The Late 1970s and the entire 1980s were rad times!

Between goth, alternative, emo, New Wave, synth pop and other keyboard and guitar laden sounds, music was a different beast than what we know now. Although, it really doesn't matter what the definition of the ages are; truth be told. Sometimes it's all the same noise. 

Yeah, sure, generations change and the styles are slightly altered. However, for those growing up at the end of the "latchkey kid" years, opportunities for unknown artists and new innovations rose higher than a can of Aqua Net on a Saturday night. 

Last night was Thursday, the night before Halloween. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for me playing another round of "I did an arts thing".

I went to see Strangelove and Lovesong perform at the local event center (Barbara B. Mann). 

Who are they, and what do they do?

Strangelove is the "Depeche Mode Experience" out of Los Angeles. They are a tribute band made up of merry individuals with quite the extensive history between them. 

For example:

- Julian Shah-Tayler "aka "The Singularity" (keyboards, synth, vocals) is a multi Grammy recipient, performing with the likes of Mike Garson and Bauhaus. 

- Brent Meyer (synth, guitar, vocals) has been a record label vice president, festival organizer, producer / engineer to multiple acts including The Cure and Reeves Gabrels, as well as video game and television composer.

- Christopher J Olivas (drums) is mainly a touring drummer as of late, but has performed with a synth band called Berlin back in the early 2000s. 

- Leo Luganskiy (lead vocals) is an actor, producer and musician. He doubled for a young Marilyn Manson in Biography Channel's episode about Brian Warner [Manson]).

- James Evans (keyboards). There's not much background about him, unfortunately. 

(Info taken from the band website. They also talked a little about their backgrounds at one point during the concert)

Collectively (as Strangelove), they are not on Amazon, but individually, it seems that Leo and Julian are the only two with any type of music "on sale". The prices are a little high for full albums (even though you can pick and choose single tracks), but both men also have Spotify and Bandcamp profiles. However, Leo is a featured artist to other bands on Bandcamp. I'm sure if you search all the artists these guys have ever played with, you'd find them on single tracks here and there. 

They were really good and got really loud at one point in the concert but once Christopher Olivas came in on drums, things got bass pumping loud. It wasn't horrendous, but my Apple Watch kept going off because it was alerting me to a high decibel range, "which would lead to hearing loss". 

I recognized songs like "Personal Jesus", "People Are People" and "Just Can't Get Enough". I'm not familiar with titles, therefore I didn't recognize all the songs that were sung. Sure, "Master and Servant" was played, but it's not something you hear every day on a loudspeaker while grocery shopping. At least the first three titles are common enough, you hear them more frequently on the radio or in movies. 

Leo is a total showman. He hammed it up for the audience, strutting back and forth on the stage and going to the corners to be closer to the crowd. At one point he sat on stage and allowed people in the Pit to touch him and get a quick video or selfie. 

Yes, people had their phones out. So I took mine out too. I'm not immune to these things now, but I do watch what my surroundings look like; such as how many people have their smart phone out and for how long. I was close enough to the stage, I got to see a lot of things I probably should not have - like Leo spitting accidently while singing and how profusely he was sweating. I also saw a camera crew there, leaning on a platform to my left, taking still photos. These have to be press type people - the way they had those long formal zoom lenses. Professional types. 

All photos (and subsequent videos) taken on an iPhone 11. Photos are edited with my name, videos edited with track name and my name. 

As you can see from both the still and moving images, I was quite close, which is why I was able to see Leo's sweat on his torso and his spittle from his mouth. As they were the main band, I have more images of them than I have of Lovesong, who were the opening act. 

Yes, the opening act is called "Lovesong", which is a song by The Cure. Much like how "Strangelove" is a song by Depeche Mode. 

Lovesong is a Florida based Cure tribute band. I couldn't find much about the band's background, so I do not have performer names or where they're actually based in The Sunshine state. They have a website, but it's limited in information. 

The band started out slow and made its way to more "known" songs such as "Friday I'm In Love", "Just Like Heaven" and "Boys Don't Cry". They played other songs such as "Fascination Street" and "Burn", which the latter is from the 1994 movie The Crow (If you haven't seen this, you should). They also played their namesake, "Lovesong" and "A Letter To Elise". Again, I know enough of The Cure's contemporary songs, but can't tell you what the names are. It's one of those situations where I know them from hearing them on the radio, but never paid any mind to what exactly I was hearing. I tend to usually bob my head along with the track, and after so many times hearing it, it becomes an earworm and I start singing along. 

This is the band where I knew a few more songs than the Strangelove set list. Not by many, but just a hair's end.  

I do have to say, it was surprising how well Lovesong sounded like The Cure, for being Floridians. The gentleman who is performing the role of Robert Smith really nailed the aesthetics rather nicely. He truly looked and sounded like the real thing. 

That being said, when the singer broke into his normal speaking voice to introduce the band, it was so odd to hear an American accent. Especially since the band who would come up next, were all British nationals and are living in California. 

I know that sounds wrong of me to say; I truly don't mean any offense. I feel like this particular tribute band really has done their homework and have put on a good show. Even after the concert was over, there was a meet and greet in the lobby. The UK lads got to talking in their native tongue, as did the American boys, and the Lovesong crew held their end of the conversation in their own southern(ish) tones. 

I have gained a new respect to Lovesong for pulling this off, as I went into this concert not knowing anything about either band. I just read they were tribute acts. I walked out of a 3.5 hour concert (seriously - it started at 7:30 and ended close to 11pm) having adjusted my thoughts of what I know about music and what I thought about New Wave and emo. It doesn't help that you never know who you're watching perform, as Strangelove proved you can moonlight as one group and have daylight jobs somewhere else. 

It was pretty neat to see and go to. I'm really glad I went. I was able to experience two wildly popular bands "from my infancy", although these were "cover acts". I appreciate the instruments a little more and I liked seeing the moving artwork on the screen in back of the bands. Both companies have a good production team, although there were some moments in Strangelove where sound fell out (didn't sync). Like I said, Leo made up for it in his showmanship. Lovesong kept to the floor looker, shoe shuffler playbook and stayed safe and under the radar. 

I feel like, given the opportunity, I would see Lovesong perform again. I'm not sure I'd run back to see Strangelove, but maybe. I don't know. I'd have to think about it because that level of indie synth pop isn't in my top level of favorites. I have listened to some of the artists that came out around the same time as both the original groups, but I haven't made it a habit to seek them out and solely rely on that genre. If an album falls in my lap or on my playlist, I'll give it a spin, but I won't run out and buy all I can from them. A random full LP or greatest hits might suffice. Maybe. 

There may be another post coming soon.. I have another tribute trick up my short sleeve (it's getting cooler out, but not heavy jacket weather yet).

Until then, don't stare too hard at the floor. Pick your head up every once in a while and see who's dancing in the other corner. 

Cheers;

More money = more caffeine?

I was in Fidelity yesterday, getting some documents notarized, and they have a very expensive, high tech, coffee machine in their lobby. For patron use while waiting for an associate. 

What is it and why is it expensive? 

The coffee machine is called "Flavia Creation 600 Brewer". 

Per Amazon, the price is listed as $1,690. 

It is a "[S]ingle-serve multi-purpose beverage system that delivers both hot and cold café-style drinks. This versatile machine crafts everything from drip coffee to tea, cold brew, and lattes. Its smart technology and compact design make it ideal for mid to large workplaces.

• VARIETY: From coffee to tea, lattes to cappuccinos, the C600 offers a variety of quality beverages and brands to satisfy any employee preferences
• SMART INTERFACE: Intuitive digital touchscreen makes crafting perfectly balanced beverages simple
• VERSATILE BREWING: Create hot or cold beverages with multiple drink options
• IQ TECHNOLOGY: Built-in smart system helps manage ordering and sends maintenance alerts"

I know I'm in the picture, but there was no way for me to get out of the way and still get the front of the machine. I wasn't about to try to blur myself out; you only see my hands, really. 

The whole process to make a brew is wild. It's a touch screen in front, but I don't know if it has any pre loaded coffees inside of it. I didn't try to cycle through the options, as there were containers next to the machine with pouches you put into that silver part of the front. 

Once you "touch screen to begin", the main silver part does open up. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of what that looks like, but it is a small opening that pops out, like a drawer. It opens forward, where it just tilts enough that you put your chosen pouch in and push the drawer back so it's flush against the front. 

It's hard to describe without a picture or video. I'm sorry. 

But the pouch slides in, bottom first, so that the cover of the pouch is what holds the whole thing in place. The barcode on the pouch tells the machine what kind of coffee or tea it is, and it's brewed accordingly. 

As I chose the Lavazza Vanilla Latte coffee, my mother chose Bright Earl Grey tea. 

The tea, according to my mother, was wonderful. She really enjoyed it. I did not get a picture of that, sadly enough.

The Lavazza on the other hand, was okay. I think because the brand is known as an espresso coffee, it did taste slightly bitter. Even though there are 8g of sugar in it and milk derivatives, there was a slight burnt aftertaste. Also, towards the end of the drink, there was still a small lump of powder in my cup, so I had to mix that with the rest of the liquid. 

Yes, this had powder in it. I'm sure the tea was actual tea of sorts and the coffee has coffee beans. But it's so finely ground, something might be bound to slip through. 

The pouch reminds me of the kids applesauce or fruit (juice) pouches they can open and dink out of. There's some twist cap that opens the bag and acts almost like a straw. These coffee pouches are smaller than that - more condensed. 

Once the brew is made, the empty pouch gets dropped into a waste basket in the back of the machine, so you don't see it or need to touch it. Only time you would do anything with it, would be when you're emptying the basket. 

The types of things this can brew are teas, coffees, hot chocolates and refresher type drinks. The prices range from $25 to over $75, due to how many are in each box / case and what the brand is (Dove hot chocolate vs Alterra coffee, or 1 count of 20 vs 1 count of 100, for example). 

Is this worth it in the end? 

For a single person or household of 2-4 people, I honestly don't know.

It's fun to look at and see where technology is going for the future of our java consumption, however, the initial expense may not be worth it. 

I was showing my mother the cost of some of the coffees, and she said that it's a crap shoot - a 38 count of decaf coffee "is one cup a day" and it's over $50. 

My mom has a (long time) friend who could very well go through 2 pots of decaf every day, if not more, so this isn't worth the investment for that person. True, the woman is constantly making a pot of drip coffee, but if she were to purchase this Flavia machine, she'd be paying several hundred dollars more a month for her drinking habits. Whereas, if she stayed with what she's doing, she very well would be paying ... maybe ... fifty dollars a month, or less, depending on what brand she is buying / what's on sale. 

I guess, it really just depends on you: Do you buy the new gizmos and gadgets and upgrade when you can? Do you want to know that you can pop in a pouch and the machine automatically adjusts temperatures and speed, knowing you're about to drink a cold brew, rather than a hot tea? Do you need an app on your phone to tell you the machine needs fixing? People doom scroll on their smart devices; now they're doom scrolling on their smart machines. Prices are going up for everything right now as it is, paying so much for a specialized contraption for coffee shouldn't be on that list, even though these pouches are only good for the Flavia line of machines. It's like buying the Nespresso bullet pods or when Tassimo was an early competitor to Keurig and it had a specific design to their circular pod. You can't buy just any brand of coffee and stick it in your machine. True, you can buy off brand / designs for Keurig now, but the more specific machine makers are not allowing that to happen because they're creating different style discs for your brewing pleasure. Which is why getting a pouch for Flavia will be hard to continue using if something were to happen to the machine and you don't like it anymore. You've created something you can't reuse or reshape into the next big thing to buy. 

It's totally something to think about. What are you doing now? What do you think you'll do next week? There's nothing like instant coffee during an emergency, when the power goes out and you're using your grill to cook everything. We learned that during Ian. I'd drink instant even without being "off the grid". I just won't drink powdered creamer. That's a definite deal breaker for me. I like regular drip coffee, so I miss my Mr. Coffee maker. We have a Keurig in my house and my mom swears by those pods. We've had the Tassimo in the early 2000s. I've seen the Nespresso in the stores. It's all basically the same Arabica coffee, just being packaged differently. 

You do you and spend your greenbacks the way you want. Again, it's fun to see the new technology come out and try it once in a while, but what is the overall "worth it" value to you? Will you use this until it's deader than a zombie apocalypse in the height of winter, or will you trade up in six months before something happens? Everyone's different. 

Just watch what you're doing and don't get too involved and invested. You may overdo it and end up in the hospital due to rapid heart rate..

Cheers;

Chucky is...

 ... the serial killer version of the ‘My Buddy’ doll. 

For those of you too young to know, or not IN the know, ‘My Buddy’ and his ‘Kid Sister’ were dolls we had in the 1980s and early 1990s. They were toddler size, so imagine a 5 year old trying to carry around a toy that is literally their height. 

Photo of "My Buddy" being sold on the Walmart website

If you have seen the first Child’s Play movie, you’ll know how the little boy struggled to carry Chucky around the house and Chicago neighborhoods. Take that image and imagine you or your family doing the same with Buddy.

Photo of Chucky, taken from Amazon's website

I got to thinking about this because the company I work for, is having a Halloween party this week. Not everyone is working, but all are invited to stop in, in costume, for the chance of winning a prize. 

The price hasn't been spoken of yet. But there will be two winners. 

I’ve been trying to figure out what to do, since I’m one of the ones not scheduled. Luckily, I live within 10 minutes of work, so if I decide to pop in for a snack and a chance to scare my coworkers, it’s not completely out of the way for me. 

I know you’re thinking “ten minutes? What happened to having cross town magic? You used to talk about it taking forever to get to work, in horrible flooding, etc." Well, much to my dismay, I’ve got a new job. And it’s part time. I’m not going into details, but I’m in a different field and different situation. 

It’s actually more in line with my communication degree, to an extent, which might benefit me one of these days. It’ll even out at some point. 

I hope.

So I may do something Chucky related, as I do have a shirt I could wear. I'd just need to add some scary to it, and I'll be on my way. 

Speaking of scary (and work), I was a little early on Saturday, so I had time to walk around a little bit of the area that my office is located at. 

I saw the most random placement of carved pumpkins and didn't seem to find any others in that area. 

I also saw a Thomas Edison statue (with a bird on his head).

Some "low hanging fruit" on a tree. No, they aren't fruit, but they're definitely bulbous and strange. Along with the roots hanging down (or whatever they are). I couldn't get clear pictures of the orchids (?) hanging, as I was shooting in the sun and was trying to watch my time. 

Plus, I was trying to balance my Yeti in my hands as well (even though it's in a carrying case, it's still weird to try to hold a camera and the cup). 

One of these days I'll have to bring my Canon with me or go in on a day I'm not working, and take more photos. Everything posted above, was taken with an iPhone 11, including the photos below.

My neighbor added more decorations to their yard. The people with the skeletons hanging out on lawn chairs. 

You have to really get up close and personal to the skeleton by the bush, because there's a hidden person in there. 

I didn't even know she was reading by the drain spout until I walked up and saw her. I had taken a photo of the skeleton and wondered what else was put up, if anything was by the door. When I saw the witch, I was like "weird!" but there's nothing else around the corner. She ends the decoration.

I do have to say, I am amused with one of the neighbors though. 

I've seen a house with a Bigfoot stealing a flamingo flag and every time I see it, I nearly lose control of my car. It's so amazing to see that because you know you have to believe in cryptids in order to display something like this. The person has kept it out all year, and suddenly it has disappeared. Sure, they've put up Halloween decorations, but why take that flag down?

Well, I found it around the corner. Another neighbor has it.

And it looks like the same faded one the other person owned. This time, I was walking and I got to take a picture of it. I immediately sent it to a few of my friends who I know would enjoy it. 

It's just that epic. Especially for someone in Florida. It's not a normal flag you would find, and it surely adds to the "sun and fun" aspect without being crazy or weird. 

Oh, by the way: Emi, if you're reading this, I found another frog friend.

He was at the door at work yesterday. I thought of you and all the frogs we would see when doing the Farmer's Market cleanup. So maybe this guy is a cousin?? Who knows, but now we have more! Although lately, it's this type of frog I usually see in the shutters when we close them during a hurricane....

Hopefully it's just coincidence and nature that I saw this guy and we're not expected to get anything. Emi, are you back in the area?? Is this a sign you're taking a few days off from work????????

I should get going. I've got some errands to run and things to do, speaking of taking off from work. Maybe today will be a decent day and no rain, as it poured last night. We had a good thunder and lightning show, and majority of it happened when I was at the gym. Luckily, no loss of power, so I could watch a new AMC show and get my walking and elliptical use in. 

If we stay dry today, we stay dry. If it rains, well, this is Florida and the end of rainy season... 

Stay whatever you want. Be you and do you.

Cheers;