course they did, you rolled over to try your best and muffle your scream in your pillow

if you didn’t like his post now... there would be no more chances to ever speak to him again

lifting your head to stare at the screen in front of you, you had never thrown your phone at the end of your bed so fast after double tapping

(kazunari almost missed it, but when your username flashed across the top of his screen, he simply switched apps to go into his finsta to scream)

(whoiskazu: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH THEY LIKED MY TIK TOK I HAVE TO DM THEM WHAT DO I SAY JSJFJSJCJD HELP?!?!@!:!,!,’&@:@;’???)

(nottenma: please be a normal human ,,,)

(princemukkun: you got this, kazu! i support you!)

(misankaku: 🔺🔺🔺 say that)

(yukiruri: SHUT UP I CAN HEAR YOU FROM ACROSS THE DORMS)

(whoiskazu: no ❤️)

after lots of encouragement from the only two summer troupe members who supported him, misumi & muku, kazunari calmed down to stare at the open chat log. all he had to do was say something, anything, and things would go from there

but sometimes, a picture spoke a thousand words

ping! kaz–PIKO followed you!

kaz–PIKO sent you a message:

when you opened the dm after pacing nervously in your room for a good minute or so, you subconsciously let out a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but laugh

of course, only kazunari would send you a meme of a bunch of pink hearts

it was like time never passed between you two. one meme led to another anecdote of gen z humor and before you knew it, it was like you guys were friends again

things were always easier over text, however, so when kazunari suggested you both meet up, you stopped typing and reread the text over again

kaz–PIKO: i’d love to hang out with you!!! ☆ when are you free~? :D

your anxieties were relieved for a moment once he double–texted a cute pleading sticker. it was so like him that you actually considered seeing him even if it had been years since the last time you both parted ways

it was too late to back out now, you both knew you missed each other and were better people now. university maturity was just a simply different time and place in a teen’s life compared to figuring everything out in high school

on the other side of the screen, kazunari couldn’t help but feel a little nervous on what he said. he was always too forward in wanting to interact with people, but maybe this was pushing it

he didn’t exactly forget you were the one who ended the friendship. but, so much time had passed it was better left unsaid. he forgave you a long time ago; you both had emotionally become new people with healthier habits and more refined personalities. what was there to hold a grudge about? (or at least, so he thought)

kazunari was just worried you didn’t feel the same way and he was opening an opportunity for you to hurt him again

“this is so not cool!” kazunari huffed, having a pillow thrown at his head after he stumbled back. it felt like deja vu, why was he always the victim of yuki’s aim?!

“yo, friendly mcextrovert, you forget we actually have work?” yuki rudely reminded him, but had a hint of concern in his narrowed eyes. the two creative geniuses of mankai were huddled around kazunari’s laptop to finish designing the posters. obviously, with fashion extroidinaire yuki’s input on color (yet, kazunari was most definitely focused on other things besides digital editing)

“ah, sorry~” kazunari weakly laughed, the look in his eyes not quite right. yuki hummed, unconvinced, before turning back to the screen with spare glances at kazunari’s slouched frame. the two of them continued to work in uncomfortable silence before yuki sighed, pushing the laptop further away while rubbing his forehead

“ok, ok, i give in. what’s got you so down?”

kazunari raised his eyebrows in surprise before quickly putting on his usual front, grinning as he flashed a cute peace sign. “nothing~ you’re seeing things, yukki–chan!”

yuki smacked his hand down with a very obvious eye roll, ignoring kazunari’s dramatic complaints about his unnecessary use of force (“ow! so not nice, yukki–chan!” “can you shut up for one second?!” “no, i cannot~”)

“i’m seeing you’re stressing about something and it’s interfering with our work. so, spill.” yuki pretended like the facade was all for work, but when he completely turned his body so he was facing kazunari, closing the laptop in the process and making sure there were no distractions in the process, kazunari genuinely smiled

“awww, is yukki–chan worried about his bff~? you love me—” “i’ll end you right here and now if you don’t start talking.”

silence, then the realization, oh, he wasn’t joking. so, kazunari rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward attempt at a laugh as he glazed over the details of his latest problem. yuki listened attentively, not making a single sound as he decided to rest his hands in his lap

“okay.” yuki finally said and kazunari did a double take. “okay?” kazunari almost couldn’t believe it. it literally took all his strength to be emotionally vulnerable for once, and this was the response? kazunari blinked before yuki patted his shoulder, though he moved exactly like a robot who never functioned around humans before

“how do you feel now?”

kazunari thought about it some more, reaching out for his sketchbook before yuki blocked his hand. “you know, you can’t keep distracting yourself from your feelings. it’s okay to be, not happy, all the time.”

kazunari stopped and slouched further into his frame, trying his best to avoid the effect of the call out. ouch, by the way

it’s not that big of a deal, kazunari thought as he fidgeted with the zipper of his jacket. the sound was very prominent in the quiet room now, but yuki patiently waited for an answer

“i’m... scared, i guess? people, people always leave me. i couldn’t be the right person for them last time, what if i’m not a good friend?” kazunari rambled for once, a weight getting lifted off his shoulders when he verbally expressed the number one fear haunting him. yuki nodded, clearly about to disagree before he sympathetically pulled kazunari into an one–armed hug. kazunari returned it, avoiding eye contact as he stared at paint stains on his shoes

“it’s okay to be your true self. mankai likes you for who you are, right? especially, summer. we’re friends.” yuki explained, and kazunari let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. maybe that’s all he needed to hear, because he leaned his head on yuki’s with a desperate attempt to not cry all over his friend

“you can cry.”

and kazunari finally faced the pain and trauma that came with a best friend leaving, closing his eyes and trying to stifle his own cries. yuki didn’t say anything again, just rubbed kazunari’s back as consolation as kazunari hid his face away from sight

“i, i just wanted to know what i did wrong. why am i never good enough? why can’t anyone ever stay? why is it my fault?” kazunari sobbed, curling into himself as he failed to maintain his usual composure. yuki continued offering silent motivation, knowing all kazunari needed was someone who listened and understood

“i... i will never be better. i’ll never be someone’s first choice, my efforts will never be enough. i want to be worthy of love.” kazunari mumbled, settling down as he realized the severity of the situation. it was the first time he cried so honestly to someone, he was about to pull away before yuki looked into his eyes with a soft smile

“you are, very much so. you deserve validation, happiness, and anything in between. your past isn’t your fault, kazu. what someone did to you was out of your control, it’s not an indication of what you’re worth.”

kazunari nodded, finding comfort in the words since they came from yuki. yuki stood up after a while and offered his hand, to which kazunari accepted and mumbled an embarrassed apology for being so out of character. yuki just lightly punched his arm, a new understanding between them

“i like you for who you are, never change, kazunari.”

(a hour later, you got a notification kazunari posted a new tik tok. it was with mankai’s fashion designer, yuki, this time, who were both wearing cat ears. it must’ve been an old costume as they did a “fit check”. yuki never looked amused in kazunari’s videos, but he seemed closer to him this time around. you wondered why. at least, they were both happy)

(when you agreed to meet up, kazunari exhaled and dropped back into bed. holding the phone above his face, kazunari rapidly typed back an adorable sticker before throwing his phone aside)

(muku picked his head up from a manga, coming over to snuggle into kazunari’s side without another word. kazunari hugged him back, burying his face in muku’s chest with a smile. he loved his friends so much)

(ping! another tik tok, this time kazunari and muku were reenacting a manga scene from some popular series with the audio from the actual anime)

“are you okay?” tenma’s protective leadership qualities kicked in, moving to stand beside his troupe member with a concerned expression. kazunari nodded, but his hands were shaking in his jean pockets and he kept scuffing the heel of his shoes against the pavement

today was the day. you and kazunari were reuniting after an especially messy friendship break up. the last time he ever saw you was when you walked the stage at his high school graduation, now, here he was, craning his head to look for your familiar face

the rest of summer troupe came for moral support, because that’s just who they were. kazunari let yuki explain the predicament when they all found kazunari pacing the main living room earlier, and they were certain the power of friendship would save the day

(maybe, coming in with very exaggerated disguises were a bit too overboard, though. seriously? a group of four wearing tinted sunglasses and all black in the summer caught more attention than necessary)

nevertheless, you and kazunari agreed on a local café nearby. he wondered if you remembered you two frequented this joint all the time in high school, for everything from late night cram sessions to needing a pick me up for working hard on extracurricular activities. he hadn’t gone in a long, long time. everything reminded kazunari of you, causing him to order your usual impulsively without thinking if it—you, changed

sliding into a free table by the window, kazunari held up a small wave to the highly suspicious group at the opposite end of the café as they all finger–gunned back. really... anyone could recognize their unusual bright hair from a mile away

(tenma didn’t even change it, he had the iconic sumeragi orange on full display and attracted hushed whispers immediately)

kazunari perked his head up if the door bell rang but fell dejectedly whenever it wasn’t you. anxiously tapping his foot, kazunari fiddled with his stud earring as he barely drank his over the top coffee. it had too much sugar, maybe that’s why he’s so jumpy

checking his phone, kazunari frowned. you were a bit late... though, you always did that back then. relieved, kazunari thought, maybe you didn’t change that much

missing the bell by the entrance, kazunari was too busy scrolling through his feed before he felt a tap on his shoulder. assuming it was a barista, kazunari lifted his head with a bright smile before it morphed into an expression of shock

it was you

and, you were barely recognizable

it shouldn’t have hurted him as much as it did, but kazunari stood up and opened his arms with a big smile. “hey~! thanks for coming, missed ya!” was his voice too high? too excited? he always worried about those types of things around you, but he just realized that now

(he was so caught up in meeting you again, he missed the mutters of summer. they were looking you up and down, already getting a bad feeling as they devised a plan to get kazunari out whenever it seemed uncomfortable)

“hi, kazunari.” you said, awkwardly going in for a hug before settling across from him. kazunari sat back down and pushed a cup towards you, smiling to the point where his cheeks hurt

“you still like this, right?” kazunari laughed but he felt like there were no air in his lungs. a part of him accepted a long time ago he’d never see you again, so this felt like reopening old wounds he neglected to care for

“ahaha... no, not really. don’t worry, it’s still decent!” you fumbled on your words, taking a sip of the drink only to reveal a slight grimance. kazunari nodded, a flustered blush across his face as he swore within his head. you didn’t like that order anymore? you loved it back in high school...

“haha... cool...” kazunari trailed off and it was uncomfortably silent despite the lively atmostphere of the popular café. it had definitely become busier since both your high school days, that’s for sure. maybe, that was a blessing and curse at the same time

tenma was about to stand up and pull kazunari aside, acting like it was an emergency, before misumi grabbed him with surprising strength. about to retaliate, tenma just fell silent when muku shook his head with a pointed look towards your table

kazunari swirled the metal straw in his order, watching the movement of the foam with unnatural quietness. it bothered him, not being able to talk comfortably as an extrovert, so he started speaking when he noticed you wouldn’t start the conversation

“so... how have you been?”

“good, good. you?”

“great! thanks for asking.”

“yeah...”

silence, again. this was becoming unbearable. kazunari sharply exhaled through his nose before pushing aside his drink, sitting up to cross his arms on the table with a serious look

“talk to me. we haven’t seen each other in years, but we are—were best friends. what’s up?” kazunari stated, hurriedly correcting himself when he caught your wide eyes. you seemed to contemplate it for a moment before agreeing, mimicking his posture with new confidence

“it’s... strange, seeing you again. i feel like i barely know who you are now.” you explained slowly and kazunari nodded, also feeling the same way as he rested his cheek against his palm. this was going to be a hard, but long overdue, conversation

who knows? maybe, it’d heal that dramatic part of your coming of age childhoods that you both needed

“same. so much has changed ever since we, you know.” kazunari replied and it was about to be awkward again before you responded, scratching your head with a distant look

“yeah... i’m sorry, for leaving you.”

“why did you?”

kazunari’s words were automatic, coming from a part of him that always wondered this when things got rough. when it was too quiet at night and he laid awake staring at his bedroom ceiling, he questioned why he wasn’t the best friend you wanted. or, when he drove by your old school, he often thought why weren’t all the good memories enough to make you stay?

whoever said friendship break ups were more painful than romantic ones, was right

(being abandoned by someone who knew him more than kazunari knew himself was... a turning point in his life)

you reeled back from the surprise, spluttering as you tried to form a coherent sentence. kazunari passed you a napkin, to which you took gratefully. it was supposed to be natural, everyone said that, but this conversation took effort to maintain

“you’re right, i owe you an explanation.” you mumbled, the question catching you off guard. kazunari waited, like he always did, before you continued, your voice clear despite the busy ambience. all noise faded into the background as kazunari listened to the words he wished high school him could’ve heard before

“we... we just were in different parts of our life. you are, to this day, the life of the party. the bold, loud, energetic student who’s outgoing, charismatic, and always saying something. i’m... not.”

(when kazunari was about to interrupt, you held up your hand and he sat back, realizing yeah—he did like talking way too much)

“it was hard... being known as ‘kazunari’s best friend’ and nothing more. you’re bigger than life, kazunari, i’m not like that. and, that’s okay, at least for me.”

“i just... i had to be my own person. spread my wings, be independent, you know? you didn’t hold me back, but i needed time to be myself and stand alone.”

you looked relieved, like this was something you held back for years. kazunari was floored, he honestly didn’t expect this. he truly wasn’t aware you felt overshadowed since he took all the attention away from you. a deep sense of shame washed over kazunari when he realized how lonely it must’ve felt

“when you left, i questioned everything. whether the friendship was real or not... or what i did wrong. i wish you told me before, but i, i understand.” kazunari forced out and it wasn’t a lie. he did understand, the fear of being forgotten and mislabeled. your reasoning was completely valid, it was for self growth and confidence (something he still needed to work on)

“i’m sorry for doing that to you. i never intended to, but i know impact matters most. i’m sorry you felt overshadowed, you were always my number one.” kazunari said and you reached over to take his hand, albeit awkwardly. it was comforting as you smiled with tears in your eyes

“i know, you were my first choice, too. i’m glad i was your best friend, i miss you and i love you so much.”

“i miss and love you, too, bff.”

(it was something both of you needed to hear, and the childhood versions of yourselves felt like they could move on. this, this was closure)

when you two catched up on university and everything else, kazunari pulled out his phone (which he hadn’t checked in hours after texting summer to go back to the dorms). holding it up in the air with a mischevious wink, you and kazunari both knew where this was going

“wanna make a tik tok?”

kaz–PIKO: always friends ♡

(it was labeled as a part two to his original post about missing his best friend. you and kazunari pretended to do the ‘electric love kissing’ challenge, before the audio cut to ‘sike!’. kazunari ran over to his phone to end the video, both your laughing faces in the last frame)

(it blew up, again. as expected of popular tik tok king kazunari)

regardless of the comments and likes, kazunari was right—you two would always be friends. it didn’t have to be more than that, this was for the best, and that’s okay

#miyoshi kazunari #kazunari miyoshi #a3! act! addict! actors!#a3!#act! addict! actors!#a3! actor training game #a3! headcanons #act! addict! actors! headcanons #mankai a3!#mankai company #a3! x reader #a3 x reader #kazunari x reader #a3! kazunari #a3 kazunari

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timetravelingheart · 6 years

Text

My Side of the Fence Part Seven: A.M. Imagine

Warning: From here on out, there may be references to sex and/or smut scenes. I probably won’t go too into detail, but who knows. Depends on where the writing takes me. Consider yourself warned! :) As always, feedback is appreciated.

“I’ve never seen him this way before,” Mitch mock-whispered to Morgan as they watched Auston walk from his bathroom to his bedroom closet over and over, trying on different shirts, hats, and shoes, leaving a pile of ‘rejects’ strewn across the floor and bed.

“Did he get hit in the head at all during practice or a game?” Morgan mock-whispered back.

“You two are not helping,” Auston grunted as he pulled on his go-to white tee for the third time. Morgan and Mitch stopped by after their afternoon practice to ‘help’ Auston get ready for his non-date, but he was starting to regret letting them tag along. He was used to taking their chirps, and usually giving them back just as well, but he had been on edge all day. If anything, they only made him more nervous.

“Dude, what’s the deal?” Morgan moved in to the room from his place in the doorway, cleared a space on the queen-size bed, and plopped down. Mitch quickly followed suit. As much fun as they had been having teasing Auston about his crush ever since Auston and Savannah met, he knew his best friend was really worked up about their non-date tonight.

“What do you mean?”

“You used to go out on dates with random girls all the time and you were always a cocky little shit about it-” Morgan’s quick reflexes helped him catch the balled up sweater Auston whipped at his head before it could hit him. “We all know it’s true so don’t even deny it. Seriously man, what’s up? Why is this non-date such a big deal?”

Sighing, Auston sat down on the large chair in the corner of the room and put his head in his hands, carefully avoiding the hair he spent a good twenty minutes styling into place. Mitch and Morgan waited patiently for their friend to speak, not wanting to set him off.

“She’s not just some random girl. She’s...I don’t even know how to explain it. It sounds so insane every time I try to even put it into words because we’ve only known each other for over a month now and I still feel like I don’t really know much about her. But I can’t stop thinking about her. And she’s not just some girl I want to hook up with,” he paused, waiting for his friends to make fun of him. When nothing came, he continued.

“I want to know everything about her. I want to hear all about her training sessions, her competitions, what she does in between competitions. I want to stay up late and just talk about anything and everything with her. This girl is unbelievably too good for me that I am so nervous that I’ll screw this up and scare her off. She already knows about my past and that’s obviously a hit against me, especially for a girl who already seems to have trust issues. She’s perfectly fine just being on her own and focusing on herself without needing anyone else, so it’s not like she even remotely needs me or someone like me in her life so I feel like I have to work even harder to prove to her that it could be worth it. That I could be worth it. She’s not just a girl. She’s the girl.”

The room fell silent for what felt like an eternity to Auston. No one said anything, but he watched tentatively as Mitch and Morgan sat stunned, seemingly mulling over his words. Finally, Mitch spoke up.

“Holy shit. You’re falling for her.”

Auston nodded slowly.

“You are so fucked.”

At 5:25pm, Auston knocked on Savannah’s apartment door. He had finally decided on skinny black jeans, a burgundy pocket tee, and a black bomber jacket. He felt a little better after opening up to Mitch and Morgan, and they were surprisingly supportive without joking, but now that he was at her door, the nerves came flooding back. He could only hope that he didn’t throw up on her when she opened the door. He knocked again, then stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels as he waited. When she opened the door, he felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

She was wearing dark wash skinny jeans, a soft off-the-shoulder hunter green sweater that brought out her eyes perfectly, brown booties, with her hair pulled up in a neat ponytail to show off her toned shoulders - she looked stunning.

“You look incredible,” Auston spoke before he even realized the words tumbling out of his mouth.

Savannah laughed lightly. He had clearly not meant to say anything, but it was so endearing the way he seemed to lose his sense of control around her. She had never had a guy look at her the way he looked at her. Like he was looking into her and trying to see all of the parts of herself that she held for only herself and few selected others. Savannah had never felt so truly seen before.

This non-date was absolutely a terrible idea. She was so screwed and they hadn’t even stepped out of her building yet.

“Thank you,” Savannah finally spoke, reaching over to grab her purse on the table next to her door. She stepped out in the hallway and locked her door, hoping that the few moments she was turned away from him would help her reset and find some ounce of composure. Turning back to him, she gave him a quick once-over, trying hard not to stare. “You look okay,” she bumped his hip playfully as they made their way to the elevator, barely causing him to alter his course of direction.

“Watch it there, little one,” Auston chided as he bumped her back with a little more force. Savannah laughed as she lost her balance, trying to push the elevator button. They stepped into the elevator quietly, with neither one speaking until they got into Auston’s jeep.

“How was your day today?” he asked as he pulled out of the complex.

“It was good! I had practice this morning and started going over some free dance choreography to really tighten up the program. It’s definitely not finished, but I felt really great about it today. How about you?”

“We had practice this morning as well, but it definitely doesn’t sound as exciting as yours. We just did some of the usual drills and trying to work out some of the line combinations before the season opener.” Auston pulled up to his apartment complex. “Do you mind if we just park here and walk over? It’s only about a ten minute walk. The last time we went, we couldn’t get parking anywhere near the place.”

“Not at all! It’s really nice out. I’d like to enjoy this weather while it lasts.” Once Auston parked in his parking garage, they got out quickly and started walking up the street.

“It’s crazy how energized this whole city seems for the season. Your faces are everywhere! I even caught a few of your interviews with Tavares.”

Auston groaned. He was always so awkward in those interviews and John was even worse. Savannah laughed knowingly.

“Don’t worry, I’ve seen Connor’s video of you dancing, I know you have more personality than you let on,” she watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye.

Auston winced and groaned even louder this time, which made Savannah just laugh harder.

“I cannot believe we made it out in time! I thought for sure we screwed up by finding the last clue first.”

“Sav, that one was all you. I didn’t realize you were so good with word games and riddles! How did you even figure out that first clue?” Auston was really impressed with Savannah’s smarts in the room. She was analytical and thoughtful, and he was content to just watch her go through her thought process with each clue. He was proud that he was able to get some of the clues on his own, but mostly he was happy just to be with her. He couldn’t help but smile over at her as they made their way towards the exit.

“Sometimes the obvious answer is the right answer. We were a good team though.”

It turned out that they were the perfect pair to do an escape room together. They each had different strengths and could focus on different parts of the clues to reach the end just before time ran out. Savannah was impressed that Auston not only recognized and appreciated her strengths, but actually took a step back to listen to her when she was thinking a clue through out loud. He didn’t try to interrupt her or act like his way was the only way.

“I grew up obsessed with any kind of puzzle, including word puzzles. I still do a crossword puzzle every day.”

“Every day? And you actually finish them?”

“I do! I have to, otherwise it drives me insane all day.”

“What got you into crosswords?”

Auston watched as a look he didn’t recognize crossed Savannah’s soft features before her performance face appeared, and he immediately felt like he had overstepped. He respected her performance face when she was in her element on the ice, but grew to hate it in these moments when it felt like she was shutting down and hiding a part of her away.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried. You don’t have to answer that.”

The performance face disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Savannah didn’t even realize when she did it most of the time; it was just a natural reaction now when someone she didn’t know very well tried to get a little too close for her liking. But there was something about Auston that made her want to share more of herself with him. It was scary to feel that way about someone. Her previous boyfriends could barely get passed one of her layers and she had always been fine with that. Until now, it seemed. She reached over and squeezed his arm briefly as they walked towards the exit. He really was so sweet.

“No, it’s okay. I don’t talk about it often, so sometimes it catches me off guard when it comes up. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s. At first it was really mild, but eventually it got to the point where she didn’t even remember or recognize my mom. It was really hard to visit her. Brain games are supposed to help prevent it.”

“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine.”

"Thank you. Actually, if there was something positive that came from it, it was being able to witness true love firsthand. My grandparents were married for over 60 years, and even though near the end she didn’t always recognize my grandpa, he still visited her every day. When people would ask him why he visited every day, even though it was so emotionally draining for him on the days when she didn’t remember him, his answer was always the same: ‘She’s the love of my life. And she may not remember me, but I certainly remember her. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.’”

“Wow. That’s incredible.”

Savannah smiled softly, clearly swept up in the memory of her grandparents. “They were incredible.” Catching her eye, Auston gave her a quick wink and a soft smile. He was about to say something else, but noticed the sound of rain pounding on the roof of the building. It was pouring. They looked at each other helplessly. Finally, Savannah spoke.

“What do we do now? Hide in a nearby cafe until it subsides?”

Auston looked out the doors and up at the sky. He instinctively moved closer to her when a clap of thunder rang out into the night. It didn’t look like it was going to subside any time soon. He had an idea that he hoped wouldn’t be overstepping.

“We could make a run for it? Go to my place, get dry, and order food?” Auston held out his hand for her to grab.

Savannah eyed his hand briefly. Thinking it over, she placed her hand in his and nodded at him. “Let’s do it!”

“I should have looked at the weather report. I’m so sorry!”

They stepped into his apartment, both dripping from head to toe.

“It’s okay Auston, I’m not going to melt. I’m just a little wet.”

“Here, let me get you a towel and then you can change into some dry clothes,” Auston moved quickly into his apartment, pulling out two warm fluffy towels and walking one back to Savannah. He wrapped it around her shoulders and rubbed her arms, trying to warm her up. Even though it was an innocent action meant simply to give her shivering form some heat, the air in the room quickly became charged. Tentatively, Savannah raised her chin to meet his steely gaze. He stared back, wanting so badly to lean down just a little to touch his lips to hers, but he was brought out of his reverie when he watched those lips and her teeth chatter. “Wow, you’re really shivering. Do you want to have a hot shower first? I can put your clothes in the dryer for you.”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you.” The moment now broken, Savannah couldn’t help but curse her chattering mouth for betraying her. She had wanted to close the distance between them and finally feel what it was like to kiss him. Even though she knew it was a bad idea, she couldn’t deny how much stronger and more frequently these urges were taking over all of her senses.

She followed closely behind as he lead her into his apartment towards the bathroom. She had never been in his apartment before. It was nice and cozy, and while it clearly had been decorated by someone other than Auston, there were little touches here and there that made it feel like him.

“My mom and sisters keep a bunch of shower stuff here in the cabinet, so feel free to use any of that. There should also be a hair dryer in there for you to use.”

Savannah couldn’t help but wonder how many other girls he gave the same speech to. How many other girls had been in this apartment, using his shower, wearing his clothes? Should it even bother her what that number might be? Steph had briefly made references to Auston’s past and while Savannah wasn’t one to judge, she couldn’t help but wonder where on the line she fell. Was she just another girl? And if she was, why should she care? It’s not like she could date him anyway. She had a promise to keep. She had gold medals to win. Eyes on the prize - a gold medal was more permanent than a guy who may or may not just be into her for one night.

While Savannah took a shower, Auston quickly changed into dry sweats and ordered pizza, trying to distract himself from thinking about Savannah in his shower. He had actually never brought a girl back to his apartment before unless he was consistently seeing her, which only happened a couple of times, or if they were really just a friend. Usually he went to the girl’s place because it was easier to make a quick exit. But with Savannah, he didn’t need or want an exit. He wanted to keep her here for as long as she wanted to stay - which he hoped was a long time. He couldn’t help but notice how different he felt in her presence. He couldn’t help but want to be the best version of himself with her, whoever that guy might be.

He was busy reading a few texts when he heard soft footsteps padding his way, breaking him out of his thoughts. When he turned, he was face to face with Savannah in nothing but a towel, her hair now dry. He hadn’t even heard her blowdrying her hair.

“Uhm, Auston?” Savannah waved one hand in front of his face. She used the other to hold up her towel, still shivering slightly. “Auston?”

Auston blinked quickly, shaking his head. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

“Do you have something I can wear?”

“Oh! Right, sorry,” he moved past Savannah, keeping his eyes straight ahead, trying not to look anywhere near her. “Here, I don’t think anything is really going to fit you, but these sweats have a drawstring at least. Do you want a hoodie or a tee?”

“Do you have a long-sleeved tee I could wear?”

“Here. I was just going to make some tea. The food should be here soon.”

“Perfect, thank you.” Savannah retreated quietly back to his bedroom to finish getting dressed. When she returned, Auston was paying the person at the door for the pizza. She noticed he had turned on Netflix and pulled a couple of plush blankets to the couch.

“Here, sit. I thought you might want a blanket. I’ll bring you your tea once it’s ready. We could watch something while we eat?”

“Sure. Do you like Friends?”

“I love Friends! Good choice.”

While Auston moved to the kitchen to pour their tea, Savannah moved slowly around his living room, taking in the decorations and pictures. She couldn’t help but notice none of his pictures were hockey related. She spotted his parents, two girls she assumed to be his sisters, what were likely his grandparents, and some of his friends. If any of them were hockey friends, the pictures had nothing to do with hockey, but just them hanging out. Now that she thought about it, she realized that the only hockey-related item in his apartment (the rooms that she had seen at least) was a gym bag near the front door and a Maple Leafs hoodie tossed on a chair. She made a mental note to ask about that later.

Auston walked over to her with two steaming cups of tea and handed one to her. “Just milk, right?”

“How did you know that?”

“You’ve made tea so many times at Mitchy’s that it’d be impossible not to know how you take it. I even poured the milk in first, even though I think you’re wrong that it makes it taste better.”

“Hey! It’s how my Scottish grandpa used to make his and he was never wrong about anything!”

Auston raised his hands in mock surrender. “I promise to never question the decisions of your Scottish grandpa ever again.”

“Good!” Savannah nodded sharply, in mock seriousness.

Auston couldn’t help but laugh at how cute she was when she wanted to make a point. He motioned to the couch and they both settled onto opposite ends. He put a couple of slices of pizza on two plates for them and watched as she snuggled up under the blankets, seeking warmth. She was swimming in his clothes, but she looked so content and warm that he felt a little guilty at how happy the rain made him. She was here, in his home, looking perfectly in place. Like she belonged here.

After finishing off the pizza, they were onto their third episode of Friends and had already had two spirited debates about what the best episodes of the series were (Savannah a staunch “The One With the Prom Video” supporter - “He’s her LOBSTER, Auston!” - and Auston an equally avid supporter of “The One Where No One’s Ready” - “Could I BE wearing anymore clothes?”) when Savannah turned to Auston. She realized that because she had been so focused on protecting her heart and keeping her distance these past few weeks, she really didn’t know much about Auston other than what she had learned that first night on the beach.

“Let’s play a game.”

Auston turned away from the TV to look at her confused. “A game?”

“Yes, you do know what that word means, don’t you?” she smiled teasingly, laughing as he threw a pillow at her head.

“Yeah smartass, I know what that word means. I just meant what game?”

“21 questions? I feel like I don’t know that much about you.”

“Okay, but what are your rules? Everyone plays differently.”

Savannah thought about it. She wanted to know about him, and knew it was only fair that he could ask her questions too. But how personal did they want to get?

“Okay, rule #1: You can’t ask a question that you wouldn’t be willing to answer yourself.”

Auston nodded slowly. That seemed fair.

“Number 2?”

“Rule #2: You can say pass if you’re not comfortable answering a question.”

“Can I make an amendment? You can say pass, or you can say that it’s a question that can be asked again at a later date.”

“Why?”

“Because even if we’re not comfortable answering it now, maybe it’s something we can work towards the better we get to know each other?”

Savannah mulled it over. What were the chances of his memory being so good that he’d bring it up again?

“Deal. And rule #3: You can only tell the truth.”

Auston turned away from the TV to fully face Savannah. The light from the TV and the occasional lightning brightening up the room every once in a while.

“It’s your game, so you can ask a question first.”

Savannah took a moment to think about a question. There was one that had been weighing on her mind since she first heard about it, and now seemed like the perfect time to clear the air.

“Okay, here it goes. I’ve heard little references here and there about your ‘past’ with women. Care to tell your side of the story?”

Auston coughed, sputtering the water he had just taken a sip of all over himself.

This was going to be an interesting night.

#auston matthews #auston matthews imagine #auston matthews fan fiction #auston matthews writing #mitch marner #nhl imagine #nhl writing #nhl fan fiction #hockey imagine #hockey fan fiction

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zenruption · 3 years

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That’s a Wrap! Treefort was Nothing Short of Amazing.

There are many things that can be said about Treefort that are testament to the amazingness of this festival. Every single band will tell you that they love Boise, the feeling of Treefort, and the attendees. I have heard it from every band for years. Ask any out of town band and they will tell you that the nicest people they have ever met is the Treefort crowd.

No doubt, Treefort is a top five US music festival. I think it’s number one.

Being totally exhausted, I’ll keep this short. Yep. I am super fun but getting super old. I’m not even going to edit this thing or bother uploading the pictures not upload to my iCloud account yet.

Saturday was spent as a tool around day. Meeting with and watching a few bands yet to be reviewed was the highlight and majority of the day. The “I’m beat” Sunday plan was a few great acts and home. Every act today was way more than I could have imagined, with the final two beyond incredible. There will be video.

This was probably the last real event for a while before we go back into another lonely and isolated winter. Unfortunately, the amazing, socially responsible crowd isn’t mimicked by almost half of our population. Every band commented. They were so happy to play and had written so much faced with last winter’s inactivity, most sad. Repeatedly, bands thanked the crowd for vaccinating and masking up but the actions of the selfish in the US might once again sideline these acts. For many that depend on touring for their income, it is tragic.

The start, and majority, of this last day was spent at the little Hideout stage. Freakout Records, had the stage for the day to present their amazing acts out of Seattle.

Getting there about 3.30 gave just enough time to watch The Seshon on the main stage. The Seshon really set a tone for the day. Acts would be either punk inspired, or R&B and electronica mixes. Every one of them was spectacular.

A walk over to the Hideout stage and Beverly Crusher (yes, a character in Star Trek, The Next Generation) was the punk that was needed. Punk hasn’t changed much since the early 90’s, but it has updated itself just enough. That’s what makes it perfect. Simply put, Beverly Crusher crushed it. Super fun!

I had come down for my new friends, Smokey Brights, who will have a full review and interview posted by Tuesday. Starting at 4pm, they did exactly what they do, and had done the night before, engage and energize the crowd. The whole crowd dancing and singing along with “I Love You but Damn” at the end of the set, showed the power of Smokey Brights to pull everyone into their shows. They have an amazing cohesion that radiates out to the whole crowd.

Two songs from Molly Burch, were great but it just wasn’t time for slow and sentimental.

Back to the Hideout! Acid Tongue is post punk inspired and rad. Again, throbbing bass, completely original sound in the vocals of Guy Keltner. As a feeling, this band also felt fun. The crowd agreed.

Ok, one more act before I’ll go check out Dawn Richard. Well it turns out this was no ordinary act. Also Seattle based and playing at the Hideout was Shaina Shepard. Shaina feels like those times when Simon Cowell says, “I never expected that” on one of his reality talent shows. I never fucking expected this. It was good enough to leave and call it a day because surely it couldn’t get any better.

Shaina is a powerhouse. Her songs speak of love and loss. She owns the stage with presence and a voice that is seemingly endless. This is, shiver down your spine music. Influenced by everyone from Nina Simone to grunge and even the classical influence you can hear in her piano playing, everyone in the crowd was in awe. Listen for yourself.

I thought I could have ended on Shaina’s set, but I would have missed one of the greatest performances I have ever seen in my life. Yes! Dawn Richard (pronounced as Rishard) is a talent beyond anything. Hailing from New Orleans, Richard was once homeless and she inserts her New Orleans background and past hardship into her music. She shapes a variety of musical forms that leave her almost without any definition other than spectacular. A mixture of electronic into the majority of her music and Richard utilizing her incredible voice and vocal range with everything from rap, R&B, soul… honestly, I can’t name it all and any single genre can’t encompass it. Dawn Richard can’t be defined as anything other than great.

Every person in the crowd was in awe watching Dawn Richard. While Treefort had been very light throughout the festival, Richard felt like the cohesive larger crowd that always closes out Treefort. The last performer at the Treefort main stage is usually special. Of every Treefort, Dawn Richard was the most special by a mile. Her videos are at the bottom and a must watch.

Her album, Second Line: An Electro Revival is a must.

And that was it. Ale Fort was torn down, the last of the food trucks were getting ready to go and things were getting quiet. As always, some incredible acts would play at a couple venues until close tonight but after Dawn Richard, I could leave happy having had another amazing Treefort.

Thank you to the Treefort Zenruption team for everything. Greg your pictures are amazing! To Lila and Jerry, thanks for your support. To McKenna, so glad my awesome daughter could be a part of it.

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rosedalemike · 6 years

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The Mood: Blog #5 "Perception/Loneliness”

written Sunday April 8th at 5:36 am Ever wonder what others think about you? Not that you should care what others think about you, but do you ever sometimes just wonder if maybe you were a dick/bitch to that someone when you didn't mean to be- and then on the other hand- way too nice/generous to someone who probably just talks shit about you? It happens to me a lot. It's probably one of the biggest reasons I'm traveling around by myself.

Not that anything specifically like that came up this week. I've just been thinking about it more as I've finally been poking my head out of my basement to get back out to play shows. Just kinda like 'what does this person actually think of me? Did they actually just enjoy this show? Would they actually listen to my music regularly?' Not that they need to respect me or anything for me to like them. And, needless to say, I'm extremely grateful they came out to support anyway. It just sometimes makes me ponder things like: who is my actual demographic? What makes our distracted generation listen to an artist regularly? How/why can I make a stranger who has no idea what I do be completely invested in my art yet people who have seen me grow this garden for years suddenly have zero interest in Rosedale?

Maybe some of those answers are relatable to reasons why I enjoy being alone. I know that probably sounds really sad to most people but hear me out...

Intro to sidetrack: I got into this topic with a long time fan at tonight's show. She was thanking me for being so nice and always inviting her out to shows. I had to tell her 'if only you knew how many people block me for that same gesture' (see blog #4). She was genuinely pumping my tires pretty good. Don't get it twisted- her boyfriend was right there the whole time and he was also cool A-F, as the kids say...

She went on to say how she used to hang out with Hedley years ago whenever they were in town and they were rude dicks. She couldn't fathom their conversations. As easy as it might have been for me to jump on the freshly-greased "Hate-Hedley" bandwagon (kinda punny if you watch Trailer Park Boys) It got me thinking that maybe, as humans, when we're in our packs we often come across as unwelcoming. Especially bands! The inside jokes, the anything-goes-ness, the gear-geak battles/bro-downs. Looking back, I'm sure Rosedale sure fit that shoe for years! And I'd imagine macho sports teams come off as even more unwelcoming to strangers. (there I go- generalizing again...)

But it's all perception- How do we perceive their inside jokes and harmless offside humour? Maybe Hedley were total dicks a few years ago, maybe they're not anymore. All I know is nothing really surprises me and I think even some of my favourite people get offended out of perceived context- not easily, per say- just out of common, outside perception. I'm sure I could go even more south and throw in some President Trump examples here but that dude gets enough external spotlight. And to clarify (before I get me a page-full of political/social facts that I have 0 any interest in); I'm neither a Trump or a Hedley fan...or Nickleback, for that matter...but I'm also not a total hater. I'm just saying they're prime examples of how perception and context have some serious horsepower especially in our ever changing world of social media/open-broadcasting.

Here's a wider, more harmless example of the two sides of perception that's a little closer to home; my set at Hard Luck in Toronto last Saturday. There was a high energy and big crowd in the room right as I was setting up. I played an ok set, nothing remarkable in my mind. But a very rare thing was happening; Humans were turning into Rosedaliens right before my eyes! They were feeding off of my music in ways only artists on the radio can relate to! They were eating up the positive message and yelling positive messages right back! The vibe was bliss! Nobody cared what anyone in the room might think of them. The phones were only out for "Eldorado's Climax" or to record/snapchat/livestream! After the set people were buying all the merch! I must have taken 15 photos with fans and strangers! Signed a few posters and CDs! Young, hip humans were telling me their stories! My tires were pumped way past any psi they've ever seen! Etcetera!!!

Then I played London Ontario at the legendary Call the Office on the same night of the week, same time... (The only difference with this given Saturday was that there was no Easter/Passover excuses in my inbox.) But there were a total of maybe 15 people there. They were standing 30 feet away of the stage. I played/sang/delivered by far the best Rosedale set so far this tour with a proud smile on my face and, although the other bands and their friends kinda danced and inched closer towards the stage, not a single CD or shirt left the merch bins. Nobody asked to take their photo with me. Come to think of it, I was even getting the whole "This-dude-needs-a-band" vibe.

So why did the mediocre Toronto performance get a way better response than the solid London set? Or even the relatively strong Brampton set that we filmed. It seems like it had nothing at all to do with me. It was entirely based on the crowd's perception! My good friend, Jonny (who is pretty knowledgeable with live music/performance/production), came out to both the Toronto show and the Brampton show. Even his perception was completely altered by these energized, Toronto meat baffles! Jonny thought the Toronto set was better. “You’re ready! Epic, prolific,” were his and his Toronto company’s words. He wished I'd filmed the Toronto show instead of Brampton. Kind of off topic (but, really, why I used the term "meat baffles"); Jonny also said the sound was bad in Brampton (and so did his Brampton company) and much better in Toronto. Where-as Bryan and Danny...and my mom... said that Brampton was the better sounding Rosedale show (and they were all also at the Toronto show!)

So just because I had a generous, high energy crowd in front of the stage in Toronto, I was worth something to everyone in the room. I even sounded better, in Jonny’s opinion. People wanted pictures, autographs, and merch because their perception of Rosedale was a promising one. Yet, I could play the same exact set on the same night, same time, in a more intimate setting with a more solid performance and have my picture, signature, and merch less desired than just a couple more drinks. The other two bands played amazing sets as well. I was actually, genuinely blown away, like, fanboying on Adelaide’s guitarist, getting chills from Mermaids Exist’s harmonies etc. But they too set up their merch table for nothing. It is a very common display of how people's perception is strongly influenced by the context of their surroundings.

The only person, arguably, in the room who felt...in the presence of greats- was myself! I know I played a legendary set and I'm 100% certain that if Adelaide and Mermaids Exist keep slugging away like that- they're gonna come built-in to everyone's iPhone 12s!

This “perception-check” is nothing new to booking agents. They no longer accept buy-ons. (Of course I've tried!) Money can't buy you happiness, or a loyal following. Agents, labels, and managers want their bands playing to full rooms only. Intimate shows (as in half empty capacity shows...yes, I took the pessimist approach) are only creating negative perceptions. If, by some stroke of Modesty-Miracles, some of these rock star agents did stumble into reading this, they were thinking "No shit, Shirlock. Stop playing small shows" 5 paragraphs ago. I'm just letting everyone else know; the artist is about 10% responsible for impressing/entertaining the audience. The other 90% is the context of that room and a good chunk of that context is just simply the amount of people there. (other smaller pieces of the pie; venue decor/layout, sound engineering, staff, house music ...to name a few.) Maybe all of this is very obvious to most people already. I just wish solving all the pieces of that pie were easy or at least in my hands. But the modern ratio still just seems crazy to me, growing up in the punk/emo scene.

I think maybe another reason it seems crazy to me ties back to the fact that I'm alone a lot. When I'm alone I have more of an open mind and agenda. I think this could be the case for most people. There was one guy at the near-empty London show who was jumping up and down during my set. He was alone and so stoked. He didn't care what anyone thought- a proud new fan! I threw a pick perfectly into his hands at the end of my near-perfect set (#pingofftheforehead, Toronto show inside joke). He's been messaging my instagram all day. He didn't buy merch (he might have if there was a big generous crowd there, though) but he signed up and watched all of my youtube videos today.

I think most people actually have a better time traveling/exploring/wondering out by themselves than they realize. I believe you're more accepting of different environments and cultural differences when you're by yourself. You're taking it all in and enjoying it. You're making new friends out of strangers who have no knowledge of your history as you have no knowledge of theirs. You feel like you can open new chapters of your own book and appreciate the fresh pages they're showing you, and consider the context. You might be thinking "so-&-so would love this" but chances are, if "so-&-so" were there, you'd likely be missing this too while off hanging at the bar or whatever.

When you have your crew/family/entourage beside you for every door you open, life can start to pass you by. You might be having a great time with them and jel with them like peas and carrots, but the element of wonder and discovery isn't quite the same. It's sometimes like an invisible stress and I'd even go as far as to say that it is the main reason why bands break up on their first tour. Bands aside though, I've heard first-hand stories of good friends traveling together that went through episodes where they were so pissed off with each other that they wouldn't even talk to one another for hours. Sure, it could be the simple fact that you're now living with this friend/band hour-by-hour on this trip (Egos clash, ideas vary, mistakes affect everyone, true colours flourish etc.) and you're stuck with them for the next however-many-days. But I'm certain that a group-of-friends/family/band living together in their hometown would go over way better than living together in a new city every night. And traveling with a significant other- well that's an entirely different blog for a different day.

I'm not sure if any of this is proven or factual. This is just me rambling at 5:30 am after a show. Another thing I hear a lot is "Mike, you just haven't found the right “one”/bandmates/friends". Fair enough. But maybe I'm just your classic degenerate- I could just be a weird lonely dinosaur that likes to roam alone. #lonewolf. But I think all of that coincides with the original point I made about being a dick to someone you actually really like/love. We've all done it, I'm sure. The nicest human in the world can be passive/harsh without realizing it. But as much as I think butting heads is inevitable when you're living together in uncharted land, there are friends that manage to really understand me and at least aim to dodge my weird pet-peeves (ie. guitar cases on stage). Of course, they can't drop their established lives/commitments to come travel around with me for months. So maybe there are layers to my solo-ness. (...loneliness sounded too sad.)

LYRIC PARTY:

Chasing the sun isn't my kind of fun I'd rather sit and catch snowflakes on my tongue When summers gone I won't be sad As you cling on to all the good times that you've had 'cause being alone isn't really all that bad - The Ataris "If You Really Want To Hear About It"

But really, even when there's no stranger's pages or culture shock to take in, I have some great times by myself that I wouldn't be able to have with most company around. I wouldn't be able to write this blog in my bed at 5:30am. I wouldn't be able to listen to my new demos and imagine them mixed like my latest releases with my Westones on my 2 hour drive home from London. That, in itself, could easily be considered insanely narcissistic. And so could this; I love hanging out with myself! We get along very well. My tastebuds can be pretty inconsiderate to my gut's needs, and my lower brain is not too happy with the way upper brain has been handling brief encounters with the opposite sex, but alas, we're working on it!

Another thing I like about being alone is that I'm pretty sure people like me more. Whenever I have friends around, it's almost like nobody wants to help with anything. And when I'm "working" away on something, a stranger might say something like "where's your friends? Why don't they help you with that?" As if to say "you need better friends, dude." It's really odd but it happens a lot and those little events tend to commit-to-memory for whatever reason. Kinda like that long-red-light that never fails to time out your drive perfectly. (One of the few books I've actually finished reading, "Stumbling On Happiness" (Daniel Gilbert), describes this human condition a bunch... took me three years to finish that damn book.)

LYRIC PARTY: "Hangman, it's not your fault Commit this to memory The bright ideas are wasted and lost along the way" - Motion City Soundtrack "Hangman" (I could've sworn {or swore??} he said "For bright ideas always get lost along the way" then I looked it up... didn't look up sworn/swore though.) Anyway, I guess this late night, scatter brained blog wants you to consider the context and surroundings when formulating an opinion/perception. And look at loneliness in a bright light. There are many positives. Don't ignore all your friends and family by any means, I'm just saying; A lot of people fear loneliness like they're gonna die alone and they need company at all times. "Alone time" is your most productive time. And productivity, as vague a term, is probably the healthiest form of instant gratification. So do something productive towards your goals the next time you're alone. And while you're at it, open up a new chapter to that old friend you later get to hang out with...

Yeah, this one was all over the place. Thanks for reading though. If you made it this far, you're a trooper and I love you.

Shows this week: Wednesday, April 11th - Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks - 10:00 set time, 19+, $8 cover https://www.facebook.com/events/321180534953651/ Thursday, April 12th - Kingston, ON @ Bar 56 - 9:30ish set time, 19+ish, $10 cover https://www.facebook.com/events/368799986934799/ Friday, April 13th - Potsdam, NY @ Hurly's/SUNY Potsdam - 7:30 doors/ 9ish set time - All Ages , FREE https://www.facebook.com/events/363889120774025/ Saturday, April 14th - Rochester, NY @ Firehouse - 8:00 doors/10ish set time - 21 +, $5 cover https://www.facebook.com/events/568521663507443 Sunday, April 15th - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Smiling Moose - 7:00 doors/ 9:00 set time, 21+, $8 tickets**/ $10 doors https://www.facebook.com/events/402443740204364/ Monday, April 16th - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop - 6:30 doors, 8:30 set time, ALL AGES, $8 tickets/$10 doors https://www.facebook.com/events/163297504327206/

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popmusicu · 4 years

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I invite you to give another shot to the Disney Brothers - The New Album, Happiness Begins

Hi my dear classmates!

In this post I’m going to be introducing you to my favorite -and the latest- album by the Jonas Brothers: Happiness Begins. This is the first album they recorded after their comeback, and it was everything I ever hoped (and all the other fans I know have the same opinion). I’ve been a fan of the brothers since I was eight years old, when I was just a little girl watching Disney Channel. The first song I ever listened was “Kids of the Future” (it was a cover) and I fell in love. Without further ado, let’s talk about the album.

This is the fifth studio album by my beloved brothers, and it was released on June 7, 2019, by Republic Records. While everyone thinks it’s some sort of R&B, reggae fusion or something, I believe it’s 100% Pop. The sound is completely different from their previous albums that sticked to -or tried- pop-rock or pop-punk, this one is a bit on the “dancey” side and it has a similar sound to Joe Jonas’s band, DNCE, and the solo albums by Nick Jonas. I love this album because it has an intimate sound and I feel like they really enjoyed making it and they had fun with it, going back to basics of just being brothers having fun and making music together. It’s like they fell in love with each other’s company again, celebrating life, love, and music as a family. They were again, the three charming, charismatic, and lovable man that I fell for at my teenage years.

Okay, I’ll stop rambling and I’ll go down to business.

1. Sucker

This was their comeback song. It was the single that made us say: OMG. How the tables have turned. They’re back at it again. And oh- A new album. *cries*

This song overwhelms me with emotion and energy. It’s one of my favorites. Also, it makes my body involuntarily move and get up to dance. The rhythm is AMAZING, and it is SO catchy it’ll get stuck in your head for days. To be honest, it doesn’t have a lot of “content” or great storytelling like Taylor Swift’s albums, but it’s so good to just jump in your room and let go. Also, the video is so fun because it is just them having fun with their wives in a deserted mansion. Sophie Turner, Priyanka Chopra, and Danielle Jonas >>> everything.

2. Cool

This one it’s not a fan favorite and neither a favorite of mine, but it’s nice to just lay back and chill in your room. I feel like it’s a summer song, that you can listen to while eating (or drinking?) ice cream and your room while the fan is on. Also, it has a lot of great references to Post Malone and to Game of Thrones. It sounds really pop but also has a calm ring to it, I don’t know how to describe it. You have to listen to it to know what I mean. The music video is also really fun because they’re having a concert in a beach to elderly people. It includes Nick Jonas buried in the sun in some sort of SpongeBob style so that’s also a plus.

3. Only Human

THIS ONE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES, oh my. This one really makes me all wired up and makes me want to go to a club with my friends and dance all night. It has some sort of reggae vibes with the trumpets on the background. The synthetic keyboard reminds me of songs like “Take on Me” by a-Ha, you know what I mean? Like 80’-90’ songs that sound like computer-y. Also, before the chorus it says, “so come on and dance, dance, DANCE” and I feel like I’m obligated to jump around and make a mess. The video is just them performing this song live and having fun but, I have to say it, they look SO HANDSOME.

4. I Believe

We got to the fourth song of the album. This one is calmer and chill, but with a great beat. I’m going to tell you more about the background: it was written by the younger brother, Nick, and it’s dedicated to his wife, Priyanka Chopra. He said that it was like a love letter to her, stating in the song “cause you showed me something I can’t live without, I believe”. This song is amazing for when you want to feel in love and in the clouds, like you’re floating in an ocean of good wishes and love letters. I really like this song; it brings nice memories to me and I feel like it has really cute lyrics.

5. Used to Be

This is not one of my favorites, but it holds a special place in my heart because I think it has a lot of emotions in it. I read somewhere that it was written to Demi Lovato, implying that they missed the person she was before, and reminiscing to old memories with her. It’s also a lot calmer than the first two songs, which made me realize they started with songs to dance and really upbeat, but as we progress it gets a lot more peaceful and quieter. I really like this song, when I listen to it, I like to imagine I’m on a road trip, remembering old friends and old loves, thinking what could have been but it couldn’t be. It’s a nice experience. If you listen to the album, I recommend you imagine the same when you get to this song.

6. Every Single Time

Ok. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this song. I feel like it’s reaaaally different from what I’m used to with the brothers, so I think that’s why I can’t enjoy it as much as the other songs, but I think it’s really good too. It has, again, that sort of soft reggae sound mixed with pop, and a lot of repetition of lyrics, which makes it really catchy. With this song I feel like I’m in a beach party, just dancing by myself and getting my feet wet with the ocean water. I’m describing feelings with the songs because I think it’s more personal, and I can transmit to you the way it makes me feel and can make you feel. Also, it didn’t have a lot of hype in the fandom for the same reason I mentioned before, but maybe, if you haven’t listened to the Jonas Brothers before, you can enjoy it, because it has a smooth and soft rhythm that makes it really nice to listen to.

7. Don’t Throw it Away

Yay, we’ve made it to the half of the album. I’m already dancing in my seat while writing this. I CAN’T HELP IT I really like this song. This one it’s more upbeat like the first songs, but it’s also about some sort of lost love, the one that could have been but unfortunately, can’t be. It’s like screaming to the other person that’s leaving; this thing we have, don’t throw it away, don’t forget about me, we can work this out. I know, it sounds a little tragic, but the rhythm, the beats in the background and their voices is just *chef kiss*.

8. Love Her

This one is about -you guessed it- love. At first, I didn’t like it, but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. It makes you feel like you’re in a warm embrace with someone you love and feel comfortable with. This one’s a lot more acoustic and it reminds me of the older albums, so it makes me feel nostalgic and makes me want to cry a little, just because I think of the old times when I was just a teenager in love with Joe Jonas. The instrumental consists in sounds like snaps of the fingers and some guitar picking, and the angelic voice of Nick Jonas is a really nice complement. It’s about unconditional love and finding the so acclaimed “the one”. I really like it, it’s really sweet and, in contrast with the previous songs, I feel like it’s more autumn-y.

9. Happy When I’m Sad

We’re back at the upbeat songs and really energic instrumentals, with some guitar, bass, and drums. I feel like this song is some sort of “fuck you” to the paparazzi and the media. It’s about other people assuming how you feel and how you are doing based in what you show to the world, and like “the other side” of being a celebrity. I don’t know, maybe I’m reading too much into it. I really like to listen to it when I’m feeling kind of ~edgy~ and submerging in teen angst because ugh, no one knows how I really feel, but also improves my mood, so it’s kind of weird, but I enjoy it a lot.

10. Trust

I LOVE THIS SONG. I think it has some sort of sexy undertone, starting with some electric guitar and the phrase “I don’t trust myself when I’m around you”. Like GURRRL you are dangerous, get away from me because, how the lyrics say, “you are bad for my health”. It’s like you are so attracted to this person that you can’t control how you act around them (obviously, with consent, folks). Maybe I’m getting too personal here, but I believe it makes a GREAT stripping song. I also really like it because in their previous albums they weren’t allowed to talk about sex or even make a suggestive lyric because of their contract with Disney, so I feel like they’re exploring something they couldn’t before and really enjoying it. If you want to feel sexy and seductive, I recommend you listen to this song.

11. Strangers

I like this song because when I think of it, it comes to my head the “STRANGEEERS” they shout in the chorus. We’re back at the drums and synthetic sound, but I don’t think it’s a song to dance like a maniac, I feel like it’s a song to think and reflect about the people that were really close to you in some era of your life but, because of different reasons, aren’t anymore, and they just became another stranger. It’s good to reminiscing old times, crying a bit if you just went through a breakup, or just chill in your room staring into space. It has a nice calm rhythm on the verses and it just sorts of explodes on the chorus, so it’s really fun to listen.

12. Hesitate

Okay, it’s time to cry people. This song. THIS SONG. I’m crying while I’m writing this. I’m going to give you some background again. This song was written by Joe Jonas for her wife and mother of his child, the wonderful actress Sophie Turner. It was inspired because she was going through depression and this song was to show her that he will always be with her, accompanying her through the worst times, and they will make it out of this together. It’s a really emotional song with some peaceful instrumentals, some drums and I can hear a bit of piano. This song is absolutely beautiful, and it has so beautiful writing, you can feel the emotion while you listen to it and it sounds like Joe will burst into tears in any minute of the song. My favorite lyrics are “I thank the oceans for giving me you. You saved me once and now I’ll saved you too. I won’t hesitate for you”. I think it shows how couples support and love each other, regarding their flaws or the obstacles they face as a couple or as individuals, so it’s really, really beautiful. You will love this, I’m sure.

13. Rollercoaster

This is my favorite song of the album. It’s the one they used to promote their comeback documental “Chasing Happiness” and it was teased at the trailer. I remember listening to it for the first time and feeling like I’m in a dream because my babies were back (sorry, bit of a fangirl moment here). It reminds me of the old albums like “Lines, Vines and Trying Times”. I feel like it’s so cheerful but emotional at the same time and it makes you feel hopeful, like everything’s going to pass and it’ll all be okay again. I listen to this song when I need to feel better while I’m going through a rough patch in my life or when I just feel sad and it really helps. The sound is a bit more pop-rock, but it also has some synthetic sounds that make it sound nostalgic. I feel like it’s them realizing they can have a good time with music again and trying to save the happy and shining moments of their success. I LOVE IT.

14. Comeback

This is the last song of the official album and I feel like it’s perfect closure. It also has that old Jonas Brothers vibe, on the pop-rock side with an amazing beat, marked by the drums. I don’t know where I read that it was made for the fans and it completely makes sense to me. Like it’s them saying “hey, I’m back, and I hope you’re back with us too”. It’s a really hopeful song that can be also translated to other moments of life, like trying to get back with an old love or re encountering with an old friend. I think the lyrics are gorgeous and I feel they were trying to get the trust of the fans back when they say “Baby, if you stay then I won’t let you down (…) Baby, if you come back now, I’ll come back to you”.

Well, that was my review and invitation for you to listen to this amazing album that maybe isn’t the best pop album of the decade, but it can cheer you up, make you dance a little and reflect on different moments of your life. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Love, Lisbeth Suárez.

#Albums #I love this #submission

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junker-town · 5 years

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Twitch streaming is a job that’s harder than it looks. Here’s how gamers stay balanced

SB Nation talked to five streamers about how they practice self-care while working demanding hours.

Twitch streamers are a different breed, especially those who are playing video games for several hours a day. Many are passionate about their work, but it still requires streamers to be mindful of their physical and mental health.

Most streamers are live for anywhere between four and 10 hours a day (sometimes longer!), delivering entertainment to anywhere from tens — to tens of thousands — of viewers. That time alone is exhausting, but there’s more to it.

I wanted to talk to streamers at TwitchCon who were family-friendly and maintained positive vibes. That type of energy is important on its own, but there’s also no way it comes easy every day, and that’s what I found in talking to these people — all who are at different spots on the same path.

However, they’re all making it work swimmingly, and their messages for wellness were unsurprisingly similar.

If you’re as big as Nick Eh 30, who recently switched from YouTube to Twitch, you have to balance not only streaming but competitive gaming, meetings, exercise, and events like TwitchCon all into the routine. I experienced a good chunk of this Friday at TwitchCon, and just watching him made me tired.

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Just your daily reminder!

A post shared by Nick Eh 30 (@nickeh30) on Sep 28, 2019 at 5:21pm PDT

Thousands of people watch him play Fortnite every day, but they don’t see the time that goes into managing his brand, the core of which requires making videos for YouTube or Instagram, which can take up several hours.

There’s also pressures that come with live-streaming itself similar to what athletes experience. ONE_Shot_GURL, who has been streaming for four years now, keeps up incredible energy during her streams. Her passion also fuels the pressure she feels to maintain that energy every day.

“I’ve built that community with my blood, sweat, and tears for four years,” she says. “People expect, at least for me, they expect a good attitude …

“So in those moments where I’m crushed because I got wrecked, or somebody danced on me or something, and I just want to lash out and be negative, you feel that pressure.”

SanchoWest, who has been streaming for five years now, loves gaming, and it shows in his broadcasts. He says he looks at live-streaming as a form of entertainment and takes pride in being a storyteller.

“That’s why battle royales (like Fortnite) are so great as a viewer,” he says. “There’s a beginning, middle, and end. It’s all natural and organic, and you can talk to your audience and build [the story].”

It also forces streamers to keep things fresh, which he did when Fortnite collaborated with Batman. SanchoWest streamed all day with a Batman mask on and the results paid off.

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Batman plays Fortnite and don't touch his loot

A post shared by SanchoWest (@sanchowest) on Sep 21, 2019 at 9:11am PDT

That’s another big theme with SanchoWest’s streaming strategy, along with the rest of the gamers here — gaming and streaming are supposed to be fun. Who doesn’t like to have fun online?

But that life isn’t always easy because these people are human, after all.

Clay Stehling, who has been streaming for about two years now and casting games, knows that people arrive to the stream every day with the same expectations, some of which are unrealistic.

“Sometimes, just in real life, you’re just not having a good day,” he says. “You got a headache, sometimes you just got done being sick and you have to stream because it’s your job and you’re not able to perform to your best abilities.”

That’s relatable no matter what you do, whether you’re a streamer, an accountant, a professional athlete, flippin’ burgers, whatever. Some days you just don’t have it, and that’s OK. But it’s fair to say the pressure to perform looms larger for these folks because they’re broadcasting themselves to the world.

Collectively, the responsibilities that come with streaming can make the job both mentally and physically exhausting. Many of Twitch’s top streamers do plenty of work to keep the good vibes going. Both Stehling and Nick Eh 30 take time to exercise, even during their respective streams, to keep the blood flowing.

Nick Eh 30 also takes time in the morning to get a good workout in, even though he (the simultaneously most energized and polite person I’ve ever met) swears he’s not a morning person. “It’s weird, you think you’d be more tired afterwards,” he says. “But it wakes me up, it makes me feel good about myself knowing after sitting down for such a long period of time that I exercised for the day.”

SanchoWest compares the physicality of it to an office job because you’re sitting down for many hours of the day. “Your body’s not supposed to be sitting that long,” he says. “You can stretch as much as you want, you can walk as much as you want, but sitting for a long time can be problematic, and that’s the Catch-22.”

When it comes to mental health, streamers say it’s about taking time for themselves and surrounding themselves with good people.

HeadShotChick is a college student, works a full-time job, and streams five days a week. She’s been streaming for 18 months and quickly made her way up to a Twitch partner (which grants streamers with larger followings more features and verification). She says surrounding herself with other positive friends and streamers has been huge for her well-being. “If you surround yourself with negative people, you’re going to start feeling those negative vibes,” she says. “So if you can keep yourself around those positive people and get those good vibes, then it helps you keep your mindset well.”

Sometimes negative vibes are unavoidable. Whether in video comments or in the live stream’s chat, negativity is hard to avoid when you’re dealing with online personas and viewers. Everybody I spoke to admitted that at one point or another, the comments would get to them, but they’ve learned how to cope with them.

Nick Eh 30, who has over 500,000 followers on Twitch, and over 5 million on YouTube, gets tons of comments a day. He’s mastered how to handle the negativity and foster a friendly environment.

“People like attention on the internet, they want to get recognized,” he says. “So if you’re responding to positive comments, and not negative, people are going to say, ‘I want my comment read. What do I got to do? Oh, he’s reading this one, this one, this one, I’m going to write a positive comment.’ But if you’re only responding to the negative comments, ignoring the 10 nice ones for the one negative, people are going to see that. And they’re going to write a hate comment too just so they can get acknowledged.”

Stehling also emphasizes the importance of self-worth, which takes time to build up, especially if you aren’t used to dealing with negativity online. “I put my value in myself, and my family, and people around me. That’s how I know my self-worth, not from people on the internet. Not from Anonymous382757 that can make seven different accounts. Because as soon as you do that, as soon as you put your value on what other people think of you, it’s a downward spiral, and it’s hard to get out of.”

And of course, the positivity these streamers have deliberately cultivated helps when it comes to hate comments, as well. They’re able to go to people, whether family members, friends, or other creators, and talk. Even if it’s not about a specific comment, Julie mentions, “Just hearing their voice helps.”

Streamers are constantly juggling being entertaining, interacting with fans and, of course, being good at gaming. They’ll tell you that their success is attainable, but your heart has to be in it. All of it.

“If you want to stream, and you are getting into it for the money, you’re in it for the wrong reason from Day 1,” Stehling says. “You’re going to get burned out.”

And that’s not just for live-streaming, it’s also for the time put in off-stream, as well. “You can stream 24 hours a day,” Stehling says. “But if you’re not working to interact with those people on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, wherever it may be, your streaming time is not going to have those people. Your stream time is to retain the people you build relationships with, to entertain them further.”

There also has to be a balance, which ONE_Shot_GURL points to as not only a means of production but happiness. “If you can find the balance between a game that you love, and a game that will bring you viewers, you will be good to go.”

Professional streamers have to be mindful of viewership numbers, which can be unhealthy to obsess over. It’s why SanchoWest is a big proponent of not looking at how many viewers he, or any streamer, might have in any moment.

“It blows my mind,” he says. “You could be watching Netflix, you could be watching Hulu, you could be watching the football game, but you’re literally hanging out with me playing video games, like chillin with me right now.” And no matter how many viewers he might have, that’s more than good enough for him.

ONE_Shot_GURL expands on that, saying it’s “The one thing we can never get back in life. You can’t get more time. You can get more money, you can get more clothes, you can work to elevate your status.

“But you can never get more time. You can’t get it.”

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thepermanentrainpress · 7 years

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BUMBERSHOOT: DAY 2 RECAP

I stuck mostly to the main stage for Day 2 of Bumbershoot in order to secure a good spot for headliner Lorde. Praise must be given to barricade security at this fest for taking care of everyone there during the wait. They were checking in to make sure we were ok, never bothered us, and were giving away lots of swigs of and even whole bottles of water towards the end. It’s not easy being in the front of a tight crowd for that long, and security made our experience much more comfortable.

Opening up was a group called Ruler, locals from Seattle. Described as “post pop-punk revival,” their songs are very mellow and high energy at once. They’re calming and slightly depressing to listen to, but also immersive and energizing. The frontman Matt Batey had hilarious stage banter, saying that he had “nothing interesting to tell” and thanking Lorde for having them as her opener, before launching into another of his own songs (after joking “okay, now here’s Wonderwall”). Ruler is sort of what would happen if you cross Weezer with Death Cab, creating something charming and melancholy that truly brings the bittersweetness.

Next up was up-and-coming Manhattan trio Dreamers. The singer, Nick Wold, was the most genuinely excited to play Bumbershoot of any artists I saw there all weekend. He told a story of how the last time he was at that festival, he was 12 years old and crowdsurfed at this very stage. He then proceeded to crowdsurf again, while singing, and it was almost as exciting for the audience as it was for him. As for their music, it was just as rewarding; it was super high energy. All three of them were going hard, and their visuals matched the atmosphere. The projections behind them were bright, trippy, and intensively flashing.

Highly Suspect was an intensive, yet soothing band to watch. I've got to give a lot of credit to the drummer who went really hard and did an INTENSIVE drum solo, probably one of the hardest I've ever seen. I sort of zoned out during their set, hypnotized in a blend of hard and indie rock. They've played over 800 live shows in their career and it's clear that they're very seasoned at what they do. They originally started as a cover band, and I was hoping to hear one or two classic covers… but it was still a good time!

Iceland band Kaleo is a very great festival band, because their sets aren't too intensive but they still bring their all as individuals to create something bigger than the sum of their parts. Their songs feature raspy vocals in a folk-blues style with a taste of indie rock. Many of their songs are distinctive and recognizable from recent movie trailers or TV shows. They played for 45 minutes and could've easily gone longer for what this band is capable of. There's a lot of great instrumental work to be found here, and I would love to see a full length set to see the talent really shine. This is a band that could headline at a folk festival or holiday celebration, and I really hope they continue to visit North America frequently.

Weezer is a band with universal appeal. Everybody knows Weezer songs. Everyone has a favourite one of their songs. They've been going strong since the early 90s, and they're still releasing fun stuff today. They're definitely no longer at their peak musically, and they'll probably never release an album as endearing as Pinkerton or The Blue Album. Nevertheless, they are very fun live still. They played most of their hits, but sadly not any of the deep cuts for fans. I would've liked to hear “El Scorcho,” “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived,” “Across The Sea,” and especially “Only in Dreams.” On the other hand, they did do a cover of OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” Originally a heavy rap song, they did the cover in full Weezer style and it was surprisingly good. It was an odd and hilarious choice, but it worked really well, and they had the whole audience singing along.

Even so, the songs and show they did play were top notch and a wonderful compliment to the festival. The visuals were incredible. They had a cartoon beach for “Island In The Sun” and a montage of famous/inspirational women during their recent hit “Thank God for Girls.” Rivers even dawned a crown and cape for “King of the World.” Personal bonus: in the front I shouted “I LOVE YOU RIVERS!” and into the mic in front of thousands of people, he said “I love you too” after a long pause. Rivers Cuomo told me he loved me. My life is complete.

Finally came the headliner of the night: New Zealand international superstar Lorde, who has two Grammys and two platinum albums all at age 20. I am an absolutely huge Lorde fan, and it's really hard to put into words how excited I was to see her live for the first time. In short, she was perfect.

The lighting for Lorde was one of the most varied and beautiful for any live act I've ever seen. Almost every song had her shining beautifully in a different shade or colour, and that's not even including her projections. It included party scenes, a group of girls smoking and drinking, and a cigarette lighter shining brightly during her iconic performance of “Royals.” Lorde dances for pretty much every single one of her songs, and if you've ever seen her videos, you would know her dancing is a type all on its own. It was so rewarding and beautiful to see her doing those moves in person. She also had a group of backup dancers performing in great sync – Lorde herself even did choreography to “Hard Feelings.” (The transition to “Loveless” as featured on her album Melodrama was not included). In perfect sync with her dancers, she finished the song by collapsing to the ground in pure emotion. It's obvious that Lorde gives a lot of genuine feeling every time she sings her emotional lyrics – those words mean a lot to her.

She had a lot of stage banter and audience interaction, telling stories of the last time she played in Seattle three years ago and the feeling she got listening to her audience then. She said that “teenage girls are the best… even though a lot of types of people come to my shows now.” Close to the end during her performance of “Team,” she ran all around by the audience barriers, high-fiving and singing to much of us lucky fans. She even autographed the shoes she was wearing and gave them away to one extra lucky fan, performing the rest of the show barefoot!

Lorde has so many iconic anthems, opening her set with the teenage rally cry of “Team” and closing with what might be the dance song of the year, “Green Light.” While most of her songs are very upbeat, we were treated to a more intimate and emotional performance of what's probably her saddest song, “Liability.” The lyrics describe the feeling of not being good enough for someone, and she gave a moving speech about how she's always felt awkward and too much for someone. She reassured the audience that we should never feel that way and to reject anyone who thinks otherwise, “because f*** them.” Lorde is younger than I am and has had teenage years extremely different from most people, but she's still genuine and not that different from all of us in her mind. Even when she's blowing the minds of thousands of people with the heavy bass of “Supercut,” she's still the complicated, self-doubting person we all are. Lorde is truly the voice of her generation. If this show taught me anything, it's that it is really Lorde’s world, and we're all just living in it.

Written by: Cazzy Lewchuk Photographed by (with the exception of Lorde): Timothy Nguyen

#Cazzy #Cazzy Lewchuk #Bumbershoot #bumby #Music #Live Music #PRconcert #Concert Review #Review #bumbershoot2017 #Music Festival #Bumbershoot 2017 #Lorde #Ruler #Dreamers #Highly Suspect #Weezer #Kaleo

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yesbabyjiminie · 7 years

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My Wings Tour Experience: Santiago, Saturday 11th

I had the chance to go to both dates. Since I’m from Argentina and I was going to spend all that money on travelling tickets and accommodation, I decided to spend all I could on the concerts as well lol.

I got second floor tickets for Saturday 11th and first floor tickets for Sunday 12th. The date on Sunday was supposed to be the first date of the tour, but the boys sold out the tickets in less than 5 hours and when they needed to add a second date the only choice was Saturday. Hence, the first date became the second. I was so excited both days that I kind of forgot some details, so I’ll try to remember as much as possible.

Something I would like to mention is that even though the show was in Santiago, there were A LOT of fans from different Latinamerican countries. I personally know around 20 other people just from my city (Córdoba) that were in the show, but there were a lot of ARMYs from Buenos Aires and smaller cities in Argentina. I also saw a big group of fans from Bolivia and then there were a lot of fans carrying Uruguayan, Paraguayan, Peruvian flags. The woman that rented the apartment me and my friends stayed in said that she owned 13 apartments and had 8 of them rented to ARMYs from a lot of countries, including Colombia (she was really surprised because she said that it was the first time something like that had happened to her, having so many people renting her apartments for the same date, from so many different places and all for the same reason).

I was also surprised to see that the media in Chile was covering all about it, and everyone I talked to in Chile seemed to know that we were there because of “that Korean band” lol. I even visited a different city in Chile (Valparaiso) after the concert and the Uber driver was like “Oh you are here for BTS right? people hasn’t stopped talking about it”. Bangtan is huge.

Saturday 11th

They started with Not Today. The moment when the music started playing and the curtain fell, the stadium went crazy. The one I remember to most from Not Today is Taehyung, because that bandana increases his looks a 3547%, it’s been proved by scientists, I kid you not.

After Not Today came the intro talk. The guys introduced themselves in English and Spanish. They just said “Hola” in Spanish and everything that followed in English. Yoongi did his classic taking-his-in-ear-off and listening to the cheers, but couldn’t help smiling because the cheers were seriously crazy.

Jimin tried to speak some English during the first talk, but nobody understood a word, his English was too broken. I’m not saying this as a critic, but more as something that happened because later during the show the guys kept laughing at him ‘cause it was clear that nobody could understand what he was trying to say but ARMYs would still cheer for him and the guys laughed harder at that haha. Hobi and Jungkook talked in English a lot. Kookie has improved SO MUCH, our boy has been studying hard, I’m so proud of him. Yoongi thanked us for coming to the show and then screamed “THANK YOU-SO- MUCH-ARMY” and then threw a kiss -Jin Style- and got all shy, it was the cutest thing ever. Hobi kept waving and smiling to the fans next to the stage. I’m proud to say that during the first talk people cheered for all the boys with the same excitement and you could see that they were kind of surprised with the loudness, we were really REALLY loud (if you know a Latino person, then you probably can imagine what an stadium filled with 20 thousand Chilean, Peruvian, Bolivian, Argentinian, Paraguayan, Uruguayan and Colombian fans can sound like).

There was a project to rise a banner and sing Happy birthday to Yoongi after they finished speaking, but everything was so fast that unfortunately we didn’t have the chance :/ as soon as fans were getting ready to start singing, they lowered the lights and moved on with the show.

The guys were perfect and on point on every single song after that. The crowd went crazy with Hobi’s solo during Baepsae. J-Hope was, to my opinion, the star of the night. Latinamerican ARMYs really love Hoseok and we showed it. We cheered really loud for all of them, but Hoseok got the biggest amount of screams. He looked so happy the whole night, it was priceless. I’ve never seen someone with a more beautiful smile in my entire life.

During his part on the bridge in Dope, Jimin didn’t sing. He just opened his arms really wide and did a few spins like he was Heidi on the hills, holding his microphone up high and listening to the fans singing. He smiled like he was having the time of his life; Park Jimin is so adorable I can barely contain myself and my love for this little cutie. He also made a heart with his arms when the song finished (damn camera man didn’t capture it alright xD)

They played a VCR and then Jungkook sang Begin, the first solo of the night. How this kid can sing and dance like that without missing a note is still a mistery to me.

Lie received a crazy reaction. The public sang along the whole song, and Jimin’s voice was amazing. The choreography is so good, the whole stage is so breath taking… as a Jimin biased, I was a little bit disappointed that I couldn’t see it as close as I would’ve liked, since the first day I was really far from the main stage and the second day I could only see chunks of it (I’m so short TT.TT people kept covering my line of vision, fuck my life honestly). I still could rely on the screens, but I didn’t want to look at the screens, I see BTS on a screen every day of my life. I wanted to see them with my own eyes even if it meant seeing them the size of an ant. You can watch my video here if you like. (I know the quality is shit, but if you listen with earphones you can listen clearly how loud ARMYs were singing).

First Love. Min Yoongi. The piano. The passion this guy has for music gives you chills. As part of the project for his birthday, fans were given other banners that we were supposed to raise during First Love. The silver one that says Agust D is my favorite, it’s really shiny and pretty. I hope Yoongi saw them.

During Lost, a group of fans held a huge sign that said “ARMY says SORRY” for the invasion of privacy the guys suffered when they went out to eat and during his stay at the hotel. Taehyung, Jungkook and Jin saw the sign (I’m not sure, but I think Jimin did too). I felt really sad for that. It’s really unfair that because of a group of disrespectful and inconsiderate people, Chilean ARMYs ended up looking so bad they needed to apologize to the boys during the concert. I think is a good thing that fans recognize when they do something wrong and try to fix it, but being honest, I’m sure that the people holding the sign weren’t the ones that did it. Chilean ARMY worked really hard organizing projects and even prepared a flyer with a “Manual to be a good ARMY” that specifically asked for people to have good manners and respect the boys. They even did a campaign about it like a month before the show. Unfortunately, there’s always selfish people that don’t think about the boys or the way they end up making their country look just for a picture.

Save me was flawless. I couldn’t take my eyes off Yoongi. No matter how much the boys like to drag his dancing skills, I’m no fool. Min Yoongi can dance.

During I Need U I felt like an earthquake was happening or something because ARMYs were singing so loud I swear everything was moving. Another prove I have of that is the short video I could record that was ruined because the sound was so damn loud that my stupid camera saturated the sound and all you can hear is the bass. But you can still notice how during the last part, the boys barely sang and let ARMY do all the singing. Jeon Jungkook jumped so high I was impressed. It was a very emotional song, but it was as if all of us felt energized and happy to see them perform this song that’s so important for all of us.

Reflection’s stage was so pretty!!! It was all full of stars, beautiful colors and feelings. Namjoon’s voice is so clear and beautiful and he didn’t need to do much more that stand there and hold his mic to own that stage. Kim Namjoon is so damn talented that I swear if yall don’t start appreciating him now, you’ll regret it when he’s even more succesfull and amazing than he is today.

Stigma was amazing as well. Taehyung reached his high notes like a goddamn pro and everyone went wild. My videos don’t make him justice at all, so I really hope one of the fansites got to film it. Tae really killed his solo stage.

Ok, now MAMA. I already said that Hobi was the star of the night, and I need to say it again. Jung Hoseok received so much love that after the concert finished, it was all me and my friends could talk about. Hobi shined so bright one of my friends even switched biases. She said “I always liked Hobi, but after seeing him with my own eyes he just escalated so high into my heart and there’s no way he’s leaving”. MAMA is a song that is so full of love and significance, but still has that cheerful thing that is so Hoseok that you can’t help feeling happy when you listen to it. Everybody was singing along, and when the lights went down during the bridge, everybody started chanting “J-HOPE! J-HOPE! J-HOPE!”. He does his rap acapella, the lights go up again and everybody was singing the Chorus like it was on Spanish. Hobi was definitely surprised. His smile was so SO big, you know that thankful and full of happiness smile Hoseok does? That was what was decorating his face at that moment. Then he started harmonizing while ARMYs kept singing “Hey MAMA, ijen naege gidaedo dwae eonjena yeope, hey mama…” and it was slkdfjskldf it was one of those moments that you need to live and share to know what I’m talking about.

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Again, I hope one of the fansites got a recording of that moment because my video is not enough for my soul. You can watch it here. I know the quality is not the best, but the sound is not bad and you can clearly hear how great Hoseok voice was, how loud ARMYs were cheering and singing, how happy everybody was watching the sun shining on stage. To me, it was the highlight of the night.

After MAMA, and as if we hadn’t had enough quality performances that night, came AWAKE. Now, after how hyped and amazing Hoseok stage was I think it would have been hard for any other performance to follow it. Nevertheless, Seokjin owned it. Next time Bighit pulls any of the shit they do with Jin (like what happened with Not Today) I’m going to shove a copy of Awake up their asses because KIM SEOKJIN CAN FUCKING SING. When AWAKE started, everyone was singing along. Jin’s voice was so clear, stable and beautiful I felt like it was some sort of luxury to be able to hear it with my own ears. The whole stadium sang the song with Seokjin and by the second verse, Jin started tearing up. Yeap, our boy was crying. I always thought that it was a little impossible for international fans to make them cry (I guess I have an inferiority complex when compared with K-Armys), but I’m guessing Jin was moved by the fact that people was singing along with him and screaming his name with so much passion. Still, his voice didn’t crack for one second and he composed himself real quick. He reached his high notes like it was nothing and pretty much became the king of ballads, thank you very much.

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Jin deserves so much more than we give him, I hope one day he can have his justice. I can’t wait to hear more of his songs.

Cypher was the moment my soul was cleansed, I gained like 20 years of life after that performance. Namjoon was totally excited, Hoseok looked like some sort of sexy gangster and I’m telling you, listening Min Yoongi rap “Fuck you and you” is a once in a lifetime experience, 100% recomended.

All the songs that came after that are kind of like a blur to me, I can’t remember much. I was so into the concert, singing so hard that at one point I remember that I felt my chest aching lol

I remember that fans tried singing Happy Birthday to Yoongi many times during the talks but for different reasons we couldn’t and everyone was so frustrated lol Who would’ve thought that it was going to be so hard? haha. I also remember that the guys did a talk in Spanish and we could barely hear them ‘cause fans wouldn’t shut up -.- Jimin was struggling so much, I couldn’t understand much of what he was trying to say, but I in a moment he did say one sentence really clearly and fans cheered extra loud for him and he said “HA!” on the mic, like he was super proud of himself and I died. Park Jimin is so cute, I kid you not, he’s smol, adorable and an angel. He really is an angel.

Hobi danced Boy Meets Evil and once again fans cheered his name so loudly, it gave me chills. Also, seeing him dance that choreo was extreme. He’s so good. I wish I could’ve paid more attention to B,S&T but I was partying so hard...

Then 2!3! happened. The stadium looked so pretty filled with all the banners. There was also a strong campaign encouraging fans to learn the lyrics to 2!3! and the lyrics of the chrous were printed on the back of the sign, but honestly, fans knew the lyrics <3

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As later we found out, the sign had a typo lol but thankfully it wasn’t somehting that changed the meaning or anything, and the guys found it cute, so I think it was a success.

The sang Wings, played around and then finished with Spring Day. The choreo is beautiful.

The guys were extremely sweet. Also, I happened to see the whole thing about the giant ARMY Bomb haha. Yoongi saw it first. He started motioning to Hoseok and laughing like crazy and then the fans gave them the ARMY Bomb. Hoseok grabbed it and started ruuning around with the thing and Yoongi was running after him haha. It was super cute.

I don’t know if I’m biased or what, but I feel that the ones that enjoyed the show the most were Hoseok, Yoongi and Jungkook. RM and Jimin are a lot more composed, but super sweet anyways. Their voices sound so good live, like I died a hundred times listening to Namjoon’s English. Jin is a tease!!! He kept coming next to the borders of the stage and throwing kisses and winking and smiling and saghjsjhfd he’s so handsome. Personally, I felt like V was a little bit absent? my friend, a V biased said that it’s not that he was serious, but he was acting coy. I don’t know. I don’t remember much about him more than his amazing voice during Stigma, his killer looks with the bandana and that at one point he was dancing for some fans and I nearly died lol.

It was an amazing concert experience. I was bursting with happiness. I didn’t feel like I was watching a show from celebrities tho. It felt like I was watching my friends being awesome on stage, like they were this people i hadn’t seen in a really long time (even tho it was my first time seeing them ever) and after they left I didn’t feel so bad ‘cause I still had the show next day.

I will write an entry about the show on the 12th as soon as possible. That experience was a 100% different from the one on Saturday because I saw them up close. They are so gorgeous.

#the wings tour #the wings tour in santiago #bts #me af #rap monster #jin #jimin #j hope #jungkook #v #suga

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furederiko · 4 years

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After a brief detour through Shanghai, London, and Berlin, it's time to land on Dai Teikoku Gekijou once again. The stage is set for our main cast to take the spotlight! Furthermore, these 5 songs (Track 7 to 11), are representative of each character's personality, traits, or even backstory (so... SPOILER alert?). Basically, the meat of this album. You'll likely hear these tunes in full once you've successfully secured their solo endings, right? And throughout, the BGM version usually accompanies them during the playthrough. Let the song show begins!

Otome Nandesu yo (I'm a Maiden) by. Sakura Amamiya (Ayane Sakura)

First on the lineup, is the leading lady herself, Sakura. And, I'm not sure how to put it, but from a purely subjective viewpoint, it's my LEAST favorite of this set. Elise left a big shoe to fill following her one-woman Opera. And Sakura just couldn't keep it together, that we had to step down into an idol-mode or some sort. Sorry, no offense to idol fans out there! Different people, different tastes, and my idol phase had gone over the rainbow. If I have to be honest, I only heard the short MV I posted above (first one released) only a few times, before forgetting about it completely. I can't really understand why. Perhaps, it sounded generic? Sakura Shinguuji's image songs weren't a stand out in "Sakura Taisen" and "Sakura Taisen 2" either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both "Sakura" and "Haru ga Kuru". I have even recorded my own covers for those two songs! They told the tale of naivety and sincerity, of a country girl who went to the big city and burdened with the fate to be a hero. Comparing those to New Sakura's solo is unnecessarily unfair, but it also can't be helped. What is the message of this song? It's about a girl who reunites with her childhood friend (Captain Seijuurou, who else). But she's no longer fond of the idea of him seeing her as a younger sister figure. But she couldn't say it, because *drumrolls*, she's now a maiden. My memory is fuzzy, but I believe Kouhei Tanaka-sensei had already confirmed that this is, in fact, an "Imouto" song. Hence the reason why my interest is not that high. Fortunately, the song took a delightful tone the moment that harmonica came along (which was after the first chorus, on the 1:30 mark). I actually DID enjoy it more because of it. I also liked the bridge part, and how the final result sounded less like a pop song. But that final line? Why did it feel needy and/or desperate? *sigh* Oh well, at least Sakura already did wonders with "Shin GEKITEI". I admit Part 3 doesn't really start off on the right foot. But worry not! It definitely gets better...

Onna!! Matsuri no Kokoro Iki (Woman!! The Spirit of the Festival) by. Hatsuho Shinonome (Maaya Uchida)

Time to get fired up again! And seriously, I dare you not to shake your body or smile as soon as this song begins. Because you certainly would! On a glance, this sounded and showed the traces of being the Kanna Kirishima's style of the new generation. But with one obvious twist: It's... AWESOME!!! Kanna is a good character, but her solo numbers rarely appealed to my taste. Suffice to say, this song took the best parts of her numbers and blended it into one spot. I've always loved this song ever since the MV came out. And this full, almost-5-minutes, version with extra arrangements just sounded... MINDBLOWING. One would argue that a bulk of this song was instrumental, with Maaya Uchida as the Matsuri's (Festival) Miko shouting her commanding cues. That is undeniably true. But listen closely, and you'll get why I or anyone would dig this. If you have been keeping up with me, you'll know that traditional tunes from various countries fascinate me. So it should come natural that I'm a sucker to festival songs like this. Especially with that mix of heavy metal rock guitar building up towards the dynamic duo of the energizing Taiko beat and an iconic whistling of Shakuhachi that added the authenticity of things. Wagakki Band, anyone? Aaaaaahhhhh... and Kouhei-sensei just HAD to slip in that speedy CRAZY-sounding piano bit! *applause* Just like Lancelot's song, this made me feel like I was being transported to Tokyo or Kyoto, attending and witnessing an actual Summer celebration. Uchida, a good singer, didn't perform this in her smooth vocal style. But she shouldn't! This is something you sing at ease while plainly having fun. Being all out and letting loose is basically the key! For the first time in Sakura Taisen's music history, I've bumped into a song that I simply don't want to sing along. Instead, I would DIE for the chance to participate in that Taiko play. Oh my, I need to see this in a live performance. You TOTALLY need to hear this! And dance along if you will... PS: If there's any gripe about this, it's when Hatsuho and the background voices are yelling "Oisa!" (literally means "Hey!"?). It tends to sound "Oisa, Osa, Usa, USO, USO, USO!". "Uso" means "Lies", and ends up giving it a misogynist feel by accident. The message of this song is that a woman is the spirit of the festival. Girl power! Feminism! But then there's these choir of ALL MALE that seemingly shouts "Lies, Lies, Lies!". That's pretty contradictory, eh? I know I'm totally making too much of a big deal out of this, but it honestly bugs me out...

Ninja Azami (Azami the Ninja) by. Azami Mochizuki (Hibiku Yamamura)

We haven't left Japan, as indicated by another tune of Shakuhachi and Koto, preparing us for the next performer. It's a familiar tune that many have heard in "Naruto", "Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger", or other feudal Japan-themed series. And the title had already said it all. This is the biographical description of Azami, as Shin Hanagumi's resident ninja-in-training. But as soon as it entered the verse (as you could hear in the MV), the sensation changed pretty significantly. No longer a serious Shinobi song, it morphed into the franchise's usual playful little girl song. Yes, even though Azami is technically older than Iris Chateaubriand, Coquelicot or Rikaritta Aries! She mentioned her hobby on practicing the various ninja scrolls, and even her love to eat snacks like Manjuu during breaks. Yare yare... With just 3:28 minutes, this is the second shortest song after "Shin GEKITEI". Obviously, the tempo does play a role in that. Hibiku Yamamura is a Sakura Taisen fan, yet she had the shortest solo number in the album. Somewhat ironic, isn't it? Nonetheless, she did a fantastic job. In fact, her unique voice remains consistent throughout the album, and that's worthy to be praised. I liked the traditional Japanese feel in this, but it also had too many speaking lines for my taste. Still, I'll gladly take this bouncy and head-bopping fun tune over Sakura's anytime. PS: Both Yamamura and Ana's VA made guests appearances more than once during the monthly Teigeki Report, which apparently will still going next year (probably until the TV series airs?). So you can hear them sharing personal experiences and stories on those videos. It's insightful, that's for sure!

Kaereru Basho (A Place to Return to) by. Anastasia Palma (Ayaka Fukuhara)

Goodness! I've been itching to arrive to this song. A good song is one that tells a story. Just like the previous songs, this one does the same, but with a deeper meaning and values. Ana is most definitely the "sexy Onee-san" archetype of this game, complete with having a curvaceous figure (reminds me of Rangiku in "BLEACH", wait a sec...). But personality-wise, the Greek lady gave off this mysterious, unpredictable vibe. She's like a mix of mature Maria Tachibana, with a vibe of Glycine Bleumer and Soletta Orihime's European presence, but with a cloudy past of Hanabi Kitaouji, and the hidden sides of Reni Milchstrasse or Subaru Kujou. If I had to describe it in one word, she's puzzling. However, there's one trait that she's been constantly identified with: she's an actress. It thoroughly commanded the message of the lyrics. But I digress. Was the whole song really all about Ana's passion for acting? There seemed to be more than meet the eye. From what I gather, there's an underlying hint of a journey of sadness, past events or eras that had emerged and faded, beloved people that had come and gone. In short, she basically acted her way through the ups and downs of her life. A coping mechanism, perhaps? Laughing away loneliness, a facade of her true emotions. And what did she mean by "A Place to Return to"? Was it the stage, or acting, or just like many of previous Sakura Taisen's heroine: someone to go home to? Or someone who can finally discover and understand her real self? I need to either play the game or watch the TV series to confirm that. Now that I'm older (and wiser? Naaaah), this is my idea of a good song. It asks you to listen, pay attention, and also feel challenged to try to figure it out. This was the longest Shin Hanagumi and solo song of the album. You'll understand why it needed to be that long to be good. The moment that alluring piano intro kicked in, and the violin started to seep in, it's classy and elegant as hell. Ayaka Fukuhara stated that this was a challenge to sing, and indeed it is. It should be. Even though the vocal range wasn't as demanding as Elise's opera, the pitch work was exceptional! She gradually went from a lower tone to higher and higher. It sounded like the aura of the room changed every time another verse began (due to the modulation, as well as the flow of passion and emotions), seemingly depicting Ana's many masks. And those sharp notes? Oh my, oh my, OH MY!!! No wonder Subaru's VA, Mie Sonozaki (who is a prolific singer herself) congratulated Fukuhara on doing such a fine job. This is another highlight of the album for me and my favorite Shin Hanagumi character song by far. Now, where can I get the off-vocal version? Because I totally want to try singing this song... PS: Similar to Elise, voice-wise, Ana is one of my favorites due to her range and distinct pronunciation style. She can go mezzo-soprano and heavy, but also high and soprano. I strongly enjoyed that versatility is utilized wonderfully in this song.

Rondo (Round Dance) by. Clarissa Snowflake (Saori Hayami)

You're watching a European-based fairy tale romance. What happens at the end, when the one true love has been found and all evil that stands in the way has perished? They hold a gala, where everyone waltzes into a happily ever after... That is the core of this whole song, a composition that Kouhei-sensei described it as feeling "like a movie". As a character, Claris fancies herself reading books (nerd alert! Hahaha), and I think many of her scenes in the game takes place in the library. But she also writes stories and loves to fantasize about a paradise filled with mermaids and magical elements. Perhaps because she alone wields a magic book. And her dream is to dance with someone while surrounded by those things. Those are the essence of the simple but poetic lyrics. I admit, when I first heard it, I was taken aback by the decision to putting this track as the final Hanagumi song. But now it makes perfect sense. It easily serves as a calm and astonishingly perfect capper to a series of solo songs, a grand celebration to conclude a colorful parade. My knowledge of reed or woodwind instruments is poor, so I couldn't tell if it was an Ocarina or another type that played in the intro. I'm not sure if that's native to Luxembourg too. One thing for sure, the medieval melody would naturally pierce through your soul, until that graceful combo of Lute or acoustic guitar (again, sorry if I'm bad at names) and harp soothed you into a more familiar space. Then suddenly, the song changed tone halfway through and turned into full folk song mode. Yes, the Kouhei-sensei style I told you before. Someone on Youtube mentioned that this reminded him/her of Disney's "Tangled". Well, I can attest that the catchy interlude was very true to that notion. To think that this song arrived while "Frozen 2" is still playing. Such a great coincidence! Saori Hayami is a great singer, known for her gorgeous legato siren-like vocals. Just like Ana (oh hey, fellow non-Japanese Shin Hanagumi), I'm beyond happy that this song fully made use of her unique charm. Especially once it got into that royal ballroom dance chorus, reminiscent of Orihime's image song. It didn't take long for me to imagine Claris as the protagonist, dancing with her prince (or princess, if that's her thing. Right, Hallmark?) in a grand finale of her fictional story. Speaking of which, I'm still confused as to why Hayami's name is always placed at the end. Even though the promotions clearly showed that Claris is one of the first members of the team. Could it be that she's a "special cast member" type, like in Hollywood movies? That would make sense... Another highlight of the album, another personal favorite (that I've been humming and singing unconsciously on repeat), this clocked as the second-longest solo of the album. But just like the previous number, I doubt anyone would complain. You only need to close your eyes and just start swaying left to right, back, and front. Take your beloved person's hand, embrace him/her tightly, and just follow the musical flow. Dance the day or night away, with much joy and passion! PS: The official MV wrote the title as "RONDE". I still go with "RONDO" because pretty sure that's a typo, considering even the French (one of Luxembourg's official language) equivalent is "RONDEAU". Rondo itself is a musical form that refers to a theme that keeps coming back around. But in Japanese, the kanji can also be read as "RINBU" which means "Round Dance".

Next: the final part of the review, featuring voices old and new, and my overall impression...

Video is available on SEGA Official Youtube Channel. "Shin Sakura Taisen" is produced by SEGA, and RED Entertainment. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

#music #review #sakura wars #Sakura Taisen #shin sakura taisen #Shin Sakura Wars #project sakura wars #mind blown

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marriagebase · 5 years

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FEATURE: Turning Reality Into Animation with Mike Perry

Mike Perry is an Emmy-award winning animator, but more overtly, an artist of many hands. Mike is involved in painting, sculptures, books, installations, silkscreens, and more. He covers a lot of ground and artfully reconstructs how a person experiences space in a subtle, yet dynamically psychedelic-infused way. Celebrating the human body, shapes, and the “vastness of the cosmos”, Mike creates grandiose, yet chill dreamscapes that both pop and re-energize the human experience.

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After animating for Comedy Central’s Broad City, Mike’s studio won an Emmy award from the Television Academy for “Motion Design Jury Award” for Broad City’s “Mushrooms” episode. We linked it above for you to watch.

Among his many other successes, Mike has a thoughtful, charismatic voice and care for the world and atmosphere around him. He delivers speeches and expresses the demand for animation and thoughtful reconnection with one another as both individuals and a community. He’s worked with publications like Tidal Magazine on covers and worked on murals for various events and his community. His work has been featured in studios in Los Angeles and New York City. He also has an online shop you can stop by and pick up a sweet print from.

Broad City Opener by Mike Perry

At the Other Art Fair in Brooklyn this past year, Resource Magazine was able to catch up with Mike on his inspirations and work:

Resource Magazine: I wanted to get some background on you. Where you started and where things picked up. I know you and you seem to be very much known for the Broad City integration. Did you do all the art for Broad City or did you come in for the season premiere?

Mike Perry: No, I did all the titles. My relationship with film has been since Day One. So they filmed the show and Comedy Central reached out and said: “Hey, we would love to have you be a part of the show, do you want to make some stuff?” And I was like “Yeah!”

Mike Perry for Broad City

They wanted one specific title and I had so many ideas for those titles that I flooded them with ideas. And the pitch meeting was the best meeting I’ve ever had in my career because I basically pitched and got job security. They were looking for one single title and all of a sudden I got ten. And then it basically defined my relationship with the show. Every season we would do ten new titles. Right now, I’m working on Season Five! So, ten more titles.

Broad City Season 2 Opener by Mike Perry

RM: How did they even find you? What were you doing at the time and how did they locate you?

MP: I mean, I’ve just been like hustling for fifteen years now? Just basically trying to be an illustrator, artist, trying to do work. And I actually met Abby in 2007? 8? Something like that. And we were down there for an AOL project and we hung out and that was it! Honestly, it was a couple days of having fun in Miami and we hung out and couple years later the phone rang and it was Comedy Central and they said “Abby really wants you to do this project” so, there it is! I mean, yeah, my wife is always like, “it’s a good thing you’re a really good person because if you were an asshole you wouldn’t have gotten that job.”

Broad City Still by Mike Perry

Broad City Still

RM: That’s a great quote. One of the things I want to lead this story with is, well, a lot of our audience is photography and video based. How do you take what’s video and what’s real life and bring that into an animated reality?

MP: I mean, ultimately, it’s about performance and humans. You know, in animation. When we did the Broad City “Mushrooms” episode, that’s all about capturing the performance, right? So you get this beautiful audio track of the actors doing their parts trying to perform the scene and our job is to take that and turn that into an actual performance. It’s a dance. Like, how do these characters move; how do they exist in space; what is their relationship with each other?

Melting Pot by Mike Perry

That’s what I think is fun about the challenges that we have as an animation studio, we do these things. How is it that we’re communicating these ideas, like, what is it in the performance in these characters that brings them to life? And it’s been amazing because I’ve grown this massive respect for character animators. There’s animators and then there’s character animators. Character animators are a very specific kind of human. They’re so talented in such a specific way. They’re able to not only perform the scene but draw it also.

I mean, ultimately, it’s about performance and humans.

Backwards Painting: Flower Face by Mike Perry

So, they’re doing the performance of the actors and knowing how they exist in space and how they are moving, every detail…and they’re able to draw the f*cking drawings! Do the drawings that make these characters move! And it’s incredible. It’s amazing, I’m a novice, I don’t really know what I’m doing and animation has fallen into my universe. I’ve embraced it and I’m constantly learning and trying to understand what it is and what it does and its powers. Working with these character animators are so inspiring because what they understand about the human form and the human body is so intimate and different from my relationship with that same content.

It’s a dance. Like, how do these characters move; how do they exist in space; what is their relationship with each other?

Boisterous Bloom by Mike Perry

RM: Even in the animated world, just beyond converting reality into animation, you were actually answering a dragged out subconscious-altered reality. Did you have any inspiration for what that would look like?

MP: By the time I got my first call from Abby about making this piece, I had an image in my head. I did a drawing, I just knew this is what it looks like. And they were like Boom! Let’s do this.

Sleep and Comets by Mike Perry

RM: Did you have to get into what you would think they think would be in their heads?

MP: No, I don’t know. I consider myself a pretty open-minded human who dedicated a lot of time to empathy and understanding what it means to be alive on the planet. So I don’t know. I feel like they send a few keywords and my brain just went Tick Tick Tick Tick and I just knew what it looked like.

The Garden by Mike Perry

RM: So, in the process of doing that, does the audio come first?

MP: The script comes first and there’s a really beautiful version of an early, early animatic—an animatic is just a sketch of an animation—and its an amazing version of the episode that maybe we’ll leak to the internet in twenty years. This guy, Isam, who is the best animator in the world—as far as I’m concerned—and was the technical animator on the episode and basically did a voiceover recreating the whole script and then timed our animation to that. We didn’t have the script yet, we didn’t have a reading yet, but we needed something to time to. It’s all about timing. Basically, having this much story and this much time, it’s how you fit the story into that amount of time.

Nice Ass by Mike Perry

RM: Yeah.

MP: It becomes like, you know, an editing process. If you want to tell this big story, you have to cut it into an actual, physical duration. And the element of time is such an exciting part of creativity. I mean, you make a painting and it captures a single moment in time… like this is the moment, this is the one thing that defines the entire time. And animation is not like that, it’s about all of the times combined to tell the story and its such a different way of thinking about everything.

Animation is powerful. Time is powerful.

Broad City Season 4 Opener by Mike Perry

It pushes me to think about everything differently. Even when I draw some type. I’m making a flyer or something, I could do this as an animation, and all of a sudden the flyer becomes a living, looping thing versus a still thing. Animation is powerful. Time is powerful. I mean, our culture, our media and society loves things that move and who doesn’t? It’s hard not to.

Poster Set by Mike Perry

How is it that we’re communicating these ideas, like, what is it in the performance in these characters that brings them to life?

RM: So, for that premiere episode, did you have a team of animators working with you? How many people would work on something like that? How do you implement your style?

MP: Four key people were on the project the whole time. We had three extra bonus help. There were five…ten people working on it? I hire people who are really talented and are good at their jobs. One of the things that are so weird and cool about animators is that they’re capable of grasping a language and working within a language.

Off We Go into the Unknown Together by Mike Perry

And the language is really fun to define. I did a lot of concept drawings that are like this is what the world looks like, this is how things work, this is how things move. We did lots of video animation tests so we could figure out space and gravity. From there, it was about letting everybody do their thing. Animators are really amazingly talented humans. It’s such a specific skill that I hope the world loves and respects as much as they should.

So Much Strength by Mike Perry

RM: Was there ever a moment that somebody was drawing in a way that didn’t reflect how you would’ve done it?

MP: No, I mean, one of the things I’m just going to reiterate, these people I’m working with are brilliant. The decisions that they’re making are dedicated to the project. There are commentary and criticism about the process, we have to make the best of the impossible. Ultimately, their vision is connected to mine’s because we’re doing this as a team. And it’s incredible to be able to work with professionals. It’s one of the luxuries living in this great city. To be surrounded by such talented humans.

Learning To Draw A Horse by Mike Perry

RM: Ok, so here’s a weird question. I feel like, so far, I know quite a few illustrators and animators and I notice that there’s always something in their work that’s very reflective of their personality. I want to know what that is for you. What is “you” inside of your work?

MP: Hmm. I believe in humans, I believe in the future, I believe in society. I’m an optimist. I’ve been an optimist my entire life. I believe in the betterment of humans. I think they are filled with beautiful potential and have the ability to do phenomenal things.

I like art, I believe in art, and I believe in the power of art.

Mike Perry

And I grew up in the ’80’s, I don’t know. I like pop. Pop culture. Actually, I don’t like pop culture or participate in it, I like the idea of pop as a concept. Fluorescent colors, I’ve always like fluorescent colors since I was a child. My mom sent me a childhood photo of me and I had a fluorescent green hat on, fluorescent pink t-shirt on, and purple jams on with white vans. I’m like, “Yup, this is who I am.” The work I make is reflective of the person I’ve been for my entire life. I like art, I believe in art, and I believe in the power of art. I believe in the power of creativity. And it’s really important to invest in ideas and creativity.

The work I make is reflective of the person I’ve been for my entire life.

Self Portrait by Mike Perry

RM: Beyond Broad City, where do you see yourself going as an artist, or what do you want to be. In your lifespan, what’s your vision for your art?

MP: The fact that I get to do this everyday is amazing. If I can sustain a lifestyle where I get to do art everyday, then that’s a great goal and I feel like that’s enough. I think all these opportunities and things that are happening are incredible and I have to be grateful for them. And I am thrilled about the path that my career has taken. I have to celebrate the privilege it is to be a creative person every day and make stuff. And that’s magical, so hopefully I get to do that for the rest of my life.

Poster by Mike Perry

RM: We talked earlier on the phone…you’re not really into Instagram stories?

MP: I don’t do them at all. Maybe I should, but I just don’t

RM: Yeah, you should! You have around 80,000 followers on Instagram. Why do you think people are following you? What is their draw and how did you accumulate that following?

MP: I have no idea. Hopefully, I just try to be a good person and make good work and share the things that I’m making with the world. The fact that people are excited about it is exciting and I’m just grateful for it. I think Broad City is not a bad way of connecting with the world. I study graphic design and graphic design is a kind of art for everybody. Introducing you to creativity in a placemat, or road sign.

I have to live up to my role as a creative person and make good work and just do the best that I can.

Floating by Mike Perry

So, I can’t help but be excited being able to reach a massive audience. It’s beautiful and really special. And it’s a privilege that I’ve been able to have for four years now almost five years. Those numbers are huge. That’s millions of humans. I have to live up to my role as a creative person and make good work and just do the best that I can.

RM: Alright, so what are your top five favorite animations? Cartoons or animations?

MP: I love that Bugs Bunny thing where its the opera, you know? There’s a chair that goes into space super high. Umm, I love a lot of Pink Panther. It’s very surreal. Very, very surreal. There are some episodes that are so fucking trippy. I love anything by Sally Cruikshank. She’s an amazing animator. I think it’s because she’s from the ’80s or ’90s. Shit’s crazy. It’s like so beautiful. Now you can do so many tricks. There was a phase of animation where you couldn’t do any tricks you just had to do it with drawing. And I think that’s something I always value. There’s a Disney thing, a sports analogy. Probably from the ’50s, but they break down sports into this really interesting map of how they work, but its a joke. It’s a really interesting animation. There’s another good one, From my childhood, I remember loving that Rikki-Tikki-Tavi story.

Broad City Still by Mike Perry

RM: So what are your thoughts on newer shows like the Simpsons, Rick and Morty, and Big Mouth?

MP: Big Mouth I’ve never watched. Rick and Morty is hilarious, and the Simpsons is at times just the most brilliant thing ever. There’s this thing we do in the studio: we eat lunch together and basically watch something on TV and watch the Simpson for four years everyday. Just Season 1, 2, 3. We did a couple years where we jumped around. Then one day we decided we should just start from the beginning and watch the whole thing. Rick and Morty is hilarious, and the Simpsons is at times just the most brilliant thing ever.

Sculptures by Mike Perry

RM: What about Instagram accounts. Do you follow anyone specifically for inspiration or other animators you like?

MP: To me, its about friends or some sort of relationship just so I can keep tabs with what they’re doing. I get it, it’s a fucking powerful tool. It’s a beautiful thing and it completely changed the game. It’s a different world. The benefit of age is seeing what it was before Instagram and seeing now what it is. It’s weird.

HourGlass Figures by Mike Perry

RM: It’s crazy. I still feel like everybody right now is still figuring out how to use it. What it’s for, what are impressive numbers, what are not. Nobody knows, really.

MP: I love it, but the benefit of Instagram is you can communicate with everybody everywhere, but ultimately it’s still about human connection. Trying to have face-to-face conversations with these people. You can’t do that with everybody, it’s exhaustive. The joke is like, I always get emails from students daily like “Hey, my professor said we should do a writing assignment where we interview our favorite artist and we would love to interview you.” It’s flattering as fuck, don’t get me wrong, but the joke for me is if I answer all those emails, I would never get any work done. And then you would not like what I did because I’m not making anything! And it becomes this like, where does it end?

By Mike Perry

RM: One last thing. We were talking before about that moment where you’re on vacation. In Fire Island, you put down the sketchbook. I want to know why that’s important. To get into that mind frame of putting away your work even though your work is something that is simultaneously your passion.

MP: It’s about energy, right. One of the things I’m learning as I age and get more tired is that I have to understand my relationship with the energy I have. So, one of the things I found in Fire Island this year is that I couldn’t replace what I felt that I had to recharge. So, finding the headspace to recharge. I connected it and took it. It really charged me up. I came back from the trip just charged.

…Finding the headspace to recharge. I connected it and took it.

Inner Thoughts by Mike Perry

Ripping with energy. I wrote that energy and crashed hard. I got that stupid cold that everybody’s getting nand it just slammed me, knocked me down. It’s hard because I pride myself over never missing a dealine and I value that as my reputation as a creative person and thet industry that’s aggressive and filled with timelines. Being sick and not feeling well isn’t a great place to be when you have shit to do. If I don’t take care of myself and maintain my energy correctly it’s not going to pan out.

One of the things I’m learning as I age and get more tired is that I have to understand my relationship with the energy I have.

Fireworks in a Tunnel by Mike Perry

RM: Alright, anything to advise the future animators?

MP: Embrace patience. Its the virtue that is actually a virtue. Animation takes forever, its a test of patience.

Mike Perry is still animating for Broad City which is set to continue for Season 5. His past exhibitions and prints are listed at the bottom of his biography. You can keep up with more of Mike’s work on his Instagram and online shop where he posts gifs, videos, and other creative curios for your enjoyment.

The post FEATURE: Turning Reality Into Animation with Mike Perry appeared first on Resource.

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reynoldslevi10-blog · 6 years

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9 Ways to Get a Great Workout at Home

"You're not tired! You're not tired!" says Chalene Johnson, as she starts another set of high-intensity exercises. She's tiny, blonde, and has the body I want to have. I am tired, but I follow her lead–a breakthrough since I'm watching her fitness DVD, an advanced cardio program called TurboFire, and there's no one in the room forcing me to do so. Why is this a big deal? Because I'm lazy–really. When I go to the gym, I can think of a 101 things I'd rather be doing, even as I jog on the treadmill. Outdoor exercise is also out; too hard on my asthma. You'd think I'd be the last person to do video workouts at home (no witnesses to my sloth!), but I've been able to stick with it for the past two years. Now, I'm stronger, I have more energy, and my endurance has improved. I even feel more confident when I pull on my skinny jeans. Here are my tips for keeping yourself motivated during your at-home workouts. Find a workout that fits your life Guess what? I used to think I hated workout videos. The truth was I had not found the right one for me. There are hundreds of DVD workouts, and some of them are too hard. Or too easy. (Or too boring.) So Goldilocks, take the time to find the one that's juuuussst right. Amazon.com has hundreds of user reviews for you to read and consider, even if you don't want to buy. Start by searching for well-known trainers like Jillian Michaels, Tracy Anderson, Chalene Johnson and Tony Horton. Then, hop onto Youtube to find a sample video. Some are short, but there are many high-quality videos that are 40 minutes to an hour long. Take the time to watch them to see if you can do the moves. Even if you're superfit, why not have a celebrity trainer you'd never have access to in real life? Stock up on DVDs Variety is the key to never getting bored. If you choose a popular program, you can save money by going online before buying from a store. If you get lucky like me, you might be able to pick up Tony Horton's P90X or TurboFire on Craigslist.org or Ebay.com for $40-$50, or half off the retail price. And just so you know, this is a good time to do it, since people are doing their spring-cleaning and getting rid of their dusty fitness gear. Personally, I like to keep more than one video around, so I can switch things up and never get bored. I currently own three, and one of them is a dated version of Debbie Siebers' Slim in 6. Even though it's old, I use it because it has a good track record, the trainer is likable and the music is pumping. After all, the whole point of this exercise is to get fit, get limber and to get moving. If you're budget-conscious, get yourself to the local library. Mixed in among old Hollywood blockbusters, there could be some pilates or cardio-based workout DVDs that someone has donated. You can also try using Freecycle.org. It's a nationwide service that people use to connect with others who are looking to give away their stuff for free. Schedule your workouts Open up your planner and schedule your workouts, following your trainer's calendar as closely as possible. BLOCK THOSE TIMES OFF! Rest days should overlap with special events or visits from out-of-town guests. And before you leave for any weekend trips, load your fitness programs on your laptop or iPad so that you can work out wherever you go. Think ahead, because when you're standing in front of a screen in your gym clothes, there should be no distractions. Johnson recommends working out six times a week, but I'd be happy if I could manage to do four. I've learned to be realistic, and this is a number I can stick to doing. Reward yourself for working out Still feel like you're too busy to work out? Try this mental trick. Make a list of things that eat up all of your free time. It could be Facebook and Twitter, or the TV shows you watch. Then, circle three or four of your least favorite activities, and swap them out in favor of exercise. For example, I can make a conscious decision not to watch an episode of "New Girl" every week. And just like that, I'm able to squeeze an extra 30 minutes out of my day. I also like to use a rewards system. Since food-related ideas are out, I've been forced to get creative. I've made trips to the museum and to Broadway shows. I've taken self-defense classes and signed up for bouldering at a local rock-climbing gym. Create the perfect space When I first started using fitness videos, I did it in my living room. It was so crowded that I had to push my coffee table and sofas aside so I could have enough space to do lunges, jump squats and sun salutations. I've learned that I'd rather have a trimmer, fitter body than a perfect living room. My commitment to exercise is not something that needs to be rolled up and hidden away all the time. This is something you might need to consider. I've recently moved all of my operations to the basement after discovering that I'm wearing a hole in my living room carpet. If you plan on doing a long-term program, it's probably a good idea to find ways to save your flooring from wear and tear. You can rotate your rug every few months, or invest in foam exercise tiles to spare your hardwood floors. Here's a pro tip. "To motivate yourself to enter and remain in your exercise environment, make it pleasant and inviting," says sports psychologist Mark H. Anshel, PhD. I'm taking his advice by painting the walls in a pretty, energizing color like peach. It should do wonders for my mood when I exercise. Change your diet too Some of the more advanced DVD programs offer menus and an eating plan, and I am happy to take advantage of the free advice. I love that I don't have to decide what to eat since it's all mapped out for me. For example, both P90X and TurboFire offer three meals and two snacks a day, and multiple options for each. With TurboFire, I get 50 pages of recipes, all based on a 1,500-calorie plan. There are weight loss tips, such as how to track your calories, understand food labels and break a weight loss plateau. And P90X has more than one nutrition plan. I can choose whether it's more important to me to shred fat and build muscle, boost my energy or maximize my endurance. Get the right gear To find out what equipment you need, you'll want to skim through the user manual that comes with most DVD programs, or watch the first five minutes of the video. Amazon reviews are especially useful, because you can find information on what equipment is necessary, what's optional, and where you might get items on the cheap. My current setup consists of a yoga mat and blocks that I purchased from Lululemon, and a pair of Powerblock dumbbells that I got for half off the retail price on Craigslist. I also ordered a set of resistance bands from Amazon. They can be used to replace small hand weights and don't take up much room. And since I do dance-based exercise routines, I have a pair of jazz shoes to help me slide and twist. Altogether, I've spent about $300 on equipment. It's steep, but still cheaper than paying for a gym membership every year. Dress to sweat! It's tempting to start working out in whatever you happen to be wearing, such as pajamas and bare feet. But if there's one thing I've learned about using exercise DVD's, it's that it's always best to get dressed as if I'm going to the gym. Wearing sneakers actually makes it easier to do jumping jacks, lunges and leg lifts. Since they cushion my feet and give me a better grip on the floor, I'll last longer and do more reps, giving me a better shot at actually finishing my routine. Equally important is a good sports bra, to prevent bounce when you start jumping around. And if you do yoga, I recommend wearing a top that doesn't gape open when you do the down dog. Still not convinced? Dr. Anshel says that workout clothes "reflect your commitment to perform at optimal levels and have motivational value." This means it's a lot easier to jump in and do your exercises if you change as soon as you get home from work. Here's another lazy-girl trick. If you're an early-morning exerciser, you can wear your gym clothes to sleep. The next day, you can pop out of bed, scrunch your hair into a ponytail, and hit the "Play" button on your DVD player. Practice patience It can be frustrating to have to learn a new series of moves, especially if it's a dance or aerobics routine. But in real life, you can't ask your fitness instructor to stop the class and show you those moves just one more time. The beauty of using fitness videos is that you can stop and rewind as many times you need. When I get frustrated, I like to take a deep breath and concentrate on getting the steps down. Most of the time, I'll discover there are only a few moves that are repeated several times. And if that isn't the case, I can choose whether to persist or downgrade to an easier video. That's always an option so don't give up!

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brandyfields66-blog · 6 years

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9 Ways to Get a Great Workout at Home

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