Los Angeles Downtown News 11-30-20 by Times Media Group

November 30, 2020 I VOL. 49 I #48

Vans Partners with Brown Bag Lady

Helping the Underserved

Jacqueline Norvell was thrilled with proposition Page 6

Initiative brings laptops to students Page 4

Adrian Gonzรกlez App brings fans closer to the superstar Page 8

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Gratitude Day: The magic By Ellen Snortland ratitude, after all, is the underpinning of Thanksgiving. I have a Thanksgiving practice every day. I recommend it. Here’s how it works: Every day, a group of us Landmark grads from as globally far-flung countries as Kenya and Germany, and as close as my local environs Altadena, email the group 10 things we are grateful for. We have done this faithfully since 2005. There are a devoted 10 of us and some drop-ins. Both drop-ins are male, BTW. She cleared her throat.

The “grateful list” goes like this: Subject line: Grateful 11-26-20 Today I am grateful for: Coffee Liking and loving my husband, especially after being raised by a couple who despised each other The smell of dogs’ paws; Fritos? Popcorn, tortillas? The strength and vision of my Indigenous friends in both of the Dakotas All Saints Episcopal church in Pasadena; singing in the virtual choir with them My community of Empowerment Self-Defense Global and IMPACT Personal Safety My courage in learning new things all the time My writing students, and progress on Author Bite By Bite, my new online course Having the opportunity to write a column, year in and year out This practice which has enhanced my appreciation for everything in my life. That’s it; that’s the practice. I also have 15 years of these entries as a journal of my daily gratitude. I am happier because of it. We now know scientifically, not only anecdotally, that expressing gratitude impacts people’s lives. And hearing or reading other people’s appreciation for their loves uplifts us, too. The experts say gratitude helps in at least in two ways. According to Psychology Today, one way is by stimulating two important regions in our brains: the hypothalamus, which regulates stress, and the ventral tegmental area, which plays a significant role in the brain’s reward system that produces feelings of pleasure. Think of people who complain a lot and what feelings they leave you with. Not pleasant, right? And for some, complaining can take on a certain level of “one-ups-personship”: You can hear that subtle competition with people comparing physical maladies. “You think your gall bladder operation was bad. … Well, my bunions were really bad…” On the other side of the coin, if you start comparing what you’re grateful for, if you’re sensitive, you can feel the spirits lift in the room. Our home is an expression of gratitude. As you know if you’ve read Consider This over the years or my pieces in the Huffington Post, I’m all about revealing what’s been made invisible with women and girls. Every wall, every shelf, nook and cranny in our home has something that has been made by a woman, whether she’s in South Africa, South Dakota, Oaxaca, Mexico, Pakistan, Israel, Norway, China or

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wherever else I’ve traveled. To the uninitiated, my decorating style is a mashup of Gloria Steinem, hygge and Martha Stewart on LSD. Women’s arts and crafts have been shamelessly missing, undervalued and taken for granted. I am grateful to my mother, who collected women’s needlework from her travels. She admired and reflected on the hours it took for the woman or girl to make the items she displayed around her home. She had a story about the piece, whether it was embroidery, lacework, fine painting, weaving. She actually pointed out a tiny drop of blood on a piece of white, finely worked linen from Norway. I love looking at the beadworked clothing and animals I’ve gotten from both Oaxaca and from South Africa. The beading is out of imaginations that give the surrealists a run for their money. In the socalled “New World,” I especially love the sequined voodoo artwork that Haitian women make by first sewing sequins onto socks and then slipping a malt liquor bottle into the sock. (See photo.) This Thanksgiving take a cue from me and Maria of “The Sound of Music”: “RainEXECUTIVE Christina Fuoco-Karasinski drops on roses, and EDITOR: whiskers on kittens…” Maria captured the delight of the smallSTAFF Andrew Checchia, De Ocampo, Shapero est of things. It’sWRITERS: the tiny smacking ofAndres my dog’s lips Julia as they curl up to sleep that CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala Kirk makes my heart expand in love. ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres But you must be intentional about gratitude; the small things will not smack you STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez upside yourCONTRIBUTING head. ThusPHOTOGRAPHERS: we gather—safely—together and stop, breathe, look at Myriam Santos each other and openly appreciate each other’s existence. Please don’t wait for a euACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris logy to express what your loved ones mean to you. Tell them how grateful you are for them now. Or, how about every day, like I do with my friends? Ellen Snortland coaches first-time book authors! Contact her at ellen@beautybitesbeast.com.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Nicholas Barker, Andres de Ocampo, Sarah Donahue, Connor Dziawura CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Ellen Snortland, Rohit Lakshman CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: Charlotte Rutherford ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

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Covered help LETTERSCalifornia TO THE will EDITOR

High aspirations Editor: Journalists should aspire to be like Bo Erickson. The courageous CBS journalist was reprimanded by Mr. Biden when he dared to ask his plans to motivate teachers to return to schools. The president-elect refused to answer, but did ask: “Why are you the only guy that always shouts out questions?” (False.) Mr. Biden’s earlier statement, “I campaigned as a Democrat, but I will govern as an American president,” deserves scrutiny, as his language now seems to suggest he will govern as a Teachers Union president. David Tulanian

www.Downtownnews.com Hey you! Speak up! Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community. Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.

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LA Kings alumni player Daryl Evans speaks beside LA Kings players Trevor Moore and Matt Roy.

LA Kings player Trevor Moore helps hand out the laptops to the selected families and students.

Submitted photo

Initiative donates laptops to underserved students By Andres de Ocampo he SoLa I CAN Foundation and The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, two nonprofit organizations, partnered with the Los Angeles Kings, Wells Fargo and AEG to distribute laptops and mobile Wi-Fi hotspots to underserved students and families of South Los Angeles. As part of “Team Up For Tech,” the two nonprofits recently received 55 laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, headphones and LA Kings merchandise for South LA students and families. The SoLa I CAN Foundation provides educational, technological and economic opportunities to South LA youth and families, and the event was hosted at its campus, the SoLa “Beehive” Campus. “We think that providing access to education and opportunity is a game changer,” said Sherri Francois, executive director of the SoLa I CAN Foundation. “Part of that is bridging the digital divide. There’s an enormous gap when it comes to access to technology and (online) classes. “The goal of SoLa I CAN is really to break the cycle of poverty in South LA. The students, youth and families we serve, 63% of them live below the poverty line.” Students and families chosen to receive the laptops and mobile Wi-Fi hotspots were selected through an eligibility requirement. According to Francois, eligibility meant living in South LA, qualifying as low-income and currently having children in school, after a lottery system made the final decision. “Hearing the families (at the event) and seeing the impact firsthand is real, authentic and there’s an incredible need,” Francois said. “That need is not going away anytime soon. So, that really drives my team to keep on working and to raise awareness of issues that we are dealing with in South LA.” Latonia Graves, mother of three, and her 14-year-old son, Isaiah Graves, attended the event and were among the 55 families who received a laptop. Isaiah attends Washington Preparatory High School and said his remote-learning experience has been tough and the donation

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The LA Kings helped out at a recent event with the SoLa I CAN Foundation, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, Wells Fargo and AEG. Submitted photo would help with his studies. Latonia said, “It was good because he didn’t have a laptop. I had to share my phone and laptop with my neighbors and mother; it’s a blessing that (Isaiah) now has his own computer.” Wells Fargo and the LA Kings will also be “donating money to purchase hundreds of laptops for students and families of Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School in Watts,” according to Alex Batson, development manager of special projects and events for The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools has teamed with Los Angeles Unified School District to manage schools in South LA, Boyle Heights and Watts. The nonprofit works in communities where the schools are considered “high-need,” based on neighborhood conditions, with a goal of empowering students and helping them succeed through strengthening school systems. “We are incredibly grateful for (Wells Fargo and the LA Kings’) donation,” Batson said. “Our students have been incredibly resilient and persistent, but unfortunately too many of them still don’t have the technology that they need to thrive in this new, distanced learning environment.” Nam McGrail, senior vice president of partnership activation with the LA Kings at AEG, spoke about how the event came about. “We came up with this concept (for the event) because we heard there was an overwhelming need, especially in South LA, for (technological) devices. SoLa and the Partnership for LA Schools shared studies with us and about 40% of the families that they surveyed, the children in those families didn’t have the proper devices for distance learning.” Wells Fargo, as a financial partner with the LA Kings, was “quick to hop on board” with the “Team Up For Tech” event, according to McGrail. “From there we worked to identify a partnership with the SoLa I CAN Foundation and The Partnership for LA Schools because of the tremendous work they were doing within the (South LA) communities that they serve,” McGrail said. LA Kings player Trevor Moore and LA Kings alumni player Daryl Evans spoke at the event and helped hand out the laptops to the selected families and students. Moore said that it felt good to be a part of the event. “I didn’t realize how staggering the numbers were of people that have Wi-Fi or (access to technology). They shut down the schools, and these kids need to be able to learn and interact with their friends. It’s a part of being a kid.” Evans said, “To be on the giving side of things, it means so much. These kids are the future of our world and our communities. … It’s great to be able to give something back to our community that supported us for so many years in LA.” The SoLa I CAN Foundation plans to build a tech and entrepreneurship center by summer, according to Francois. The center will provide classes in robotics, coding, recording music, graphic design, etc., with a goal of teaching youth and students the business behind each class, how to be a part of those businesses and how to work in those industries. Francois said the SoLa I CAN Foundation plans to rent out part of the 100,000-square-foot SoLa “Beehive” Campus to restaurants and community-owned businesses. “We want to keep the community here and build the community to build the economy for the community,” Francois said. “We’re making a dent ...” Francois continued. “I do feel good about what we’re doing, and it takes partnerships with sponsors like the LA Kings and Wells Fargo because we can’t do it alone. We still have work to do, (but) I feel hopeful. Getting a laptop to one student is a milestone. … So, one student at a time.”

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Chronic Tacos matching donations to LA Regional Food Bank By Connor Dziawura dollar goes a long way. More specifically, $1 equals 10 meals. Considering that figure and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chronic Tacos Mexican Grill is matching customers’ $1 donations to local food banks near its restaurants. Los Angeles customers can eat well and add a donation to their order knowing they’re supporting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank through December 31. Chronic Tacos’ LA County locations are in Lakewood, Belmont Shore and Long Beach. “We set out the goal to provide 200,000 meals through the food banks,” explained Michael Mohammed, CEO of the SoCal-inspired Mexican grill, which has grown to more than 60 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Japan since it launched in 2002. Chronic Tacos still has time to hit that 200,000-meal milestone. But first, it had to formulate its plan. Mohammed said the idea came “from just the current situation and what we’re all going through as a country (and) as a world.” “Since the pandemic kind of began, we’ve tried as a brand to reach out and do things, especially where it’s food related. We feel that strongly relates to us as a brand,” he explained, pointing to a school lunch program through which Chronic Tacos provided bagged lunches to kids in need back in the spring. “And in discussing it with our team as we’re closing out the year and looking at different things we could do, we really just felt that there was a need—and speaking with the food banks, there is a real need to provide any kind of support that we could to them,” he continued, acknowledging the urgency with which he said food banks need funds. While a food drive was at one point considered, Mohammed said the best thing Chronic Tacos could do is ultimately to rope all its locations into an initiative to encourage their loyal customers to lend a helping hand. All patrons will be offered the chance to donate at the register—and Mohammed clarified they can of course go beyond the suggested $1. “They can donate any amount, but what we are going to do is we’re going to match what our customers donate during that period of time,” Mohammed said, emphasizing that the chain wanted to ensure customers’ donations would support the food banks in their own communities. And the community that surrounds Chronic Tacos at large has been supportive in the long run, Mohammed noted. “We really appreciate the support that our community has shown to us through all this and we wanted to make sure that we work with our community to give back to those in need in our community, because we feel it’s going to be a difficult holiday season and we can see that things are ramping up again and the need is more than ever to help out those who really rely on the food banks,” he said.

Chronic Tacos 4212 Woodruff Avenue, Lakewood 3870 E. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach 6602 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach chronictacos.com

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Tow truck driver shot and killed in Fashion District By Sarah Donahue hile responding to a stalled vehicle, a roadside assistance employee was shot and killed by an unknown suspect in the Fashion District of Downtown LA on November 15 at 8:30 p.m., according to officer Drake Madison of LAPD’s media relations division. The incident occurred in the area of Eighth and Mateo streets, Madison said. The deceased victim has been identified as 26-year-old Michael McGarry from Stanton, according to public information officer Sarah Ardalani with the LA County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. There were two tow truck drivers working on the stalled car, but only one was shot and injured, according to other published reports. The other, unscathed driver reportedly rushed McGarry to a business nearby, where he was pronounced dead, reports say. “Because this is a homicide, we will not be receiving further information until detectives exhaust all leads and send us a news release to put out asking for the public’s assistance,” Madison said.

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Vans partnered with 501(c)(3) nonprofit Brown Bag Lady to provide baseball hats, shoes, socks and other clothing items to the homeless community around Los Angeles. Photo courtesy Brown Bag Lady

Vans partners with LA-based nonprofit Brown Bag Lady By Annika Tomlin acqueline Norvell left a winter Lakers game years ago, took a wrong turn and passed Skid Row. Observing an older homeless population in the community, she felt she had to do something. So, she began to prepare brown bag lunches in 2012, an initiative that spiraled into the nonprofit Brown Bag Lady in 2014 and an eventual partnership with Vans this fall. The company agreed to donate shoes, among other clothing items. “I made 100 brown bag lunches, and it was gone within minutes,” Norvell recalled of the first year she got involved in Skid Row. “And then I took some of my Christmas bonus money and I made about 70 meals that year, and I loved it. “People were so grateful, and it was just myself. I made four turkeys that year and a big pot of collard greens, yams, and we got some dinner rolls and just rolled Downtown.” She continued the following year.

Working full time at a law firm in Century City, Norvell asked attorneys around the office to first help provide unused or lightly used toiletries like shampoo and soap from their business trips that she would put in tube socks and give to the people of Skid Row as “stockings” that winter. “(When) we were passing out food, everybody was like, ‘Do you have a sweater? Do you have a pair of socks?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t have anything but this food,’” Norvell said. “I had made like 70 meals, but it just wasn’t enough.” Norvell went back to her office and asked her co-workers for unused clothing items before eventually asking for monetary donations. At that point, a partner at the law firm told Norvell they wanted to represent her mission, make it a 501(c)(3) and handle all of the legal proceedings. So came Brown Bag Lady. Working out of a community center, Norvell and her group of volunteers began cooking meals, separating clothes and shoes, and delivering donations every first Sunday of the month.

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A volunteer from the nonprofit Brown Bag Lady passes out Vans to a homeless person. Photo courtesy Brown Bag Lady

help provide shoes to homeless people, her initial reaction was shock. “I was just shocked when they told me the amount of shoes that they were donating,” Norvell said. “Honestly, I just—I couldn’t believe it. “And then to hear that it wasn’t just shoes; it’s raincoats and baseball caps and hoodies and socks, because a lot of people will donate shoes but forget about socks.” Norvell, who runs the Instagram account for Brown Bag Lady, was shocked that Vans picked her organization, because she is still learning how to post and “learning about hashtags.” She said she was “humbled that Vans believed in her” and “energized” her to know that they believed that she’s “going to do the right thing with their merchandise.” “If you donate $100, I want to know $100 is really going back to the community, because I have a full-time job,” Norvell said. “I work at a law firm in Century City. All the volunteers have full-time jobs.” Norvell said she ended up crying when a Vans representative said the company would donate more than just shoes over a Zoom call. “When she told me, my heart was pounding and I started crying and it was embarrassing,” Norvell said. Since COVID-19, Norvell and her team have gone to Skid Row every Sunday, not just the first of the month. They have not missed one since March, feeding around 200 people each weekend. It’s this dedication that also led to a previous partnership with Lays and an appearance by Norvell on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” “It’s crazy, the fact that I was on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show,’” Norvell admitted. “I’m not some fancy, shmancy (person).” For more information about Brown Bag Lady, go to brownbaglady.org or follow @brownbadlady_ on Instagram.

On March 20 of this year, Norvell was given the news that her office was going to start working remotely and that everyone would get a pay cut. When she settled with the news, she realized that with restaurants closing and everyone in a state of panic it was unlikely that anyone would feed the homeless. “It was a Friday night, and I went out and I got some food. … They swarmed by van—it’s a noticeable camouflage van, so they swarmed it,” Norvell said. “I was like, ‘You guys, what is going on?’ They’re like, ‘Everybody is scared of COVID-19. No one’s coming out.’ And I was like, ‘What about the churches? What about the heavy-knitted nonprofits that I hear about?’ They’re like, ‘Nobody’s coming out—they’re scared.’” Norvell took it upon herself to dress in a full hazmat suit to still be able to provide meals during the early stages of the pandemic. “Starting March 20 to March 27, we went out every single night,” Norvell said. “I’d wake up and I’d make a batch of penne pasta with ground turkey (and) add tomatoes. We do a salad and some garlic bread—that was Monday. Tuesday I’d make chili, put it over rice, add some cheese and give everybody crackers. I cooked every day for seven days.” By day eight, Norvell was exhausted—but she knew she had to keep going. People reached out by social media and asked to help by providing cookies and other foods. When Norvell heard earlier this month that Vans wanted to partner with her to

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Titan23 brings fans close to Adrian González By Nicholas Barker ormer Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Adrian González is giving fans unprecedented access to him through his recently launched app, Titan23. Fans can interact with González, buy exclusive content and see his charity work through the app. “The app is pretty much a way for me, myself and any other athlete that is going to join the app closer to the fans for a very organic experience,” González said. “It’s free to the fans. There is some subscriptions bases, but all that allows you to get closer to the player or to myself.” The app’s moniker is based on his San Diego Padres nickname, Titan, coupled with his number. “For us, it is all about the brands and the nicknames,” said González. “For me it is Titan23 because I have always been known as Titan since I was with the Padres. Players weekend of

FAMOUS FIRE-GRILLED CHICKEN

MLB is a very good example of the brands that people use.” Titan23 is multifaceted. One of the most important parts of the app is the giving-back tab, which displays all González’s charitable work. A couple examples include opening a Little League field with Julio Urias of the Dodgers and partnering with SoCal Honda Dealers and Canyon High School to donate new dirt for a baseball field. “Every app that is created from these players, there is a 5% giving back for charity,” González said. “Every player can name it what they like, but there is always from the revenues created, 5% of it is given back to a charity of each individuals choice.” While the app is free to download and use, there are also some premium features that are available via a subscription. Some of the content that is available in premium is a tour of González’s mancave, giveaways and personal posts. “There is discounted memorabilia, a lot of giveaways that are not on the free version, exclusive content, which includes things that will not be posted on Instagram or on the app,” said González. “Things that are a little more personal or closer to us, premium users have access to.” The app will list his social media posts as well from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. “The app will also have extra posts that are not posted to Instagram or Facebook,” said González. The app has already generated a lot of noise, and fans are excited to be able to connect to González. Other apps of the same idea have already been created, and many more athletes and other professionals are starting to jump on board. “We already have three other baseball players that have jump on. We have two soccer players that are in the middle of it, a boxer and some musicians as well,” said González. “It’s bringing in your whole universe into once place for the fans to have access to. Social media is a great place if you just want to socialize and look through everybody, but when you really want to follow somebody, this is the position you want to be in.” While developing the app, González had some time to watch his former team win a World Series for the first time in 32 years. González was ecstatic that the Dodgers were finally able to win the last game of the season. “Mainly for me it was the players that I played with, as well as the owners that I played for,” said González. “The ownership group that I played for was the best ownership group I ever played for, and I’m just really happy for them.” The app is available on the app store for free, but if you wish to purchase the premium version, it is $1.99 for a monthly subscription, or $23.99 for a yearly membership, with a free hat.

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These artists ‘sleigh’ their Christmas songs By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski and Rohit Lakshman he COVID-19 pandemic has had us all wishing for merrier times. Musicians are no different. A swarm of performers, ranging from Macklemore duet partner Mary Lambert to Canadian pop stars Glass Tiger, have released holiday albums. Here’s a roundup of some of the best Christmas albums new to 2020.

Mary Lambert “Happy Holigays” Mary Lambert is feeling sad about the COVID-19 pandemic, but her quarantine-produced holiday EP, “Happy Holigays,” is cheering her up. “I haven’t released something with levity in a hundred years,” she said with a boisterous laugh. “It was nice to not have to think about trauma for a few seconds.” Lambert—who appears on Macklemore’s triple-platinum “Sam Love—offers classic fa-

vorites like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and originals such as “Seasonal Depression” on the record. The latter song is an anthem about taking meds, as Lambert suffers from bipolar disorder. She sings, “Take your meds / if you’re taking meds / get some rest / or eat a snack / it’ll all get better soon.” On “Christmas Cookies,” she’s joined by her partner, a nonbinary professor or rhetorician named Wyatt. “Wyatt and I play music all the time together, and I thought their voice would sound perfect in the song,” she said. “We were dying of laughter while recording, so I included some of that in the actual track.” Lambert’s fondest Christmas memory is the annual scavenger hunt her mom hosted for Lambert and her siblings. “It’s a rambunctious event,” she said. “I think we’ll carry on this tradition when we have kids. We are both all about surprises and prizes. Wyatt did a week-long scavenger hunt. I was all about it.” Info: marylambertsings.com

Tommee Profitt fulfilled a 15-year dream by releasing the holiday album “The Birth of a King.” Submitted photo

Glass Tiger “Songs for a Winter’s Night” Canadian pop-rockers Glass Tiger tried to make the best of the lockdown and decided to do something constructive—record their first holiday album. “We had talked about the Christmas stuff, but we were never able to get our heads wrapped around it,” said keyboardist/producer Sam Reid. “This is going to be a Christmas like no other, so if there’s ever an opportunity when we should do a Christmas record, this is it.” The album, “Songs for a Winter’s Night,” is a collection of nine original songs written by Glass Tiger, along with a cover of “A Song for a Winter’s Night,” the latter of which sees the band joined by Natalie MacMaster, Isabel Bayrakdarian of Santa Barbara, and the Steve Sidwell Orchestra. Legendary singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot makes an appearance to voice a poem written by lead singer Alan Frew, “Ode for a Winter’s Night.” “it’s sad to see it wrap up, because it’s been keeping me mentally occupied for the whole time,” Reid said. “We had to create it over multiple time zones—we had string arrangements done in the U.K.; an opera singer from Santa Barbara, who sang in an empty concert hall in Fresno; and Alan in Italy. Then it was all stitched together.” Frew was “marooned,” as Reid put it, in Italy while visiting his daughter in a European school. Christmas is “a big deal” for Reid, who always wanted to record Christmas music. He admits he has a hard time with covers. “It’s just really difficult to do justice to some of the songs I love,” he said. “You cannot beat Bing Crosby or Dean Martin. I’m a very traditional kind of music guy at Christmastime. It’s kind of like covering the Beatles. You’re not going to knock them off their perch.” Info: glasstiger.ca August Burns Red “All I Want for Christmas”

Lil Nas X recently released the song “Holiday.” Photo by Charlotte Rutherford

August Burns Red regularly records Christ-

mas songs in time for the holidays. Guitarist Brent Rambler said the cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” is special, as bassist Dustin Davidson penned the metal version of the pop tune. “When he was going through the remaining songs that we haven’t covered, there were so few that translate to cool metal songs,” Rambler said. “That was at the top of the list. What he wrote came out awesome. He’s a phenomenal guitar player.” Rambler’s favorite Christmas tradition is the chicken pot pie his family makes in Lancaster, Pennsylvania—but this isn’t the usual frozen version of comfort food. “Every year my family gets together in Lancaster County and we make the Lancaster County version of chicken pot pie, which is noodles, chicken stock and herbs. That’s it. We’ve been doing that for 36 years—before my time. It’s a great family gathering.” August Burns Red is hosting a Saturday, December 12, livestream for $15 to $40. Info: augustburnsred.com Tommee Profitt “The Birth of a King” Producer Tommee Profitt’s 15-year dream was to record a holiday album. Thanks to the pandemic, the former Michigander who frequently works with rapper NF did that with “The Birth of a King.” The genre-bending, high-concept Christmas album stands out because of his signature cinematic sensibilities and his epic take on traditional holiday music. Special guests include Avril Lavigne, Chris Tomlin and Stanaj. “The funny thing is, I’ve actually dreamed of making this album since 2005, when I was in college,” Profitt said, calling from Nashville. “One of my class assignments in one of my music classes was to reimagine a Christmas carol. I did one of them and I had so much fun just imagining doing more than one. I said, ‘One day, I want to do one big Christmas album.’ I had no idea it would be 15 years later.” Profitt put a lot of pressure on himself Continued on page 10

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Pentatonix has a new album called “We Need a Little Christmas.”

Limahl released a new take on 2012’s “London for Christmas” called “One Wish for Christmas.”

Submitted photo

THESE ARTISTS ‘SLEIGH’ THEIR CHRISTMAS SONGS, 9 during the six-month project, knowing he wanted to do it for so long. “I do lots of projects,” said Profitt, who has worked with Josh Groban. “That’s the one that was on my mind for 15 years. That was the big thing I wanted to do. Now I have to figure out what’s next.” “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” was one of the more challenging songs on the set. He penned about nine ideas for the song, but none of them were right. He wanted a new and fresh take, but his mind went blank. “Two weeks before I had to turn in the album, I made this completely new arrangement of the song,” Profitt said. “I used some of the lyrics for the verses. It just came to me. The other songs came quickly.” Now that he’s a father—his children are 8, 6 and 3—he said it’s fun to remember the way he viewed Christmas. “I’m trying to recreate fun memories for them and make traditions with them,” he said. Info: tommeeprofitt.com Limahl “One Wish for Christmas” The lead singer of the ’80s English act Kajagoogoo (“Too Shy”), Limahl released a new take on 2012’s “London for Christmas” called “One Wish for Christmas,” which reflects the COVID-19 effects. “I was very happy with the song and as usual was planning to re-release it as is,” Limahl said. “However, this year during COVID, I was thinking about the lyrics and how they’ll have more value/poignancy because they talk about the many things we’re all unable to do, such as travel/tourism, romantic hotel/city break, cocktail bar, theater, etc. With all the extra time in lockdown to be creative and as it’s been eight years since we first wrote it, we decided to revisit the pro-

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duction.” Limahl admitted he enjoys the new version just as much as the first rendition. “I was so focused on London when we wrote it seven years ago,” Limahl added about the differences. “I was a bit obsessed. Right now, it feels like a good balance because you still got London as the backdrop as the story for the couple’s trip. “We all need something a little cheery during this time.” Limahl loves Christmas and recalls opening presents with his working-class family, who lived in government housing. “My happiest moment is unwrapping those presents and playing games with my two brothers and sister,” he said. “My family was poor. We didn’t have a lot of money. So, everything had value—even like a game.” Info: limahl.com Ty Herndon “Regifted” Country star Ty Herndon didn’t quite know how to promote a Christmas record when he was in between labels years ago. Now, he’s giving holiday music another chance. “Regifted” features songs previously recorded by Herndon with some “modern EQs on it,” he said. “It was a pretty good record before, but nobody bought that record. I didn’t know anything about promoting a record. I did it and put it on a website. It’s brand new again, and I love that.” The centerpiece of “Regifted” is the Kristin Chenoweth duet “Orphans of God,” previously recorded by Avalon. “I’ve known her for a long time,” he said of Chenoweth. “She’s one of the best vocalists on the planet. We’ve been trying to do something for a long time. It’s a message we both believe in.

“I was a big Avalon fan. Michael Passons is one of my best friends, and Melissa Greene is my pastor. It turned out to be a miracle.” He’s hoping fans will enjoy this album the way he loved music on the holidays. “My family’s musical,” he said. “We had people on the back porch picking guitars and singing. It’s always magical. Now that my grandparents are off to heaven and we have new families, we have new traditions. It’s super fun, except when they all come to one show. If they’re teenagers, I make them buy their own tickets.” Info: tyherndon.com Other holiday releases Gina Naomi Baez, “Christmas Candlelight” The Barefoot Movement, “I Just Wish It Would Snow” Gabby Barrett, “The First Noel” The Bird and the Bee, “Put Up the Lights” Black Violin, “Give Thanks” Andrea Bocelli, “Believe” Danielle Bradbery, “O Holy Night” Lauren Calve, “Christmas is Where the Heart Is” Charleene Closshey, “An Evergreen Christmas” Command Sisters, “Steal Your Heart” Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, “Good News” Kat Cunning, “O’ Holy Night” Earcandy, “An Earcandy Christmas” Florida Georgia Line, “Lit This Year” For King & Country, “A Drummer Boy Christmas” David Garfield, “Holidays Outside the Box” Goo Goo Dolls, “It’s Christmas All Over” Hootie and the Blowfish featuring Abigail Hodges, “Won’t Be Home for Christmas” The Imaginaries, “Hometown Christmas” Ryland James, “A Little Christmas” EP Carly Rae Jepsen, “It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries” Jonas Brothers, “I Need You Christmas” Jujubee, “Eight Days of You” Beverley Knight, “A Christmas Wish, The Theme to the Loss Adjuster”

Kiana Lede, “The Christmas Song” John Lindahl, “A John Lindahl Holiday Album” Carrington MacDuffie, “Run Rudolph Run” Michelle Malone and The Hot Toddies, “Toddie Time” Isabela Merced, “Caliente Navidad” Ronnie Milsap, “Merry, Merry Christmas Baby” Miz Cracker, “Get Me the (expletive) Out of Here” Anne Murray, “The Ultimate Christmas Collection” The Myrrhderers, “The Myrrhderers Sleigh Some More” Matt Nathanson, “Farewell December” Tami Neilson, “Pretty Paper” Sara Noelle, “Christmas at Sea” Leslie Odom Jr., “The Christmas Album” Office Romance, “Holidays of Love” Dolly Parton, “A Holly Dolly Christmas” Liam Payne featuring Dixie D’Amelio, “Naughty List” Pentatonix, “We Need a Little Christmas” RaeLynn, “Merry Christmas” Van Scott, “Thank God It’s Christmas” Aneesa Sheikh, “Happy Little Holiday” Slowey and the Boats, “Merry Christmas from Slowey and the Boats” Straight No Chaser, “Social Christmasing” Sweet Lizzy Project, “And So This is Christmas” Dani Taylor, “Does It Snow in Nashville?” Meghan Trainor, “A Very Trainor Christmas” Carrie Underwood, “My Gift” Consuelo Vanderbilt and Malan Breton, “I’ll Be Home for Xmas” Various artists, “Christmas Rocks” Various artists, “Christmas Together (Wherever We Are)” Various artists, “Happiest Season” Various artists, “Now That’s What I Call Music! R&B Christmas” Various artists, “Why? Because It’s Christmas” Lil Nas X, “Holiday” Ye Banished Privateers, “Drawn and Quartered”

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