I love a good concert. Concerts are the blueprint, the foundation, and when I see enough of them in a short period of time, the sensation is not unlike stepping outside in 80-degree weather in the middle of March and declaring, “Ohhh, the depression WAS just seasonal!” And even better than a concert is a free concert. Just pull up to the right place at the right time, and you’ll have the soil of your soul watered, free of Ticketmaster tax.

[This recap was originally written for and published by The Undertone on June 3rd, 2026.] In the warm, gooey center of May a few weeks ago, Philadelphia’s reliable venue Union Transfer was graced with the dreamy presence of French psych-pop act Melody’s Echo Chamber and led the city on a journey through the clear skies of Unclouded, their latest release, with Austin fuzz rockers Strange Lot as support.

Daily writing prompt What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance? Here's a story I don't tell often, but it has very quickly become one of my favorite post-egg aspects: how I came to choose my middle name, as opposed to the first and last, all as part of the divine art of creating oneself as a non-binary person.

Alt: GIF of a raccoon wearing headphones on its head.

*Reuploaded to fix missing 6 min chunk of swan song King Gizzard Boiler Room 🪩 Download for free at Bandcamp: https://bootleggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-san-francisco-24 Free download +…

Marvel Rivals, the casual way!