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Archive for December, 2024

Marjorie Bowen–“The Crown Derby Plate” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #13] (1931)

Posted in Canadian Content, Charles Dickens, Christmas, Ghosts, Hingston & Olsen, Marjorie Bowen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 13, 2024] “The Crown Derby Plate”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Marjorie Bowen.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 13. Marjorie Bowen, a prolific British author who wrote more than 150 historical romances, popular history, and supernatural and horror stories, died in 1952 and did not respond to requests for comment.

I was recently saying that it’s interesting how ghost stories seem to be a part of Christmas tradition (more so in England it seems) that has gone by the wayside (A Christmas Carol notwithstanding). (more…)

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Wax Jaw / The Thing / Friend (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, December 12, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Friend, Philadelphia, PA, The Thing, Underground Arts, Wax Jaw on December 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 12, 2024] Wax Jaw / The Thing / Friend

Wax Jaw continues to play really close to me but always on nights that I’m already busy.

This show sounded like a ton of fun, but it was the same night that I was going to see Kathleen Edwards.  So, no dice yet again.

I see that Wax Jaw sets are still under an hour.  And  there’s nothing wrong with that, but it will effect ones decision where to go that night.

Friend is a raucous punk band from Philly.  In the video below for one of the songs they seem to be wearing goblin head masks.  They are all over the place with their sound, but its mostly loud and fast.  (They played a punk version of Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time–see below) (more…)

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Matt Sucich (Roy’s Hall, Blairstown, NJ, December 12, 2024) [KATHLEEN EDWARDS]

Posted in Blairstown NJ, Kathleen Edwards, Matt Sucich, Roy's Hall on December 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 12, 2024] Matt Sucich

Matt Sucich opened for Kathleen Edwards in 2022.  I found him to be enjoyable if not a little forgettable.  The thing I remembered most about his set was that he said his name a lot.  He did that for this set as well (he said his name is like an earworm, if he says it enough it will get stuck in your head).

He has a soft, smooth folksinger voice (in the Simon & Garfunkel vein) but his songs are a bit more Dylanesque in their storytelling style.  So you know what you’re getting with him.  He’s affable and his songs are enjoyable.

He made more of an impression on me when Kathleen raved about him and when he sang with her during her set.

I did make a note of the songs he played (unlike last time) so here’s the setlist.

Montauk ∑
Walking Song ©/∑
Make Peace ©
Real Time ¥
Give Love ¥/∑
Upper West Side ¥
Crazy Time to Be Alive ∑

∑ Talking to Walls [live] (2024)
¥ Holy Smokes (2023)
© Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself (2021)

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Christopher Boucher–“Shopping Cart” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #12] (2024)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Christopher Boucher, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 12, 2024] “Shopping Cart”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Christopher Boucher.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  It opens with this:

It’s December 12. Christopher Boucher, author of Big Giant Floating Head, would also have used a basket in a pinch.

I enjoy a story that is absurd and is willing to see it through. (more…)

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Elizabeth Gonzales James–“Children of a Careless God” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #11] (2020)

Posted in Canadian Content, Cats, Christmas, Death, Hingston & Olsen, Mark Binelli, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Yuck! on December 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 11, 2024] “Children of a Careless God”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Elizabeth Gonzales James.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  And this one opens:

It’s December 11. Elizabeth Gonzales James, author of Mona at Sea, could have sworn there were more fish in that aquarium a minute ago.

This was a disturbing story. (more…)

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Aurora (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, December 9, 2024)

Posted in Aurora, Biig Piig, Norway, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia on December 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 2, 2022] Aurora

This is my fourth time seeing Aurora.  When I saw her in 2018, she was barely known here and I thought she might never play the States again.  Well, three tours later, she has sold out one of the larger venues in Philadelphia.  Good for her, but not so great for us.

The place was packed and we arrived late enough that we were stuck way in the back.  And Aurora has a fan base that is quite…intense.  So there was lots of shrieking and such.  There was also a lot of talking off to the side–drunken idiots who needed to talk loudly despite everyone shushing them (but they also knew all the words so they were fans, wtf).

So I was annoyed when the show started, which is a shame because the show itself was pretty amazing.

She had really upped her production since the last tour, with big screens of dancers behind her.  My wife was really excited to go for some fun poppy dancing.  I joked that it was going to be an all acoustic mellow show.

And I’m surprised to say that my joke almost came true, kind of.

The show opened with the gothy, spooky Churchyard (more…)

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Suki Waterhouse / Bully (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, December 10, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Brontez Purnell, Bully, Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Suki Waterhouse on December 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 10, 2024] Suki Waterhouse / Bully

Of all of the shows that I didn’t go to this year, this one intrigued me the most.  And I thought about going pretty much right up until the day of.

The reason I didn’t go is because I had shows the day before and two shows later in the week.  And I wasn’t entirely sure if I liked Suki.  My daughter and I saw her performed at All Things Go and I remember liking her a lot more than I thought I would, but not really remembering her show at all.

I really like the song I’ve been hearing on the radio and now (after the show) I’ve been hearing another one I really like.  Maybe I should have gone.

Although I really don’t like Franklin Music Hall.

I have seen Bully once and would really like to see her/them again (I mean, this show really was calling to me), but I had heard that the Bully set might be solo and I prefer her with a band.  There’s a photo from the show with someone else on stage with her, but it sounds like she played a few solo songs as well.

IOfalltheshowsthatI

 

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Thomas Pierce–“Tardy Suit” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #10] (2018)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Fire, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Thomas Pierce on December 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 10, 2024] “Tardy Suit”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Thomas Pierce.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 10. Please enjoy this interview with Thomas Pierce, author of The Afterlives, responsibly.

This story is a puzzle.

(more…)

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Biig Piig (Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, December 9, 2024) [AURORA]

Posted in Aurora, Biig Piig, Norway, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore Philadelphia on December 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 9, 2024] Biig Piig

Aurora has had some pretty interesting opening artists over the years.  I had never heard of Biig Piig, but apparently the rest of the world has.

Her name is Jessica Smyth and she’s got an interesting backstory.  She was born in Cork, Ireland, but as raised in Spain.  Spanish is actually her native language.  But she moved back to Ireland when she was 12 and then to London a few years later.  And in 2020, her singles Switch, Don’t Turn Around and Feels Right had combined streams of over 60 million. (more…)

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Casey Plett–“What to Call You” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #9] (2017)

Posted in Canadian Content, Casey Plett, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 9, 2024] “What to Call You”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Casey Plett.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  And this one opens:

It’s December 9. Casey Plett, author of A Dream of a Woman, successfully snuck a comma splice past the copy desk.

(more…)

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