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britesparc · 6 days

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Weekend Top Ten #635

Top Ten Funniest Moments in the Star Wars Movies

I did have a whole other list prepared to go this week, but then I noticed that Saturday is actually May 4th – which, of course, has become Star Wars Day around the world.

May the Forth be with you, and all that. Yeah?

Anyway, as such I did a reverse womp rat and decided to write a list about Star Wars. I’ve covered the saga quite a few times, so trying to find a new and interesting angle can be a challenge (but, hey, if I can find new things to say about Transformers then surely I can manage it with Star Wars, right?). As such, I’ve honed in on something not much talked about in the history of a galaxy far, far away: humour.

Generally speaking, I think most people would agree that Star Wars isn’t particularly funny. Sure, it’s not generally dour or overly serious, despite moments of heightened melodrama; and, yes, there are definitely lighthearted, bouncy sorts of characters who propel the narrative and keep the films feeling fun and propulsive (yer Han Solos and Poe Damerons). But funny? Is Star Wars often actually funny? To be honest, when the franchise has gone all-in on attempts at humour, it tends to get heavily criticised; from the antics of Jar Jar to the sarcasm of Luke Skywalker. The criticism varies from humour feeling out of place, somehow, or childish; despite the camp bickering and mild slapstick of Artoo and Threepio being prevalent right from 1977. Indeed, a few quotes here are from the very first Star Wars film; so perhaps there has always been an undercurrent of humour?

The broad melodrama of Star Wars means that – certainly in the register of the movies – comedy has a welcome place, even if the films themselves aren’t the laugh-fests of, say, most MCU movies. Star Wars films are like Shakespeare’s histories; full of drama, political intrigue, and a fair bit of death and despair, but also relying on stock comic relief characters, moments that play to the younger end of the audience. I’d still argue that the movies are, for the most part, children’s films, but even if you say that they’re just part of the overall PG-13-ification of Hollywood, they definitely have to remain suitable for children. As such, Ewoks and Jar Jar and BB-8 are a terrific – and often very funny – focal point for the nippers; as intrinsic to Star Wars as lightsabers and dodgy dialogue.

Anyway, the point I’m making is that Star Wars, whilst far from hilarious, does have its fair share of amusing characters and witty lines. And this list celebrates some of my favourites. My big surprise in writing it? How many were spoken by See Threepio!

“Wanna buy some death sticks?” (Attack of the Clones, 2002): I didn’t know which Obi-Wan Kenobi bit of prequel business to choose from, as they’re so many; he’s clearly the most consistently funny character in the trilogy. His dry, camp delivery is amazing; from “good job” when being “rescued” by Anakin, to “hello there” and beyond. But this scene is iconic: Elan Sleazebaggano (yes, really) tries to sell Kenobi some “death sticks”, but is Jedi mind-tricked into going home and rethinking his life. It plays, obviously, on our knowledge of Obi-Wan’s mind-trickery, but the deadpan delivery of both characters adds to its humour.

“I don’t like you either.” (A New Hope, 1977): Artoo and Threepio’s camp married couple bickering is a highlight of the original trilogy, especially the first film. Like Obi-Wan’s dry one-liners, there’s just so much to choose from; “near-sighted scrap pile” is another nice little insult from the bitchiest droid in the verse. But the small pettiness of this, after Luke has left them alone, is a hoot; reinforced, of course, by Artoo’s vocalisations, especially the sorrowful whine after Threepio turns his back.

“Who’s scruffy-lookin’?” (The Empire Strikes Back, 1980): I’d argue this might be the second most famous Star Wars exchange after “I am your father”; Han needling Leia until she snaps, calling him – among other things – a “scruffy-looking nerf-herder”. The button on the bit is that the only thing Han takes offense at is “scruffy-looking”. Then she kisses her brother. I’d sooner kiss a wookiee.

“Boring conversation anyway.” (A New Hope, 1977): Han is often portrayed as the cool and unflappable rogue hero, but when he attempts to bluff the Empire over comms, he becomes well and truly flapped. Harrison Ford’s little wince after he asks “how are you?” is a joy. And, of course, when it gets to much, he blasts the comms panel, and delivers this great final line.

“Of course I’ve looked better!” (The Empire Strikes Back): yes, more of Threepio’s banter. The running escape from Cloud City is an excellent, tense action scene, with a partially-disassembled Threepio stuck in a rucksack on Chewie’s back. As Artoo drags him onto the Falcon, he whinges about the wookiee “being the death” of him; Artoo merrily bleeps and bloops, prompting Goldenrod’s tart reply.

“I believe he’s tooling with you, sir.” (The Last Jedi, 2017): the humour in The Last Jedi was one of the elements of the film that proved contentious; however, my memory is that this scene absolutely slayed when I saw the film. Whilst I do want to shout-out my boy Eddie Hitler, aka Adrian Edmondson, as the First Order officer who politely delivers the line I’ve chosen, really the comedy comes from Domhnall Gleeson’s exasperated and confused performance as General Hux reacts to Poe Dameron’s “tooling”.

“Mine! Or I will help you not!” (The Empire Strikes Back, 1980): a classic bit of Muppet magic from Frank Oz, as Yoda’s secret introduction allows him to show off all kinds of mischievous energy. His giggly, wide-eyed enthusiasm as this weird little toad-creature is infectious and disarming, but it’s his squabble with Artoo – including the delightful way he grabs his stick and batters the droid – that makes it art.

“Reach out…” (The Last Jedi, 2017): maybe the other contentious, funny, scene. Luke asks Rey to “reach out”, which she does physically, so he pretends she can feel the Force. It’s a nice bit of slapstick, well performed by Ridley and Hamill; and it’s interesting to contrast it to the silliness of Yoda. Personally, I don’t se any difference whatsoever in the two scenes; they’re both attempting to subvert or play with the concept of “wise old mentor”, they both reveal character aspects of those involved, and they’re both really funny.

“Oooh, maxibig da Force. Wellen, dat smells stinkowiff.” (The Phantom Menace, 1999): I remember a criticism of The Phantom Menace being that there was no Han Solo-esque “voice of cynicism”. Step forward Mr. Binks, who clearly doesn’t believe in the Force, and spends most of the first act boggling at the foolhardiness of his Jedi rescuers. This particular line, when he sarcastically praises the Force, is just terrific. Or is it “bombad”?

“Go on, BB-8, tell her.” (The Force Awakens, 2015): probably my out-and-out favourite moment of The Force Awakens, and one that – like the opening “tooling” scene of Last Jedi – brought the house down. Finn is trying to get BB-8 to go along with his Resistance cover story, and the droid’s mute (well, indecipherable) reactions – spinning his head between Finn and Rey – are just fantastic. And then it culminates with his now-iconic “thumbs up”. Gah, where was all this during The Rise of Skywalker?

See? Funny. Lots of funny. Quite a lot of stuff I didn’t have room for, either; I deliberately kept the Obi-Wan-isms to a minimum, although I did stuff the list full of Threepio-isms. I didn’t put any of Kaytoo’s deadpan misanthropy in there; nor any more of Han’s grumpy humour (and not a single finger point!). And sadly I didn’t really have room for some of Leia’s great put-downs, like “walking carpet”. But the big scene that just slipped off the list? Why, the infamous trash compactor scene, and Threepio’s hilarious bit of business at the end. Curse my metal body!

#top ten #films #movies #star wars #comedy #funny #funny star wars moments #star wars day #may 4 #may 4 be with you #may the force be with you #may the fourth be with you

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straydogkins · 2 months

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alright ummm do you think you could make some pink themed icons of mamoru taiyo from welcome to camp despair? maybe with some hearts and stuff :) also this is for a fictive! im not sure if that changes anything haha... thank you!

Hello anon, I have a few questions:

The official tumblr account with the sprites seems to be deactivated or hidden, if this is just because I've been blocked I don't think I would make them because I want to respect boundaries and so forth.

If the account is hidden in general then I'd still like to be sure that the creators are okay with reposts of their works. If they are okay with reposts and have stated this publicly I would still need the sprites if you have a link to some.

Sorry for the confusion.

#🪼 | talking #🪼 | asks #🪼 | pending

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paradigm-volta · 6 months

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Samhain Dreams

So much has happened since my last post -- hope, despair, and hope again. I find myself conflicted in terms of T and have had an off and on again relationship with it. Currently using it topically now for a few weeks in succession. There's a balancing act with it so I can't feel entirely comfortable in taking it; I don't want to masculinize too much but it can be hard to know where that line will be. Anyway, I find myself in throes of rampaging libido and constant questioning. Never a dull moment!

I have found another identity I feel comfortable in, which I'd like to be the focus of this post, and that is "witch". I've been drawn to all things pagan since I was young -- demonology, mythologies, spellwork, the occult. My mother, who is a devout (and troubled) Catholic, occasionally confronted me in rage and terror when she'd see what websites or books I was reading. I left it for many years, craving spirituality but never finding the right fit: at one point I wanted to convert to Judaism, at another I was studying Buddhism and going to a retreat on a mountaintop, a few long stints as a bitter agnostic.

Psilocybin is what lead me back to magic. The deep sense of connection and call to nature resonated with me in a way that nothing else did. Magic, for me, is mycelium. I ended up doing research into what I wanted to explore, the practices originating in the homelands of my ancestors (Romuva and Appalachian conjure), how I wanted to go forward with things. This exploration and identity is a living one, not carved in stone, but this is how I'm feeling about things so far:

Currently I would be classified as an "eclectic witch" as I have a mix and match approach to my practice

I am predominantly pagan in mindset -- nature and ancestor worshipping. I think there can be power to find in deities as archetypes and icons but personally do not believe in them literally. I look to those whose stories and imagery speak to me: Žemyna, Gabija, Saulė and Mėnuo, Pan

I have yet to try any kind of spellwork though I'd like to explore protection/guarding spells, candles, herbs, and kitchen witchery

I went to a Reclaiming witch camp and that was incredibly enlightening. Reclaiming is fascinating though I feel no particular allegiance to it in particular (thankfully it seems to welcome and encourage individual practice)

I want to do more for the "high holidays" -- Samhain, the solstices, Romuvan events, etc

For Samhain I plan on meditating with a candle and a photograph of my grandmother, speaking to her memory and singing songs, having a glass of Frangelico with milk (an old favourite of ours), and reflecting on the changing of seasons and of gratitude.

I've felt very lost as of late, adrift, but these small discoveries about myself are like ropes I can hold on to while I catch my breath.

Blessed be ✧

#witch #samhain #trans #psychedlia

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danganronpedits-archived · 3 years

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anon requested: may i request some nonbinary ena etsuko icons using the starry enby flag by aroaesflags? thank you in advance /gen

-mod tsu

#ena etsuko #ena etsuko icons #ena etsuko kin #wtcd #wtcd kin #wtcd icons #welcome to camp despair #welcome to camp despair kin #welcome to camp despair icons #mod tsu #request finished

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amamiyaxren · 3 years

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500x500 MAMORU TAIYO ICONS

with night sky themes ; read my dni before rbing

#♡ | request complete #welcome to camp despair #wtcd #mamoru taiyo #icons

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cozykincafe · 3 years

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♡ KITSUNE HACHIMITSU ICONS ♡

200x200 / gay / square / borderless / anon

#kitsune hachimitsu kin #wtcd #wtcd kin #danganronpa welcome to camp despair #danganronpa welcome to camp despair kin #welcome to camp despair kin #welcome to camp despair #icons #pride icons #cinna collection ; mod cinnabun

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wtcd-edits · 3 years

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request complete—

⁍ kitsune hachimitsu icons; for anonymous, as well as @nonbunniiary. with themes of being nonbinary. more found under the cut. ⋆ mod afterglow

#✉ request done #✉ mod afterglow #kitsune hachimitsu #kitsune wtcd #kitsune hachimitsu kin #welcome to camp despair #wtcd #wtcd icons #kitsune hachimitsu icons #200x200

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daikuheiwa · 3 years

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Gang Gang

#i cant organize these in the way i wanted but theyre done!#icons #welcome to camp despair #wtcd #daiku heiwa #daiku kin #kin edits

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wormapples · 3 years

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Hello Tumblr! My name is Juice/Juicy, and this is my blog! You can see my important information in my bio :D

Icon credit!

Here's my List of Kins! Ranked from Highest to lowest.

Myla (Hollow Knight)

*The Knight (Hollow Knight)

*Apple Cookie (Cookie Run)

Mamoru Taiyo (WTCD)

Kaori Kano (WTCD)

Asriel Dreamur (Undertale)

* = Ask to follow if you're a double please!

And for Myla please don't interact if you also kin her. I can make exceptions for low kins or if we're already friends, but it makes me deeply uncomfortable!

Here's a list of things I really like, so please tag me in posts about them!

Hollow Knight

Beetles

Welcome to Camp Despair

Yellow Aesthetics

Cavetown

Apple recipes

Gonta Gokuhara

Katsura Warai

Kawa Nemuidesu

Ena Etsuko

The Hollow Knight

Onion Cookie

Thank you for reading this! I will also be using this post as a place to put the tags I will be using to organize this blog. I hope I can make some friends on here! :)

(DNI Banner made by Me!)

#🍎 reblog!#🍎 hollow knight #🍎 bugs!#🍎 flappy hands #🍎 wtcd!#🍎 cc #🍎 kin #🍎 aesthetic #🍏 friend!#🍎 funny #intro post #about me #pinned post #dont rb #🍎 recipes!

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kuraagins · 5 years

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My highlights from falsettos UK

Please scroll past if you’re going to watch the show and don’t want spoilers!! Also feel free to ask if you have any other questions about his production <3

-Trina is is four jews instead of Jason!!! We see her get married to Marvin and they use the veil as baby Jason

-The ‘slavery’ is Trina being pregnant/going into labour

-When Jason comes on at the end of the song Whizzer gives him a piggy back and it’s so pure

-“When I put the steak in” Oliver literally thrust against Daniel from behind

-They were so snarky and flirty with each other I loved it

-overall there were more Whizzvin kisses throughout the show than both broadway productions, which obviously I LOVED

-the tango break in thrill of first love was about half the length and was more dancey, they kind of dipped each other but it wasn’t anything overly extravagant

-They had a VERY passionate kiss at the end of the song gay rights

-Daniel gave us anxious Marvin rights, in Marvin at the psychiatrist he was like hugging his knees to his chest and speaking all soft about Whizzer

-THEY KEPT IN “its queer mr Marvin!” which is honestly one of my favourite jokes in the show

-Elliott’s ‘my fathers a homo’ was HILARIOUS he came on doing this really camp dance and it honestly had the whole audience in stitches that kid could ACT

-Laura’s ‘I’m breaking down’ was PERFECT, her voice is literally incredible and she perfectly captured Trina’s despair despite keeping the song hilarious

-like one of the choruses she just hummed the lyrics while drinking straight from a bottle of wine

-I cannot praise this woman enough she is the perfect Trina

-Jason and Mendel dancing in Jason’s therapy was adorable as usual

-I loved Joel as Mendel in the marriage proposal

-He was so awkward and Trina was so confused it was so funny yet so so sweet

-A personal highlight was him starting to cry when he said “don’t start to cry” and Trina immediately being like “I’m... not crying?”

-At the end of Tight Knit Family (reprise) Jason is stood in between Marvin and Mendel and Trina comes on and protectively takes him off stage

-Trina’s song was SO beautiful it moved me to tears

-She was in her pyjamas and was basically getting into bed while she sang, but Laura just looked so sad and desperate it broke my heart

-Which lead us perfectly into march of the falsettos! In this production it was staged as Trina having a nightmare; Jason crawls out from under the bed and the men walk on in really stiff, creepy movements and torment her

-The song had to be pre recorded because the men had on these REALLY creepy smile masks covering their actual mouths

-Also on “asses bared my delight” MENDEL is the one who says it I think because on that line he bends Trina over and basically shows her ass to the audience

-during the chess game Marvin was drinking the whole way through, and you could see him drinking more quicker as he was getting more and more frustrated

-there was no love in this version, Marvin is patronising and mean towards Whizzer, who doesn’t want to take any of his shit

-when Whizzer wins Marvin basically goes around and slams/hits a bunch of furniture and he looked really apologetic immediately afterwards, until Whizzer sang the “Whizzer’s supposed to make the dinner” section of the song, and he got PISSED and packed Whizzer’s suitcase on stage while they sang and then threw it at him.

-Marvin hits Trina had me SOBBING

-When Whizzer says he doesn’t love Marvin you can SEE him get all tense and angry as he paces between all of the characters before the anger comes out in a burst as he hits Trina

-basically when the hit happened he got real close to her and she had her back to the audience as he slapped her face. Mendel pushed Marvin away and Jason called out for his mother and hugged her with Mendel.

-Daniel boys had these WONDERFUL moments of vulnerability with Marvin. After the hit he looked so shaky and small, and he was breathlessly trying to apologise but he was almost scared of himself

-One of my favourite moments in the show was during the “he’s mine” section of I never wanted to love you. Marvin is trying to talk to Jason but Trina is holding him so protectively as if she doesn’t want Marvin anywhere near him.

-Father to son was beautifully simple. Minimal lighting with Marvin and Jason sitting cross legged on the floor. They hug and Marvin kisses his head as act one ends

-this version of welcome to falsettoland was EVERYTHING

-When the Reagans are mentioned they’re projected on the picture frames around the stage and Whizzer looks so disgusted

-THEN the lesbians come on stage covering their faces with signs saying “sodomy is sin”, but when they’re introduced they turn the signs around and they say “Love is love” !!!!!!

-also the lesbians got the HUGEST applause, as they deserve

-the ‘congregate in Central Park’ line now refers to them congregating for a protest march!!! The other characters have ‘no nukes’ signs

-There was the CUTEST ad lib between Jason and Mendel in the Everyone Hates His Parents dance break (which was iconic by the way

-it basically went

Mendel: “they should put this in a musical, we’re good!”

Jason: “Which one?”

Mendel: “I don’t know, I’m tired”

-I adored the restaging if what more can I say

-Basically Whizzer was falling asleep while reading on a chair, and Marvin is being all soft and adoring, and he takes Whizzer’s glasses off for him and takes the book off his lap and make sure he gets to bed, it’s so domestic and adorable it melted my heart

-Charlotte And Cordelia’s chemistry throughout was PERFECT

-at the end of more racquetball, when Whizzer collapses he ad-libbed like “Marvin I’m fine, I’m fine!” But Marvin was so concerned and worried about his boyfriend and immediately rushes to his side and holds him.

-Then theres the sound of ambulances and the lights on stage dim and the projection portraits flash and a voice over says ‘Dr Charlotte to emergency’ and a projection of a heart monitor appears above Whizzer and beeping can be heard, it’s all a really nice touch and really sets panic in you for Whizzer

-Laura’s holding to the ground was beautiful, as anticipated, and as she sang they set up the hospital and got Whizzer into bed, Charlotte and Marvin fussing over him. It was a subtle but really nice scene.

-In days like this Marvin gets Whizzer this ridiculous cartoon ‘get well soon’ card and Whizzer looks so disgusted by it but Marvin puts it up anyway

-cancelling the bar mitzvah was another one that made me cry, Elliott was crying real tears, which made Laura start crying, and they were hugging each other so tightly and his voice was muffled because of this, and they just had this perfect, believable mother/son dynamic

-during something bad is happening (reprise) Jason is the only other person on stage which COULD be interpreted as Charlotte telling Jason what’s going on with both Whizzer and his dad :’(((((((

-I loved Ollie’s take on you gotta die sometime. Instead of belting at the end he was so quiet he was barely audible, and he’s so weak and hunched over before Jason comes in and he tries to look strong for him.

-At the end of the bar mitzvah Jason stands on the table and sings his Hebrew (Mendel hands him the Torah but jason doesn’t take it as he knows the words by heart :’) ) and he holds his hands out to Whizzer, and Whizzer tries to take it but he collapses and the tight knit family surround him and try to help him and Jason says in this tiny, heartbreaking voice “Whizzer! No, I want to help!”

-In What would I do Whizzer is still alive and in his hospital bed and at the end of the song the heart monitor projection goes flat as the tight knit family surround a sobbing Marvin

-Mendel sings falsettoland (reprise) and blows out a candle lit during the bar mitzvah

-also at the end the cast (in costume) are projected onto one of the photo frames and it’s so beautiful

-anyway I love this show if you can please go and see it!!!!

#falsettos #whizzvin #pers

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achrisstevenson · 5 years

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The Illustrious Wendy Van Camp Interview!

Author Interview: Chris J. Breedlove

October 23, 2019

Wendy Van Camp

2 Comments

I asked Author Chris Breedlove what his motto for being a writer was. He answered:

A Writer is… A humble, receptive student and negotiator But the heart that beats within his/her breast Is a determined savage Unfamiliar with surrender

Please welcome this savvy science fiction author to No Wasted Ink.

My name is Chris Harold Stevenson and I’m 67 years young. I go by the pen name Christy J. Breedlove for my YA books and stories. Yes, I changed gender entirely. That’s another story.

My early writing accomplishment were multiple hits within a few years: In my first year of writing back in 1987, I wrote three SF short stories that were accepted by major slick magazines which qualified me for the Science Fiction Writers of America, and at the same time achieved a Finalist award in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. This recognition garnered me a top gun SF agent at the time, Richard Curtis Associates. My first novel went to John Badham (Director) and the producers, the Cohen Brothers. Only an option, but an extreme honor. The writer who beat me out of contention for a feature movie was Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. My book was called Dinothon.

A year after that I published two best-selling non-fiction books and landed on radio, TV, in every library in the U.S. and in hundreds of newspapers.

I have been trying to catch that lightning in a bottle ever since. My YA dystopian novel, The Girl They Sold to the Moon won the grand prize in a publisher’s YA novel writing contest, went to a small auction and got tagged for a film option. So, My latest release is Sceamcatcher: Web World, and it’s showing some promise. I’m getting there, I hope!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered myself a writer when I published the two shorts in Amazing Stories magazine. I actually considered myself an author after my first non-fiction book was published and hit the media. It seems I had to have legitimate credits in order to claim such status.

Can you share a little about your current book with us?

I can give you the basic summary, or the extended blurb:

When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half-blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Native American lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world filled with murders, beasts, and thieves. How can they find the center of the web where all good things are allowed to pass? Where is the light of salvation? Are they in hell?

What inspired you to write this book?

It all started with a dream catcher. This iconic item, which is rightfully ingrained in Indian lore, is a dream symbol respected by the culture that created it. It is mystifying, an enigma that that prods the imagination. Legends about the dream catcher are passed down from multiple tribes. There are variations, but the one fact that can be agreed upon is that it is a nightmare entrapment device, designed to sift through evil thoughts and images and only allow pleasant and peaceful dreams to enter into the consciousness of the sleeper.

I wondered what would happen to a very ancient dream catcher that was topped off with dreams and nightmares. What if the nightmares became too sick or deathly? What if the web strings could not hold any more visions? Would the dream catcher melt, burst, vanish, implode? I reasoned that something would have to give if too much evil was allowed to congregate inside of its structure. I found nothing on the Internet that offered a solution to this problem—I might have missed a relevant story, but nothing stood out to me. Stephen King had a story called Dream Catcher, but I found nothing in it that was similar to what I had in mind. So I took it upon myself to answer such a burning question. Like too much death on a battlefield could inundate the immediate location with lost and angry spirits, so could a dream catcher hold no more of its fill of sheer terror without morphing into something else, or opening up a lost and forbidden existence. What would it be like to be caught up in another world inside the webs of a dream catcher, and how would you get out? What would this world look like? How could it be navigated? What was the source of the exit, and what was inside of it that threatened your existence? Screamcatcher: Web World, the first in the series, was my answer. I can only hope that I have done it justice.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I’m a fruit salad of other known writer’s influences. Oh, like what I consider stylists: Poul Anderson, Virgin Planet, Peter Benchley, The Island and Jaws, Joseph Wambaugh, The Onion Field and Black Marble, Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park, Alan Dean Foster, Icerigger trilogy, and some Stephen King. Anne Rice impresses with just about anything she has written. I think it’s the humor and irony that attracts me the most–and it’s all character-related

How did you come up with the title of this book?

After I had the idea/premise for the book, having researched similar works, if any, I found that I had something very unique. It dawned on me to name the book Screamcatcher since it was a play on words and it sounded impactful. Again, I researched that word and only found that it was used in a short story about a kid having a tooth extraction. I knew then that I was home free. I was continuously complimented by all of the publishers and editors who saw the title. It’s the first book in the series, and I have sub-titles for the other two as well, which are sold and just about ready for editing.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I’m not very heavy-handed when it comes to delivering messages in my books. I want to avoid any preaching at all costs. I do include the basic/standard survival, loyalty, courage and persistence themes in my young characters, as well as emotional growth and cooperation. I did hide, or rather include, a very deep and subtle message in the story that I think most will gloss over or not recognize altogether. And that is my belief that sometimes the nice guy finishes first and gets the gal. I wanted something that swerved away from the controlling, domineering alpha male that is so often seen in other works of YA and romance. I wanted a slow burn sweet romance that was touching. Quite a few reviewers recognized this message and I got kudos for it. That was a RELIEF.

Are experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

The main character Jorlene (Jory) is named after my sister. Although she does not resemble the FMC physically, she does so in an emotional sense. Her boyfriend, Choice Daniels, is named after my great-nephew. All of my books contain the names of my extended family members. And there are parts of them that show through in the personalities of the fictional characters.

What authors have most influenced your life? What about them do you find inspiring?

Other than those stylists mentioned above, I had direct contact with members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Alan Dean Foster, Richard Curtis, Robert Bloch, Bob Heinlein, Clive Barker, and others. From their Youtube instruction videos and articles, JK Rowling, Anne Rice, and Stephen King have inspired me tremendously with their no-nonsense attitude about hammering those keys in spite of depression, lack of motivation or pure laziness.

If you had to choose, is there a writer would you consider a mentor? Why?

That honor would go to Poul Anderson who wrote back to me habitually and gave me guidance in the industry when I needed it the most. He took out his valuable time to befriend me and answer so many questions. Can you tell I’m a dinosaur yet?

Who designed the cover of your book? Why did you select this illustrator?

Carlone Andrus of Melange Books, Fire & Ice YA division rendered the cover after reading the book. I had a different idea in mind, but she absolutely nailed it. The compliments have never stopped coming. Most of the plot is revealed on the cover but you would have to search very hard to put it all together.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Watch your spending on ads–they can be grossly ineffective. Use social media and generously interact with fellow writers and readers. Don’t abuse FB and Twitter solely for the purpose of “Buy My Book.” Join writing groups and learn from the pros. Ask politely for reviews–don’t pressure, harass or intimidate. Be creative. Target your genre readers. Offer incentives and freebies. Craft a newsletter and send it out bi-monthly. Don’t take critiques as personal attacks–learn from honest opinions. Don’t despair. Never give up. Revenge query. I run a writer’s advocate blog and I pull no punches.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

If you think that you’ve had it tough, I recommend you watch Magic Beyond Words, the life story of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Books just don’t happen. They are nurtured and raised from infancy, just like a budding writer is. This business might quit you, but you cannot quit the business. Stay active and attentively writing.

Chris J. Breedlove Sylvania, Alabama

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Screamcatcher: Web World

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killthebxy-archive · 6 years

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META TO ME ABOUT JON AND YGRITTE AND THAT LAST MOMENT THEY SAW EACH OTHER BEFORE SOMEONE DIED. FULL COURSE. CHILD, JON ACCEPTING FATE, BROKEN TRUST, THE WHOLE SHEBANG

// @notlikegcds

this is a cruel thing to do, Melody. but in this house we’re not cowards and we die like wolves, so let me grab my ASOIAF books and get started. and get started by mentioning a fact that should be obvious, and yet the fandom sometimes ignores it far too easily: Ygritte is an essential pillar in Jon Snow’s character development. she’s the one who makes him start challenging and questioning his beliefs about the free folk but also about the world in general, and her points of view have such impact that, in almost every chapter after her death (and especially after he’s elected as lord commander, aka when he starts making decisions), Jon reminisces about her and wonders what she would have thought of what he’s doing. he clearly values her opinions and perspectives, even when he does not agree with them.

which, granted, is obnoxiously downplayed in the show, where Ygritte is little more than the crazy ex trope. yes, even in the books their relationship had a shaky start and the lines of consent were blurred on occasion — Jon literally had to start sleeping with Ghost to prevent her from sneaking under his furs overnight. the way i personally see it, however, i don’t believe this was because he did not want her or did not feel attracted to her — on the contrary, because he was well aware of his potential reactions and, at that point, he was still determined to live through Mance’s camp without breaking a single vow; hence, wanting to keep her as far away as possible, as to not be tempted. all this to say that book!Ygritte is SO much more than just Jon’s love interest. she’s clever, she’s courageous, she’s honorable in the free folk way, she’s strong, she’s willful, she’s funny, she’s spirited, she’s bold. but she is also sweet and nurturing and caring, and let’s not forget that, when eagle!Orell knocked Jon down his garron, Ygritte immediately stepped in and stood in front of him to protect him from further harm. yes, she’s no damsel in distress and she’s not a proper lady AND she doesn’t need to be.

but all of this was a little introduction for context, also because everyone knows at this point i ramble a lot i my metas. their last moments were done slightly differently in show and books, and this is one of those times i don’t really have a favorite between the two versions — the show had Jon watching it live for shock value, as usual, but i don’t think it ruined it in the slightest, this time. i only lament they had to resort to Olly, once more, as sacrificial lamb and plot device, but i won’t digress. one thing is common to both versions, and it is the fact Jon felt terrible with himself for what he had to do. which, again, is also why he tried so hard not to get involved with Ygritte, because he knew there would be no future for them; he knew that, no matter how much he loved her (and, boy, if he did — Jon is canonically described by Sam by not smiling again after Ygritte’s death), he would always end up picking his duty over her — over his own happiness and self-interest. which is why i believe, in the show version, he was 100% ready to die during this moment, and would actually welcome it for thinking Ygritte had the right to take his life, after his betrayal. and props to Kit, because he’s an amazing actor and D&D rarely give him chance to prove this, because have you seen the little smile he pulls? do you see how bittersweet it is, how relieved in a way? how this smile basically tells her: go ahead and do it, it’s meant to be.

in the books, on the other hand, Jon doesn’t watch it happen, but the guilt component is the same — it’s actually a lot more explicit because, obviously, books allow for much more introspection.

the arrow was black, Jon saw, but it was fletched with white duck feathers. not mine, he told himself, not one of mine. but he felt as it were.

what does this tell us? that, as soon as he found Ygritte after Styr’s attack on Castle Black, the immediate thing he did was to check the arrow in her chest, to see if it was his — to see if he’d killed her himself. and, even when he rationally realized it couldn’t have been him, that does nothing to change the guilt. because, if it wasn’t for him, if he’d not met her and grown close to her and fallen in love with her, she might not have to die; she might never have climbed the Wall, she might never have fallen in battle. wrong to love her, wrong to leave her. he did what he did for the sake of his duty, for the sake of his black brothers (the same brothers who rewarded him with at least four daggers in the dark but, again, i digress), and still he can’t help but feel guilty for the death of the woman he loved.

what do we see during those last moments, then? a whole big lot of ambivalence, a whole big lot of anguish and despair. he knows he had no choice, he knows he did his duty, he knows she’s technically an enemy, he knows that dying in battle is a suitable death for a spearwife — but he’s just a human being, and he breaks and shatters all the same. he desperately does not want Ygritte to die, he’s willing to go and beg maester Aemon to heal a wildling back to health, and even the vows and honor be damned for a moment — because he tells her they’ll go back to that cave, and with this he means that none of what they lived together was a mistake and none of it was a lie, despite his own lying. he did love her, he did want to be with her, but alas this isn’t always enough and much less in Westeros. and she dies in his arms, and returns in his dreams a couple times in future chapters, where it is always him killing her. because that’s what it felt like. because, in the end, he still knows nothing.

ps — just a final little remark about how i believe Ygritte was pregnant when she died. first, because it is canon, in the books, that they had sex at least half a hundred times before even the iconic cave scene — and, unless Jon was extremely skilled at pulling out, this is more than enough chances to conceive a baby. yes, Ygritte could have easily gotten moon tea to drink if she wanted — however, we have zero information about this as far as i am aware, thus it’s a 50-50 chance whether she did it or not. and, of course, there’s Jon’s dream soon after returning to Castle Black, about himself and Ygritte making love in the pools of warm water (ideal metaphor for a womb imo) by the weirwood in Winterfell, and how she eventually dissolved into a pool of blood — which, if we consider GRRM’s love for prophecies and foreshadowing, can plausibly be taken as symbolism for the loss of a baby, in the case through the mother’s own death.

ft. @arcusignis

#blood cw #miscarriage cw #abortion cw #child death cw #pregnancy cw #gore cw #Alice don't look #notlikegcds #arcusignis #𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 ❄️ᵈᵃʳᵏ ʷᶤᶰᵍˢ; ᵈᵃʳᵏ ʷᵒʳᵈˢ #𝚓𝚘𝚗.𝚢𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎 ❄️ᵃ ˢᵒᶰᵍ ᵒᶠ ᵐᵉˡᵗᵉᵈ ᶤᶜᵉ ᵃᶰᵈ ᵇʳᵒᵏᵉᶰ ᵛᵒʷˢ #𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚊 𝚝𝚊𝚐 ❄️ᵗʰᵉ ᶜʳᵒʷ ᶤˢ ᵗʰᵉ ʳᵃᵛᵉᶰˢ ᵖᵒᵒʳ ᶜᵒᵘˢᶤᶰ #today just in #i would die a thousand deaths for Jon Snow & Ygritte dynamics

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americanahighways · 4 years

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Billy Strings Streaming Tour 2020 — photos by Jesse Faatz Photography; screen edits by David Nowels Photography

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I’ve never been a huge fan of the “couch tour” concept, and in fact, even watching a one-off livestream has been somewhat alien to me. When I’m home, I tend to have what seems like a million things to do, and focusing on a live show on a computer monitor or even the TV screen is something I find hard to do. I prefer to be right there in the thick of things and taking it all in live and in person. For me, even as somewhat of an introvert, I really miss the live concert experience. The sights, the smells, the energy. I even miss the drunks, show talkers and outrageous beverage prices. Okay, the last sentence might be a stretch, but the rest does rings true. I really miss it.

So what’s a live music lover jonesing for a fix supposed to do except step up, get with the technology, and dive head first into an online tour. Enter Billy Strings, who announced a nine date streaming tour last month. I’ve been a fan of the music for about a year now, having been fortunate to review the band’s album, “Home” last year. (See that review here: https://americanahighways.org/2019/12/26/review-billy-strings-home-this-is-music-of-destination-rather-than-just-a-method-of-travel ) I’ve always been a fan of bluegrass, though I’ve fallen off the bus here and there, having never really gotten excessively into the String Cheese Incident and other modern bluegrass bands. That all changed as I dug deeper into Billy Strings, their music and community. I’m an old Deadhead, and there’s more than a few similarities with the Grateful Dead and Billy Strings that I find immensely intriguing. The community, the musicianship, the mind numbing “X-factor” connection between the band members on stage, and especially the uniqueness of setlists each night. A lot of Deadheads were fanatical about setlists. First-time played, last time played, song segues, teases etc. I fall into that category, and decided that this tour was a good way to see what the hype was all about, all while chronicling the tour in print. So, what will be follow will be a brief glance at the first four dates of the tour beginning in Nashville, with two nights at the Brooklyn Bowl and then two nights at the legendary and iconic Station Inn.

Leading into the opening night of the tour, Apostle revealed there would be special guests throughout the run. Additionally, there would be a featured special, limited poster via Half Hazard Press commemorating each night. Sure, there’s been a handful of glitches and ghosts in the machine here and there. But, the Billy Strings camp, the poster crew and each venue have done an outstanding job putting all of this together. The first two nights were aired via the FANS streaming site and the next two nights through The Station Inn. The streams ran a very affordable $9.99, and I assure you, you’ll get your monies worth. The day prior to the tour opener, the band dropped a free surprise viewing of their soundcheck live from the Brooklyn Bowl. It was certainly a welcome taste of things to come and showed a band not missing a step due to the forced time off.

7/15/20 Brooklyn Bowl Soundcheck This Heart of Mine Tipper Train That Carried My Girl From Town > Black Mountain Rag Slow Train Train 45

Night one at the Brooklyn Bowl was really solid overall but there did seem to be a bit of timidness as they worked to get their “stage-legs” and chemistry back to form. There were definite highs, but really no lows to speak of. The band kicked off the tour with a very timely “Watch it Fall” opener to the first set. The FANS live stream included the ability to share live video throughout of fans enjoying the show from their home set-ups. The monitors over the Brooklyn Bowl’s bowling lanes displayed these, giving the band some semblance of normality in regards to an audience. Still, it was really, really odd to see an empty venue while a band played. On the social medias, the fan clips were met with mixed opinion, but I found them mostly tolerable, and actually enjoyed some of the band banter they initiated. Early on, several fans danced with their pets, prompting Billy to state,“We love good boys and good little girls…” quickly adding the intended “dogs and cats.” for clarification as mandolin picker extraordinaire Jarrod Walker stated: “You kinda need to clarify that statement”. You just can’t be too careful these days. During the pandemic, Billy’s really gotten into fishing, which is a sport that’s been socially distancing successfully for eons. So, there’s been a fishing theme throughout that started mid-way in the first set Thursday night with the debut of Doc Watson’s “I’m Going Fishing”. Speaking of the Grateful Dead, the melancholy “China Doll” followed, seguing into a smoking “So Many Miles”, one of two lead vocals so far for Billy Failing during the first four nights. Failing made the most of it, leading the band through the first real exploratory jams of the night. As the song rolled through another segue into “Dealing Despair”, it became obvious that this was the conduit the band was looking for, the moment were everything fell into place. The timidness fell away, and from here on out the band seemed to really, “click”. My favorite tracks from “Home” closed out the first set with a one-two punch of “Enough to Leave” and a blistering “Away From the Mire.”

The second set was just plain fire. Opening with “Dust in a Baggie” and followed by an absolutely epic “Pyramid Country”> “Ride Me High” the band delivered a trifecta of jams that snaked here and there and back and forth. One of my favorite moments so far. The first guest of the run was none other than Marcus King, who joined in following “Must Be Seven” for a bluesy“Summertime” and added vocals to a robust first time played “Big Boss Man”. After King left the stage, the boys wrapped things up with a smoking “Ernest T. Grass”> “Little Maggie”. I found it somewhat surprising that the band forgoes the encore here, instead unceremoniously concluding the show. Undoubtedly, leaving the stage, only to walk back on to an empty room seems, well, a bit ridiculous. But, it also didn’t seem like a return to normal without an encore. Often the band will encore with a specially chosen song, a cover or what have you, a capella. Many times, we’ve seen the band have to do their best to shush the audience in order to pull this off. So here, with the empty room it seemed like a squandered opportunity. But, even without the encore, the first night proved to be quite enjoyable, and even memorable. Other than Youtube videos, to this point I haven’t had a chance to catch Billy Strings live. I had hoped to catch a handful of shows sometime this year, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. This would have to do, and I was already looking forward to the next night.

7/16/2020 Billy Strings Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, TN

Set 1: Watch It Fall Slow Train While I’m Waiting Here Doin’ My Time I’m Going Fishing (ftp) China Doll> So Many Miles> Dealing Despair Enough to Leave Away from the Mire

Set 2: Dust in a Baggie Pyramid Country> Ride Me High Must Be Seven Summertim# Big Boss Man #^(FTP) Ernest T Grass > Little Maggie

(FTP) First-time played debut # w/ Marcus King ^ Marcus Vocals

The second night at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl was in my opinion even better. Despite some log-in and buffering issues causing me to miss the openers “Taking Water”> “Thirst Mutilator,” word on the fan socials was that they were hot. Well, dang. I joined in as “Thirst Mutilator” ended, but caught enough of the closing jams to realize that night one’s exploratory nature was present again. Highlights of the first set for me started with “Home of the Red Fox” and its jazzy themed jam into “How Mountain Girls Can Love.” While I thought things tamed a bit during “New Camptown Races,” the set ending “Turmoil & Tinfoil” more than made up for it building on the energy and abstractedness of the song.

Set two launched with an outstanding rendition of John Hartford’s “All Fall Down”, followed by “Long Forgotten Dream” and a memorable take on “A Robin Made a Nest on Daddy’s Grave” which is best known from performances by the Stanley Brothers. Sierra Hull, the night’s special guest joined in for vocals and “mandolin sandwich” on “Walk On Boy”, “She Makes My Love Come Rolling Down” and “Train, Train.” The jams fired up again with an incredible debut cover of Post Malone’s “Circles.” Didn’t see that coming, but hot damn, it was fun! Hull finished up her guest spot with “Daybreak In Dixie” before Billy and the boys melted minds with “Meet Me at the Creek. Again, there wasn’t an encore, but somehow after the frenzy of “Creek,” one wasn’t really needed this time.

7/17/2020 Billy Strings Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN

Set 1: Taking Water > Thirst Mutilator This Heart of Mine — Hollow Heart Home of the Red Fox > How Mountain Girls Can Love Pretty Daughter I Only Exist New Camptown Races Turmoil & Tinfoil Set 2:

All Fall Down (1) Long Forgotten Dream A Robin Built A Nest On Daddy’s Grave Walk On Boy (2) She Makes My Love Come Rolling Down (3) Train Train (3) Circles (3)(4) Daybreak In Dixie (3) Meet Me at the Creek (1) Jerusalem Ridge Tease (2) Sierra Hull vocals and mandolin (3) Sierra Hull (4) FTP Post Malone

Night three saw the boys moving over to the historic Station Inn. After two nights of “couch tour” my wife was becoming a bit curious, and I’m always trying to turn her onto the music and bands I love. So, I talked her into watching night three with me. She’s a late bloomer of a Dead/jam band fan, and while her tendencies lean more to just enjoying the music, dancing and the vibe, she knows enough to understand the intricacies involved and why I love the exploratory nature of the jams. But, as a whole she’s not really a big fan of traditional bluegrass. In hindsight, this really wasn’t the night to try to introduce her to Billy Strings, as traditional bluegrass was the theme of this night. She liked it okay, but didn’t really get where all my excitement for the band came from.

The first set began with “Train 45” and then another debut, this time Jimmy Martin’s “Tennessee”. If you aren’t familiar with Martin, but you really dig colorful characters, Martin is that and more. He was also one hell of a picker and deserves to be heard. Really, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that a night at the Station Inn would be packed full of traditional songs and covers from Doc Watson (Black Mountain Rag” , Bill Monroe (“The First Whipoorwill”, Letter From My Darlin’” “Salt Creek”> “Bill Cheatham”), the Stanley Brothers and more. As Billy stated, “If you don’t like bluegrass gospel music then you got something cockeyed somewhere.” That’s true. Perhaps a result of less familiarity with the songs, there was a more laid back approach to both sets. While really well played, there really wasn’t a lot of heat maintained consistently. There were definite highlights, and I thought this was bassist Royal Massat’s best night in the mix so far. The set two opener, “Freedom” was another odd symptom of the pandemic. Often done as an encore with a single shared microphone, this one seemed a bit out of place opening the set, and even more-so with four mics. It was an abnormality that the band even felt compelled to mention at the song’s conclusion. Night three’s special guest was the lovely and gifted picker Molly Tuttle, who very nearly stole the show with a standout version of “Cold Rain and Snow.” It’s a song with special meaning for me, as it was the first song played at my very first Grateful Dead show way back in 1988. Without question, this was one of the best versions of the song I’ve ever heard and easily my favorite moment of the night. Tuttle also contributed on “Black Mountain Rag,” “Rank Stranger,” “Goodbye Old Pal” and “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down”. The band rolled on through a standout “Shenandoah Valley Breakdown,” another pair of Monroe covers, “With Body And Soul” and “Kentucky Mandolin” before shutting it down with the appropriate, “Long Gone.” The night was a fun and respectful nod to traditions and left a lot of curiosities for what the second show at the Station Inn would hold.

7/18/2020 Billy Strings Station Inn – Nashville, TN Set 1:

Train 45 Tennessee (1) Likes of Me Dusty Miller First Whippoorwill Good Woman’s Love Down the Road Love Like Me Salt Creek > Bill Cheatham Letter from my Darlin’ (2) Sophronie Lonesome Moonlight Waltz The Springtime of Life (3) Nobody’s Love is Like Mine Sunnyside of the Mountain

Set 2: Freedom (4) Southern Flavor I’ll Remember You Love In My Prayers Black Mountain Rag (5) Cold Rain and Snow (5) Rank Stranger (5) Goodbye Old Pal (5) Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down (5) Shenandoah Valley Breakdown With Body and Soul Kentucky Mandolin Long Gone (1) FTP Jimmy Martin (2) FTP Bill Monroe (3) FTP Ola Belle Reed (4) 4 mic style (5) With Molly Tuttle

This was the show I should have watched with my wife, as I think this was the best night of the run so far. The band was particularly dialed in. In fact, it seemed like everything really fell into place. The lights, the camera work and in particular, the music was done with absolute precision. Tonight, instead of any timidness there was assured confidence and as a result, the whole dang show is spectacular. “Dark Hollow” got things going and really set the bar high. Flatt and Scruggs songs “Farewell Blues” and “My Cora is Gone” led to David Grisman’s “Fanny Hill.” My favorite song of the first set though was an insane “Ol’ Slewfoot,” an old Johnny Horton song that’s always a highlight when delivered. Flatt and Scruggs returned with “Salty Dog,” then “Big Sandy River” led to Jim and Jesse’s “Bringing in the Georgia Mail.” Next, the Stanley Brothers’ “White Dove,” Monroe’s “True Life Blues,” Dr. Ralph Stanley’s “Clinch Mountain Backstep,” and then back to the Stanley Brothers with “Sharecropper’s Son” and another first time played debut of “Let Me Love You One More Time.” “Paul & Silas” continued a streak of Stanley Brothers’ tunes before wrapping up the first set with Jayne/Webb written classic, “Old Home Place.”

Second set picked up right where its predecessor left off with a Dr. Ralph Stanley tune, “Riding That Midnight Train,” Tony Rice’s “Tipper” and “Nellie Kane,” a song I know best from the Dillards. Queue in the evening’s guest at this point, which is the incomparable Bryan Sutton on guitar. There seemed to be a friendly rivalry present, as the two extraordinary guitarists strove to push each other. Beginning with Bill Monroe’s “I’m Coming Back, But I Don’t Know When” and “Goldrush,” the two pickers plain tore it up. Larry Sparks’ “John Deere Tractor” and Flatt & Scruggs’ “I’ll Go Stepping Too” continued the momentum with a Norman Blake & Tony Rice cut, “Texas Gales.” Sutton played on to the set’s conclusion, lending contributions to the Stanley Brothers’ “Think of What You’ve Done” and an absolutely brilliant and fiery rendition of The Osborne Brothers’ “Ruby.” Things finished up with another Monroe song, “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome” and finally traditional flat-picking gem, “June Apple.”

7/19/20 Billy Strings Station Inn – Nashville, TN

Set 1: Dark Hollow Farewell Blues Cora is Gone Fanny Hill Ol’ Slewfoot Salty Dog Big Sandy River Bringing in the GA Mail (1) White Dove True Life Blues Clinch Mountain Backstep Sharecropper’s Son Let Me Love You One More Time (2) Paul & Silas Old Home Place

Set 2: Riding On That Midnight Train Tipper Nellie Kane I’m Coming Back, But I Don’t Know When (3) Gold Rush (3) John Deere Tractor (3) I’ll Go Steppin’ Too (3) Texas Gales (3) Think of What You’ve Done (3) Ruby (3) I’m Blue I’m Lonesome (3) June Apple (3) (10 Jerusalem Ridge Tease (2) FTP (3) With Bryan Sutton

So, here we are four shows into a nine show tour, with a total of 92 songs played, no repeats. Yeah, you read that right. No repeats. Night one was 18 songs, night two had 19, night three had the most with 28, and night four brought serious intensity with 27. There was essentially a night of music to suit just about everyone. Dig the traditional tunes? Either night at The Station Inn should do the trick. Like a good mix with a little more music exploration prominent? Go with the second night at the Brooklyn Bowl or the second set from the first night. With all that in mind, I would rank the first four shows of the tour as such:

1. 7/19/20 Station Inn 2. 7/17/20 Brooklyn Bowl 3. 7/16/20 Brooklyn Bowl 4. 7/18/20 Station Inn

Monday saw the streaming tour take a break before moving on to Nashville’s City Winery for two nights on July 22nd & 23rd, the Exit/Inn the 24th and 25th and finally, wrapping up the tour at 3rd & Lindley on Sunday the 26th. But, that doesn’t mean the music stopped as Billy was joining Marcus King’s band’s live stream and was also to have a previous performance highlighted on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Monday night as well. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the remainder of the streaming tour in a pair of follow-up pieces including a full tour recap. But I recommend you drop into Billy Strings’ webpage for all the details on grabbing tickets for the remainder of the tour. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Visit here: https://billystrings.com

I’d like to call out the Billy Strings Setlist page on Facebook. For someone still learning all the songs in the repertoire as well as the history behind them, it’s been a valuable resource and a friendly spot to drop in and research.. Thanks for doing what you do. Additionally, the Billy Strings Fanpage (Official) on Facebook is equally vital, and a fun growing community.

Photos used in this article include official photos by Jesse Faatz Photography and stream captures edited by David Nowels Photography.

Show Review: Billy Strings Multi-Night Streaming Tour 2020, nights 1 - 4 of 9 @billystrings @mollytuttle @bryand28sutton #americanamusic #livestreamtour Billy Strings Streaming Tour 2020 -- photos by Jesse Faatz Photography; screen edits by David Nowels Photography…

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