The Silence Between: Music Recommendations

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:53 pm

Have had the song Convoy in my head for a few days now, which is hilarious and great but also a ridiculous mental state that should not be further encouraged by linking it. Instead, I will observe we once had a President whose favorite music was this:

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 1:47 pm

Talking Book is my favorite Stevie Wonder album. My favorite albums by the all-time-greats seem to always be the one that merges their artistic high-points with great pop songwriting. And this is for sure the case here, with this, Superstition, and I Believe the highlights, but all the other tracks are also great. Gonna highlight this one, which puts me in a mood that I dunno if there's a word for. Whatever the mood is, it's peaceful and joyous, I wonder how much Jeff Beck's noodling has something to do with it, I only feel it listening to this song

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Mar 08, 2021 6:25 am

My life was seriously bereft and diminished due to the lack of bts the last two weeks, as have been busy and distracted from putting on music. Listening to combo of Dynamite and ON is restorative, seriously. J-Hope is somehow the human embodiment of Hope, not sure how/why.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Mon Mar 08, 2021 8:57 pm

Haven't talked much about my Just Rewards project but it's going very well and now have over 70 followers and a regular group voting on stuff. I figured I should start sharing some of the songs I've really liked here.

Gonna start with the song Skokkian, that has so much going on. I've known it for a decade or so but it's still thrilling with each listen. It's a cover of a South African song, but has the feel of Louis' classic seven-pieces from decades earlier, but also some big band trumpets, but also some hot latin rhythm, and no vocals for almost 3 minutes. He made this at age 53 but has youth joy. Anyways it's doing really well in the polls, and I'm wondering if this has always been everyone's like 3rd favorite Satchmo song all along.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:31 pm

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:59 am

One of the dumber song titles I've heard, but a great damn song.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:53 am

poorpete wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 8:57 pm Haven't talked much about my Just Rewards project but it's going very well and now have over 70 followers and a regular group voting on stuff.

That is awesome and I am glad you are posting some of it, because that was great!!!

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:56 am

Eliahad wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:31 pm Sphere ensemble

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Where is the dancing banana I need that banana to dance right now and I need a lot of them!!!!!!

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:02 am

Akiva wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:59 am One of the dumber song titles I've heard, but a great damn song.

This is a great damn song! I should listen to this band more often. The problem is I really like the music but I'm not a super fan of the singing. The music is really good though.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:37 pm

Spotify:
A magical tool that allows you to play the same song over and over and over again while cooking without touching your phone!
My kid has emailed and texted me repeatedly to let me know that this is interfering with her life because apparently whatever I play, it is also connected to her shared account and she is hearing it. And what I'm playing is BTS "ON" as many times as I can get it to repeat because it is fully restorative of one's mood and happiness in any circumstances. Seriously how great is this song?????!!!! BTS Grammy time on the 14th is it? I am ready with bells on. Anyway my child in this process called me "bruv" and so I feel no compulsion to answer her or stop playing this.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 7:49 pm

Another great one from 1954, one that grew on me with each listen, is so goofy and fun, with classic doo wop gobbledygook words, and so much fun to sing along to (and yell along to near the end too). Also, for some reason, I think because of Martin Scorsese, I figured doo wop was a big Italian thing when it was clearly another African American art form created and perfected. But also I gotta note an all white vocal group took this song, did their little cover, and it went to #1. Doesn't compare...

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:07 pm

I love how this, from '55, straddles genres, carving out an area of folky bluesy jazzy pop that not many have tried to replicate. 50s may have the reputation of tweeness musically but it's in many ways an adventurous time.

Also this is dark, funny, and anti-capitalist, and was a giant pop hit in the days of McCarthyism. Love it.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:00 am

My music projects got me listening to the songs of 2019, 1954, and 1901. It's a bit of whiplash in someways, but enough good stuff to make it fun.

This one, by Shirley and Lee, was out in round 1 in the 1956 game but is one of my favorites so far. I love the mood, the vibe, and the saucy lyrics that are still hidden enough that I can play it around the kids without worry.

The song lost to Love is Strange by Mickey and Silvia, an equally saucy duet. Here's a fun live version...

20 years later Shirley had a big 70s pre-disco hit that was written and produced by Silvia...

Silvia who is Silvia Robinson, who then just did a little thing called Sugar Hill Records that brought hip hop to the general public and changed the world forever. Would love a Silvia biopic someday... she's not in the Rock Hall, it's absurd.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:55 pm

Wearing jeans today for the first time in infinity. I did not have to JUMP to put them on but I do feel her pain! Pandemic has me crazed like "I want to watch the Grammmmeeeeeeeeessss!" and put it on my calendar. That's some sadness. But I am so excited for it, like it is a real live concert.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Thu Mar 11, 2021 5:03 pm

The Weeknd is boycotting the grammys and he has a point. When working on my just rewards project, I try to pick songs based on how I assume the Grammys would/should: a mix of acclaim and popularity with a dash of activism. When they fail at that, whiffing on an acclaimed hugely popular song by a person of color, they deserve to be called out.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Fri Mar 12, 2021 2:32 pm

Especially when they have eight songs in some of these categories, and so many different categories as a way to fit things in. I haven't heard of half of them, and that doesn't mean they're not deserving, but when the artist - and yes I'll just go ahead and mention Justin Bieber here - is somebody only reaching this level because you hear the song on the radio, not because of some measure of quality, clearly the Weeknd song was a much bigger monster of a song.

Anyway for one of the few times in life ever I am super excited to see the Grammys because of you know who, and to get ready this is what I'm listening to:

I'm not sure how literally we're supposed to take this song because it gets a little more creepy the more literally we take it, but on the other hand it supports my "scent and pheromones are more important than almost any consciously cognized factor or sense of emotion we may have in this department" nutty theory. Related super-scientific hypothesis: J-Hope smells like mint, lavender, and jasmine, with a very light whiff of pine tree.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Fri Mar 12, 2021 2:45 pm

I can see an honest way Weeknd was snubbed (though I'm not sure the way he was was honest). Mainly, that they wanted diversity of genre, gender, and race, and he got squeezed out. Say they created genre lanes and had a 50%+ women/POC rule set, and he was left out. They wanted a jazz lane, and the jazz people picked a guy (Jacob Collier). They wanted a old time soul lane, that went to other guys (Black Pumas). They wanted a uper-pop hiphop lane, that went to a guy (Post Malone). They wanted a classic rock lane, that went to guys (Coldplay). What was left for the Weeknd? The dance pop lane. But the # of guys is already creeping up and plus you have a song and album that are better and more deserving than the Weeknds (Dua Lipa). So honest work for a diverse selection, and honestly it is a diverse group -- they did a really good job at that -- actually hurt a deserving diverse artist. It's possible.

But I'd say... they should've seen the issue, and kicked out Post Malone in response. But my guess is that Post Malone played the Grammy game (handshakes+) and Weeknd didn't.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Fri Mar 12, 2021 4:25 pm

You may be right about this, but just going by my highly scientific sense of radio impact and song quality, I think that Post Malone song deserves to be there above some of the others. Maybe I'm not a Roddy Rich fan but I don't think either of his nominated songs surpass "Blinding Lights". Justin Bieber has no business being anywhere near it. On the other hand, I'm not particularly distressed about it because Blinding Lights is basically Take On Me rewritten for 2020. I need one of those little chairs and desks with a "prove me wrong" sign for these various hot musical takes. But it is the same thing as A-ha, so much so that I would swear the beat is identical and they merely tinkered with a few of the synthesizer licks.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:59 am

Perhaps you can imagine how much the Grammy's feel like a joke to me for picking the repugnant non-talent Ariana Grande over BTS in a performance category, but they did give one to H.E.R. and the Billie Eilish song was probably my favorite of that year, if I'm being honest, haha I amuse myself:

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:32 am

Mixed emotions from watch the Grammys. Pretty much would have called it a huge success if it wasn't for the very last award given out.

The performances were constant and great. This should be the new normal. Most awards should be given out earlier, and the main event should be a concert / live music video, with occasional big awards and commercials. My favorite, although it may have been shot beforehand, was Silk Sonic, who again exudes such joy. Haim was exciting. Great to see Killer Mike up there doing some classic RTJ lines (Jesus was killed by the state, indeed!). Some had a second vocal track pre-added (Taylor singing with herself comes to mind) but I think there was one artist who may have not sung at all (she was filmed from afar and was doing a lot strenuous dance moves).

As for awards, yay for women! They dominated this year, and unlike last year's Eilish-fest, the love was shared. Speaking of Eilish, she joins the Roberta Flack club (with U2) for winning two Best Record grammys in a row. Taylor joins the Sinatra/Wonder/Simon club with 3 Best Album wins. Also happy that HER won best song, even though it wasn't my favorite. Meghan won best New Artist, first hip hop woman since Lauryn Hill.

If Meghan had won the last award it would have maybe been my favorite Grammys. Instead it leaves this bad taste. It's a minor injustice on the surface, Eilish had a good song, and it's good it didn't go to PM. But it's a minor injustice that adds up when coupled with recent Grammy history.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:38 pm

If it makes you feel any better, today's report from the 3rd grade is that they actually discussed the Grammys in some detail at school (why? no idea. pandemic life has people looking for whatever helps I guess), and the consensus of the 3rd grade crowd is that Doja Cat was robbed of record of the year. My deepest feelings, after that one:
???????????????????????????????????????

Apparently she has a video where she's a cow. She is beloved of the young. Not my young, as I try to train him better than this, but he also is disgusted by my enjoyment of BTS and at the moment demands either classical music (okay, I did something right finally as a parent) or video game soundtracks (um yeah ok they are a lot better than I would have expected).

Anyway, we both very much enjoyed the new format and yes, it should be a concert where artists with the biggest songs get to perform them live, or do a medley, or whatever, and pop some awards in at the beginning and end. The kid really liked the Silk Sonic performance; I thought Bruno Mars was absolutely terrific and could not understand why people were panning that performance as "boring". It was anything but boring. He was giving us many notes! Kid went to bed at some point during all this, but I thought other highlights were the Black Pumas (new favorite, wow) and the tap dancing break during Savage.

I love that song too but it becomes a bit of a crapshoot when there are so many songs in a category like that - even a little vote-splitting from another option can let a consensus mediocrity emerge. Of course, I love that Everything I wanted song, so I don't think it's mediocre, but it's also not obviously dazzling or superior - just my idiosyncratic preference. If you want to know which song I think THE BEST of 2020, you know it isn't any of the above, so here it is again - I probably post it about once a month? Week? I don't know, can't get enough of it:

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Tue Mar 16, 2021 2:48 pm

Today I have to get things accomplished so I have my accomplishing things music on deck. This poor man, who single-handedly made Young B/Bianca a wealthy woman by paying her proper homage for penning the original, is often criticized for of all things his hairstyle in the last part of the video. This annoys me on so many levels. For one thing, learn the difference between a gel twist and a loc, and for another thing, learn that this man has spent his whole life as a hip-hop dancer inspired by this music, which is probably why he paid the creator, who continues to benefit both financially and career-wise from his remaking the song and turning it into a viral dance challenge. I will spare you my thoughts about the fact that each day I have to work to prevent my hair from forming dreadlocks - not tangles, not protective locs, but 100% natural dreadlocks - because clearly J-Hope chose this hairstyle, not as a cultural appropriation or false imitation but because it is one of the choices people with HIS hair have. You can even see how different his hair is in the daytime part of the video compared to normal, so he may have had various reasons to get it behind a headband for the big dance part. In short, do not criticize J-Hope, world, do not!

This one is complicated because there's a whoooooooole big backstory to the Map of the Soul 7 album, starting with the previous release of Persona, and then the last track on this one is Ego. So he's not simply writing a song celebrating his Ego, as it might seem on first encounter out of context, but its part of an overall structure exploring the layers of the human person. Different members perform solo pieces that explore these complexities, like Suga's Shadow or Jimin's Filter. Of course they saved the best for last with this one, a sunny self-affirmation that only J-Hope could give us like this. I think my youtube history must be circling around the same Afrobeat stuff that inspired this song because its very familiar while still sounding new, different - I don't know how much is J-Hope and how much it's a team of people, and it doesn't really matter, but he always brings the oddball musical angle that resonates with my brain somehow:

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:43 am

This song that I had forgotten about for a while was playing on the radio while I was driving and therefore it is now stuck in the head, and that's fine because it's actually pretty good! There is however no excuse whatsoever for human beings to have hair like this, and I mean no excuse for every single one of these people, including the audience members, except for the bassist.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:29 pm

Been brought into the twitter music poll community with open arms. Some fun ones this month, that seem to be March specific, due to the whole march madness stuff. Here's a fun one: March Plaidness, picking the most grunge song ever, since you mentioned Fugazi earlier...

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:03 pm

Oddly throughout life most of my productive activity has been accompanied by or inspired by a certain type of Metal, like a plant that grows under favorable conditions of Mozart and damp sunshine. One of these useful minerals is Iron Maiden, so underrated and so unexpectedly highbrow. Trying to explore their "newer" works (I am an 80s Iron Maiden fan, aiming for growth):

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:11 pm

The idea that Waiting Room would lose... That song defined an era; the importance of a single minute of that song cannot be overstated!!!

Let's see which minute... Ok it's 0:27 to 1:27 of this, which is Exactly what all their live shows I went to were like. Being in that crowd, great experiences. They attracted some bad audiences I am sure, but the good performances and good crowds were SO GOOD:

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:19 pm

I like Waiting Room more, love love love the false start and crowd going along with it, but feel the winner was more grunge. This is hardcore right?

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:21 am

poorpete wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:19 pm I like Waiting Room more, love love love the false start and crowd going along with it, but feel the winner was more grunge. This is hardcore right?

I would call it post-hardcore. But I'm fussy and pretentious.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:05 am

Is post-hardcore similar to post-punk? Taking what hardcore did but expanding it beyond its rigid musical and lyrical roots? Or is it more a generational change.

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:17 am

poorpete wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:05 am Is post-hardcore similar to post-punk? Taking what hardcore did but expanding it beyond its rigid musical and lyrical roots? Or is it more a generational change.

Yeah, that's it. Taking the building blocks of hardcore, but putting them together in different ways, and (usually) not as fast. I put a lot of punk bands from the 90s in that category--Fugazi, Jawbox, Sleater-Kinney (to a lesser extent). But like all labels, it doesn't capture the complexity of things.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 12:33 pm

That sums it up pretty well though. I hate it when people call fugazi emo. No. No.

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 3:42 pm

This is so great - just so great. It distracts me from the ruin and disaster of my every effort to function successfully, though I will say I have managed to clean the floors of this house and it was like moving a mountain. Yet it is done!

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 8:24 pm

If you spend any time reading what BTS fans say about the group, you will hear a constant refrain that they are healing angels sent from above to make us feel better. At first you may think, haha this is odd, but it does not take long to realize why people are saying this.
The whole modus operandi of this group is to offer healing to the world.
Also here you see me and my alter ego j Hope with the water hose. This is the essence of life in warm weather, although mine usually involves a lot more mud and plants and dogs and a lot less gold sprinkles coming out.
But there are still dogs here! Fluffy dogs that did not roll in the mud but still, good dogs.
And of course our beautiful alpaca Jin reading a book, like our best life we would be leading if we had calm in the world. These men are just precious angels, they really are. If you feel like crap this is your answer:

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 9:15 pm

Phoebe wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:48 pm I have never listened to Brenda Lee in my life so now I'm going to have to figure out what's up! I take it she was some sort of teenage phenom pop singer back in her day? I know of the Peggy Lee but not the Brenda Lee.

You've must've heard her hits, at the very least Rocking Around The Christmas Tree.

Brenda Lee was the first popular white woman in rock and roll. Both Elvis and Keith Richards were obsessed with this song in particular...

She'd often skip around Rock, Pop, Country, Rockabilly and R&B and her album tracks aren't throwaways, which all makes a deep dive fun and rewarding.

Here's a random one I adore...

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 11:42 pm

Love it, I love the singer of that Christmas Tree song and didn't ever go beyond to see what else she sang. The tragedy song is pretty intense! But amusing moment when I looked it up so I could search for her songs and it said the lyrics near the end were "kissed by the stove" instead of "kissed by the snow"! Technically I suppose both can burn you, but usually the snow delivers a slightly less painful kiss than the stove does!

Anyway, it turns out this is one of her several big hits and I heard it in the past without knowing who the singer was. Helpful to have the proper context. Will have to sample her greatest hits album tomorrow.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:46 pm

Her little yodeling-but-not thing, soo good.

Got my 1953 tourney almost ready. It's now up to 56 songs, with 32 that play-in for the final eight spots.

: just 1953 play-ins.jpg (83.26 KiB) Viewed 3122 times

It's a bit insane. But they are all good songs!

The country music play-in went through some fun changes.
First it was all Hank Williams, including "Kaw Liga" -- but then to make room for other artists that people requested, I happily kicked out that song, because it's -- what's the word --- oh yes -- racist. Then found out that "You Win Again" is from 1952, so that's getting kicked out too, but then a user requested Hank's "Angel of Death" and that's where we are now.

Anyways, plenty of great not racist* songs within.

*the actual level of racism of remaining songs has not been vetted completely

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 5:03 pm

Oh my what a list!! Interesting how many of these rose and fall at different times depending on which artist released a version! I need three out of your four novelty play-ins to be in the final, as well as Sunday Kind of Love and the obvious best song we could just skip directly to as the 1953 winner: One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer. It can win again at some point a decade later with John Lee Hooker, due to the all important switch in the order of Bourbon and Scotch. However, neither of these holds a candle to the true beverage list of the forlorn and distraught: Milk, Cream, and Alcohol.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 8:42 am

Awesome! Thanks!

I'm excited that the top two songs would be new Top picks if chosen. Either we get the first song from a woman, finally(!!), or the first non-Rock and Roll song. That said, since there's 54 other songs on the list, all have a chance to win (especially if a fan club takes over the voting). But right now I think I'll feel very down if Big Mama goes out in the first two rounds. A little bummed if it goes out in the quarterfinals. Less if it goes out in the semifinals, as she'd be the first woman to reach the semis. I'd be mildly disapointing if she loses in the finals, but less so if it's to say another woman.

I'm trying to figure out the 3/4 Novelty songs you prefer. I'd guess Istanbul for sure, I wouldn't be surprised if that goes far, because of the warm glow of the TMBG cover. Then it gets iffy. I'm surprised how good the St. George and the Dragonet skit is, though I debated nixing it as it's not quite a song. But it was made into a record so it counts. Doggie in the Window is so saccharine and harmless, I figure most cynics hate it, but you're not a cynic. It's not great, but it's good! Then you got I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas, which is super silly, but has a bunch of really good lines.

I'd say all but Doggie in the Window are really witty songs, so that's my guess on which one you'd leave out.

I'm already prepping for 1952 and I'm giddy with excitement that John Cage's 4'33'' is from '52. Giddy!

Mando · Post by **Mando** » Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:37 pm

K-Pop and curling....who knew?

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:50 pm

My 1953 tourney begins!

This song looks like it's on the way out, but I really like it:

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:03 pm

I wrote this long post about an alternate universe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I maybe spent too much time on it, but I think is proof is exactly nerdy enough for this board and thread...

https://justrewarding.wordpress.com/202 ... quirement/

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:22 pm

It appears that I've joined some sort of gang or secret society led by this man in the floral shorts. After these many months of immersion I discover a core truth: the reason "J-Hope is my Bias" is because I not-so-secretly want to BE J-Hope. I like being myself much of the time, but in those moments when it's not the case, I will select J-Hope as my alternate mode of existing:

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:06 pm

This album is so good.

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:31 am

16 songs remain, and they are all pretty good to great. That said, I have clear rooting interests, and was a bit grumpy at some of the early results. Things looks a tad better now, but not yet optimistic...

I like Istanbul, but if it wins I can't help but think people didn't even take the time to listen to Ruth Brown tearing the roof off this song and just voted for TMBG nostalgia...

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:34 pm

You're probably right about the nostalgia, which is unfortunate and a suboptimal reason. But the songs are good and I guess that's what brings them joy, so what can you do?

After dwelling for some time in the alternation between Itzhak Perlman / Beethoven and BTS back catalog, I arrive here again with this celestial voice. Starts off kind of feisty and then rolls into a long cello solo before she hits you with the goods as only she ever could:

Mando · Post by **Mando** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:07 am

poorpete · Post by **poorpete** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 3:12 pm

In four tourneys so far, no women have made it to the semifinals. Now, in the quarterfinals of 1953, it's almost assured there will be 1, there's a 50/50 chance there will be 2, and there's a unlikely but not 0% chance there will be 3. Exciting!

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Sat Apr 17, 2021 5:39 pm

So.... for BTS fans there was a thing very early this morning (Korea time being nearly opposite) called BANG BANG CON, which was an 8-hour long online concert. I woke up for water in the wee hours of the morning and thought maybe I would watch about an hour of it, but fell asleep and luckily woke up again really early this morning so I was able to catch the last few hours, including the entire stadium concert from Brazil. However, it was on the whole time while I slept, so I dreamed typical images that went with its soundtrack. It was quite an experience. First you think it's catchy music, then you think it's extremely versatile awesome music, then you think it's profound music, and then you Wake up one day and find you have joined a cult with all the normal cult things: seven extremely charismatic leaders, group chanting, rituals, overwhelming waves of joy and random emotional bonding experiences with much crying. This sounds crazy but ask any ARMY; this is how it is. So far the cult does not make many demands on the members, so it's working out okay. Mostly I was able to get other work done while this concert went on, because I don't have to actually watch them every second, but as it got closer to the end I had to sit down and then basically 2 million people around the globe were all sobbing together at about 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. EST today, I kid you not. I forget what the peak listenership was but it was even higher. That's just what it was when I noticed there were 2 million people all watching and crying together, which is kind of wild when you think about it.

Anyway, after that I had to listen to something else and luckily the earth is exploding with lovely things these days, so I'm not stuck listening only to BTS:

Phoebe · Post by **Phoebe** » Sun Apr 18, 2021 6:45 pm

I was having an Anita Baker kind of day and then some other videos suggested themselves and next thing you know it was live performance time, etc. This particular live performance was rather transporting. There's also an interesting meta-level experience where Anita Baker is listening to Yolanda sing her song, and you're listening to Yolanda and also watching Anita listen, and all the things Anita is doing are things you yourself are doing. Anita is me sitting and looking at the things that appear on the screen, having goosebumps down the right leg, having feelings, crying, clutching the heart - she does all the things that one would have to do. I think some of my eyelashes may have fallen out while listening to this and I had an out of body experience.

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:55 am

Been on a Mustard Plug jag lately. Damn they were great. Twenty odd years ago I didn't know that they were singing to me.

Look at yourself, you're living the same
Locked behind walls that your brother has made
You were born in a box, you work in a box, you live in a box AND YOU'LL DIE IN A BOX
So much more that's outside your sphere
But you walk on by never knowing how near
So much more than the walls do show
But if you're not very careful then you'll never know!