11 minute read
Entertainment
By Kathryn Smith katmsmith@lc.edu
Jason Aldean & Thomas Rhett Concert
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“Let’s get this thing started. It’s my kinda party.” - My Kinda Party by Jason Aldean. Attending a concert in the year 2021 seems like it would never come due to COVID-19. Now that there is a vaccine that can help reduce the likelihood of getting sick, concerts have been more common. While attending these concerts, there were many precautions that everyone had to follow. Vaccinated people had to show proof with their vaccine cards, while unvaccinated people had to show proof of a negative test to attend the concerts. My friends and I had a great time at the Thomas Rhett and Jason Aldean concerts that we attended a few weeks ago!
These concerts took place at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Thomas Rhett and Jason Aldean are both very popular country music singers. I personally love and enjoy listening to both. Attending these concerts was such a stress reliever. My friends and I got there super early so we could listen to the opening acts such as Cole Swindell, Gabby Barret, Hardy, and Lainey Wilson. All of these artists had amazing songs that some of you might even know.
We purchased lawn seats which we personally love. You have plenty of room to dance and move around, and they are much cheaper. We brought blankets to sit on if we got tired, which we didn’t since we were having such a good time. We stopped by the food stands and got us some snacks. There were lots of food and drink options at these concerts. I bought a yummy blue raspberry snow cone and a huge pretzel. We danced and sang our hearts out. “Soak it all up, let it sink in, crank it up loud all the way to ten.” - Like It’s The Last Time by Thomas Rhett. The concert was so much fun that we didn’t want it to end! All of us enjoyed our time listening to the live music together.
It was such a good feeling to get back into listening to music artists perform live again. It has been so long since we all got together and went to a concert. Spending time with family and friends, and listening to good music really puts you in a great mood. If any of you reading this are thinking about attending a concert soon, I definitely recommend it! Purchase those tickets, tell your friends, and have a great time! Make sure to take plenty of precautions to keep yourself safe when doing so. Oh, and don’t forget to take lots of pictures and videos. Making memories is so important. Having those memories documented makes it even more special!
Hovvdy - “True Love” Album Review
By Stephen Kern skern@lc.edu
Hovvdy is a two piece indie-pop/pillow-core band reigning from Austin, Texas. Their sound lives in the warm atmosphere of nostalgia and memory; it consists of synths, piano, guitar, drums, and some cordial singing. Hovvdy’s lyrics are thoughtful, reflective, and honesty is paramount. Listening to Hovvdy evokes the feeling that everything will be okay.
On their fourth and brand new record, “True Love,” Hovvdy are able to keep the same atmospheric nostalgia but with a slightly more mature approach. This album is stocked with bright piano and joyful melodies, a soundscape as crisp as the early morning in the fall. “True Love” delivers songs and melodies with more enthusiasm than previous records like Hovvdy’s 2018 album,” Cranberry,” which is more warm and fuzzy. Ironically, the opening track for “True Love’’ was the last song to be added to the record when Martin and Taylor couldn’t finish a track they had in the works. The track “Joy” explores the feeling of letting go of the past and taking down the barrier of tension with communication. On “Hue,” Taylor expresses the overwhelming emotions that come with being a new parent; he sings “Am I strong enough for two? Can I love myself like I love you?” “True Love” delves into elements of childhood memories, pandemic life, uncertainty, love, hope, and compassion. “I felt really confident in letting this record be as tender and beautiful as we could make it, knowing there would always be a layer of darkness in there,” Martin said, in an interview with Consequence Sound.
Personally, I think that “True Love” is Hovvdy’s most dynamic, vulnerable, and biggest-sounding work to date. My favorite tracks are “Sometimes,” “One Bottle,” “Hue,” and “Blindsided.” Their music is pleasant and easy on the ears; I would recommend them to anyone in search of broadening their music interests.
Photo via Bandcamp
A Trip To The Pumpkin Farm
By Kathryn Smith - katmsmith@lc.edu
GOODBYE SUMMER, HELLO FALL!
Fall is my absolute favorite season. Pumpkin carving, crisp fall air, scary movies, apple picking, and everything pumpkin flavor are all the things I look forward to. There are so many fun things with friends and family you can do during this time of year. Luckily for us, we got to take a trip down to the Rinkel Pumpkin Farm in Glen Carbon, IL.
The Rinkel Pumpkin Farm is owned by the Rinkel family. Their very own farm contains lots of home grown pumpkins ranging with various sizes, farm animals such as goats, pigs, cows, and sheep that we got to feed, corn mazes that I personally love, a barrel train for the little ones, and many more! They have their own store where you can buy home decor, T-shirts, and snacks. For the admission, three years old and younger are free, 65 years or older are $4 each, other ages are $5 per person, and an all day pass is $15.
My friends and I got the opportunity to visit the Rinkel Pumpkin Farm. We started off our day with feeding the animals. This had to be my favorite part because I love animals! They were all friendly and interactive with us. All of the animals loved people, especially the kids. Then we went through the corn maze. It only took us about 5 minutes to find the end. There are many signs in the corn maze to help you along the way which definitely helped us not get lost! Then we took lots of pictures with a cute display they had set up. We ended our day by picking out our very own pumpkins. There are so many sizes and colors you can choose from. PICK ME, PICK ME!
We all had an awesome time at the Rinkel Pumpkin Farm. Everyone was so friendly and inviting. This place really gets you in that fall mood, which makes the process even more fun! If you are thinking about taking a trip to the farm, I highly recommend it! If you would like more information about the Rinkel Pumpkin Farm, click the links below! HAPPY PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON!
https://www.facebook.com/RinkelPumpkinFarm/ https://jblumberg16.wixsite.com/rinkelpumpkinfarm
All Day Gentle Hold!
By Stephen Kern
Aaron Maine, also known as Porches, is an indie rock artist based in New York City. His fifth and latest album All Day Gentle Hold! was released on October 8th, 2021. All Day Gentle Hold! is 11 tracks and 25 minutes of concise drums, warm vocal tones, snazzy synths, and hazy guitar riffs. This record is more ambitious and energetic compared to Maine’s previous record Ricky Music; on which he stated that he was experimenting with new production ideas.
All Day Gentle Hold! was recorded in Maine’s New York apartment at the end of 2019 and through the pandemic until April 2021. Toying with sounds from genres like shoegaze, dream-pop, and punk, these short punchy songs are “alive” and energetic through the record. It’s as sharp and refreshing as a splash of cold water to the face. The 6th track “Swarovski” is a super bouncy and playful song with the most memorable chorus that will get stuck in your head all day. “In A Fashion” slows the record down a bit with some warm and layered synths and Maine singing softly “Did you ever think that you were born for it?”. The pace continues through the next track “Inasint” which is a 53 second interlude featuring a vocal skit and some slow and warped synthesizer sounds. The momentum and energy picks back up to standard for this record with the last 2 tracks. “Grab The Phone” is upbeat with hammering drums, some washed out guitar, and serene backing vocals for the choruses “Don’t bite the hook I just let it slide through my cheek, pull me up wanna show you some of my teeth”.
Porches seems to be having more fun and being more playful on this record. To me this record feels like each song is a little bubble filled with a little static shock. Personally, I think the Pitchfork review describes this album perfectly; “These are some of Maine’s most generous and indelible songs, so much so that the album’s 25 minutes feel too brief. Like the best summers, it’s done in an instant—but the feeling lasts long after it’s over.”.
Jeri’s Student Recipes
Top 10 Songs:
1. Dazed and Confused
A great song that basically talks about if he wonders if he’s in love or “Dazed & Confused”. It has a catchy intro with ‘ba da ba da ba’ & the rap is INSANELY & hard not to sing along to! This is also one of my favorites to hear live!
2. Stay True
A song from his new album “Silver Lining II” that talks about how much he has changed through the several years in the business and how his dad told him to always “Stay True” to himself. He also raps great in it along with an insane beat!
3. Girl That’s Underneath
A really great and catchy song from the first “Silver Lining” album that he produced in his BEDROOM/Studio. It talks about how he wants to see whats below the surface of a girl who gets alot of attention. ItIt’s also great live!
4. I Forgot About You
He literally just released this single and he talks about how after all these years he forgot his past relationship and now he can focus on his current one. This is completely different than any of his songs that gives me a Pop/Punk vibe and shows how versatile he can be with his music!
5. Ross & Rachel
When you see the title you immediately think about the on & off again couple in the show “Friends.” It’s unlike an artist to write a song about a fictional relation but like me it’s great hearing someone’s perspective about it! It’s is simple with the beat and to the point.
Top 10 Songs:
By: Elise Gremli
