2025 Playlist

 Have I become one of those people who doesn't listen to albums? The answer here is yes and no. 

Do I listen to albums cover to cover? Yes.
Did I listen to new albums in full that were released last year to constitute a favorite album of the year list for 2025? No I did not.

Do I have an album of the year? Yes but it was not released this year.

The album that I kept revisiting, the album that resonated with me, with all of the trials and trimbulations that 2025 brought and that will most likely carry on was Idles' Ultra Mono from 2020. 2020 was of course, the final full year of the first Trump administration while 2025 was the year that the second Trump administration started.

In the absence of a favorite album of the year list for 2025, I've put together a playlist of songs that were released over the course of the year. There is no rhyme nor reason to the placement of the songs which is to say that the first song isn't my number one favorite song of the year, so on and so forth. 

1. Wavves "Busy Sleeping": San Diego's Wavves released their 9th studio album Spun last June. "Busy Sleeping" caught my ear with a sound reministent of 2010's King Of The Beach.

2. Lambrini Girls "Big Dick Energy":  If there's an album that comes close to being my number one album of last year this is it. Lambrini Girls struck big with their debut album Who Let The Dogs Out in 2025. It's the girl power movement we all need as the world around us grows even more overtly misogynistic.

3. Steve Lacy "Nice Shoes": This song is more like a spoken word poem with every nonchalant word ringing true therefore widely relateable. Steve Lacy is yet another artist from the R&B relm blending genres and taking the plunge into a more interspective and mature psyche.  

4 . King Princess "Cry Cry Cry" : The name of the 5th song "Cry Cry Cry" on King Princess's 3rd album Girl Violence caught my eye so I gave it a listen. It's indie-pop flare and bratty, blunt chorus tickeled my fancy. 

5. Drama "On The Way": I sure do love me some music from Drama. The duo from Chicago didn't drop an album but they did give us a few songs and "On They Way" was one of them. It's a little deep, a little cool, calm and dancey. It's a whole lot of Drama and I can't get enough of it. 

6. Turnstile "SUNSHOWER":  Their highly anticipated follow up to 2021's Glow On, 2025's Never Enough dropped last June. You can find Turnstile at Coachella this year which will be a real life sunshower indeed. It would be fun, and fitting, to see them play this song live at any Spring time or Summer time music festival.  

7. Idles "Doom": Thanks to the 2025 movie Caught Stealing we got a new underlying, politically charged single from Idles. Best listened to loud, "Doom" came just in time for when we the people need it most.  

8. Arooj Aftab (Khruangbin remix) "raat ki rani": The fact that this is a Khruangbin remix drew me to give this song a listen because, Khruangbin. It's seductivly romantic. Seducing with it's ethereal, cathartic sound that's difficult to describe in words but easy to understand when listened to.   

9. Andre 3000 "i spend all day waiting for the night": Andre 3000's outfit at the Met Gala last year makes so much sense after seeing the album cover art for last year's 7 Piano Sketches. This song starts with a kinda creepy intro which I am totally into. The song itself is melodramatic with pounding keys accentuated by drums. This track stuck out to me because of it's name because I use to spend all day waiting for the night. Now, I can't wait to go to bed to wake up to a new day everyday. See ya later flutes, this man said it's piano time. Where will this experimental musician take us next?

10. Nine Inch Nails (TRON Ares) "As Alive As You Need Me To Be": Thanks to yet another TRON re-boot and the ceaseless EDM boom, industrial electro-rockers, Nine Inch Nails, might have never come out of  movie score hiding. With another tour up their sleeve this year and an appearance with Boys Noize at Coachella this Spring, I for one couldn't be more excited for the return of and more from NIN. 

11. Alabama Shakes "Another Life": The last time we got an ablum from Alabama Shakes was 2015. Ten years later they gave us the single, "Another Life".  

12. Miley Cyrus "Something Beautiful": The title track off her last studio album won me over with it's soulful twang and gritty drop curveball. 

                        13. Brooke Candy "POGO": Sometimes you just need a raunchy, thrashy, hyper sexualized dance romp from Brooke Candy and she gave it to us in 2025.

14. Princess Nokia "Drop Dead Gorgeous": Off the beaten path of her usual hip-hop driven tracks as we hear Princess Nokia veering more pop on this one and I'm here for it. 

15. Die Spitz "RIDING WITH MY GIRLS": When I found out that Die Spitz is on Jack White's Third Man Records label I had to give them a listen and "RIDING WITH MY GIRLS" sold me. 

16. Choke Cherry "Secrets":

I really wanted SF's Choke Cherry to be another grungy garage rock girl band, however they're a little on the softer side. "Secrets" is my pick off of their debut album Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls which dropped last November. 

17. Mac DeMarco "Knockin": There's something about the slow tempo strumming and singing heard on side B track 4, "Knockin" from Mac DeMarco's sixth studio album, Guitar that struck a cord with me. The Canadian singer/songwriter released the album on his own record label, Mac's Label in Aguust 2025.  

18. Madi Diaz "Feel Something": Touched by the song off her 7th studio album, Fatal Optimism, "Feel Something" as an ode to everyone who's ever found themselves in a relationship with a narcasist or an emotionally avoidant person. Stripped down to her voice and guitar amplifies it's overall rawness, playing into the rawness of awakening to the realization that your own emotions have been eroded.  Being breadcrumbed along the way before finding your way back to what makes you you by allowing feeling to flow and workign through why you feel the way you do. It's a song to listen to alone, perhaps on a walk through the woods or while having your morning coffee or afternoon tea. 

19. Fred Again + Amyl & The Sniffers "You're A Star": I didn't jump on the Fred Again bandwagon when he burst onto the scene a couple years ago but I'm on it for this one. I love me some Amyl & The Sniffers and dig this punk, dance fusion. It's a PDM collab, if you will. 

20. Earth to Eve "THREAT LEVEL ORANGE":  Unlike the subject at hand, "THREAT LEVEL ORANGE" it's clever, it's smart and it's factually accurate. Lyrically delivered in more of a rapping style while the over all vibe is punk, there's so many things to love about this track from Earth to Eve.  It doesn't pretend that our democracy and basic human decency in this country is disappearing before our eyes. This isn't the only politically powered single she released last year and hopefully it won't be the last because shared like minded thinking and awareness seems to be the only sense of hope we have these days. 

21. Cardi B "Check Please":  This is the only track I've heard from Cardi B's 2025 album, Am I the Drama?.  "Check Please" is the energy I'll be carrying throughout 2026. #teamcardi #feelinglikeabadbitchallgoddamnday

22. Couch "Window": My favorite track off of Couch's debut album. A dreamy sound thanks to layered horns and melodic harmonies. It's uplifting indie song reminding listeners to be thankful for what we have. 

23. Wolf Alice "Bloom Baby Bloom": Wolf Alice returned with vigor last year with their 4th studio album, The Clearing. Frontwoman Ellie Roswell sounds stronger than ever on "Bloom Baby Boom". With vocals that are reministant of an early 2000's Kimbra, an intense build up and powerful drop to round out this solid rock n roll song. Welcome back, Wolf Alice.  

24. Wet Leg "Catch These Fists": We all fell for Wet Leg's first single "Chaise Longue" when it dropped in 2022. Three years later, their new found confidence shines on their sophomore album as they've clearly found themselves, in more ways than one, and we love to hear it. Understandably so, the feisty independent woman anthem, "Catch These Fists" is the first single off their new album.  

25. Modern Nature "Zoology": Heard about Modern Nature by chance late last year. "Zoology" is like a modern day lullaby for indie kids.

 

26. Mt. Joy "More More More": Easily one of my favorite songs of last year. With it's sutble build up and crashing beat drop, Mt. Joy's "More More More" sparks an unassuming joy.

27. Ecca Vandal "MOLLY": Straight from South Africa, Ecca Vandal's 2025 single "MOLLY" is fun, it's punky and if you've ever had bad news broken to you while under any type of influence, it's relateable. Plus, I love her style. Aside from her appearance at Coachella this year, I'm looking forward to more from her.  

28. Girl Tones "Again": Yet another girl group giving us their take on grungy, punky girl power. "Again" is enjoyable again and again and leaves us wanting more from Kentucky's Girl Tones. 

29. Khruangbin "Little Joe and Mary ii": I think it's safe to say I am a big fan of everything Khruangbin does. For instance, surprising us with a new album in 2025 after giving us one in 2024. I could listen to the first track, "Little Joe and Mary ii" off of their sixth studio album, The Universe Smiles Upon You ii everyday for the forseable future.   

30. Olivia Dean "Man I Need": 2025 was Olivia Dean's year partly due to this hit single of hers and for good reason. It's catchy, her voice is solid and she's not the only one searching for the man she quote unquote needs (wants). 

31. Madonna "Drowned World/Substitute For Love": I almost forgot that Madonna released a remix album of songs from her 7th studio album, 1998's Ray of Light called Veronica Electronica until my Dad gifted me the album on CD for Christmas. The first track brought me back and made me remember how much I love the original. Now I love the remix, too.  This is the other album that would be on my favorite albums of 2025 list if I had one.   

As if paying artists mere cents wasn't reason enough to cancel Spotify, up until early 2026 the platform not only supported MAGA's ICE movement but ran recruitment ads for it. Paying for premium therefore paying to hear zero ads doesn't mean they're not there. It's shocking, to say the least, to see how many people still subscribe this streaming platform.

Because of all of Spotify's fascist support and lack there of for musicians, along with Apple's MAGA investments, this playlist can be found on the new streaming platform, Qobuz. Every song might not be available yet on this new platform but it is super easy to transfer playlists from other platforms to this one. We do love conveience, right? And yes, there is monthly payment due but it's a small price to pay for music we love. 

No More Sprinkles Cupcakes

 On December 31st, 2025 I happened to hear on the radio that Sprinkles Cupcakes was closing. I quickly tried to figure out how much time I had to get in one last Sprinkles cupcake review only to learn that as of that very same day, all Sprinkles locations were closed. That was it, no more Sprinkles. 

Apparently customers weren't the only ones shocked by this news. It turns out that Sprinkles employees were given a day or less notice of the closure. They also got no severance pay. Happy New Year. 

In 2005 Sprinkles founder, Candance Nelson, opened the first Sprinkles Cupcakes location in Beverly Hills. She subsequently pioneered the gourmet cupcake trend. By 2008 Sprinkles was all the rage, easily the front runner of the cupcake craze and opened it's first Northern California location at The Stanford Shopping Mall in Palo Alto. 

In Februaury 2012 I lost a boss, a friend, a mentor. Robin Rockwell was and is a radio legend who rocked the promotions department at alternative rock radio stations in San Diego then San Francisco. Robin loved a big rock show. She had a special way of lifting people up to make them realize their full potential and she loved to laugh. Oh brother that infectious laugh of hers! She also loved cupcakes. When I left radio, I started this blog reviewing music and cupcakes. My cupcake reviews are a dedication to Robin and her infinity for the handheld, single serving cakes. She's the one who introduced me to Sprinkles Cupcakes and she's the first person I thought of when I found out about the closure. 

Sprinkles Cupcakes in Palo Alto 2012 
photo by unknown

Not long after her passing, a former co-worker and I took a trip down to Sprinkles in Palo Alto and had cupcakes in Robin's honor. I got what would become one of my favorite Sprinkles' flavors, the Black & White: Belgian Dark Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting topped with chocolate paillettes. The chocolatey-est chocolate cake that isn't chocolate flourless cake that I've come across. August 4th, 2012 was the first time I reviewed a Sprinkles cupcake, the Chocolate Marshmellow. 

That same year, the first Sprinkles Cupcake ATM opened at the same store where it all started in Beverly Hills. This revolutionized the cupcake industry, making Sprinkles Cupcakes available 24/7. 2012 was also the year that founder Candance Nelson sold her hugely successful cupcakery to the private equity firm, KarpReilly. 

It took me six years but in 2018 I finally made it to that cupcake ATM, got a cupcake from it and reviewed it. It was a spin on what was probably their most popular flavor, a Red Velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting but this one had crushed red hot candies in the frosting making it a Red Hot Velvet cupcake. I remember it being good and I was stoked about finally getting a cupcake from a cupcake ATM. 

Sprinkles Cupcakes ATM in Beverly Hills 2018 
photo by Curtis DeMartini

In the 13 years that I've been reviewing music and cupcakes for my blog, 

I only reviewed Sprinkles Cupcakes a handful of times. I've eaten plenty of Sprinkles Cupcakes over the years and reviewing every single one would have been too easy. There's a lot of cupcakes out there and I have to review as many different ones from different places as I can to know which cupcakes are better than the rest. Sprinkles was up there with their perfectly manicured frosting and signature fondant button on top of almost all of their cupcakes. I did always wish that the cup part of their cupcake was a tad girthier though. 

In the Summer of 2024 I reviewed what would, unbeknownced to me, be my last Sprinkles Cupcakes cupcake reveiw, the Pride Sprinkle cupcake. It was the flavor of the month for June, which is Pride month, and the cupcake was filled with rainbow sprinkles, my fave on, in, or off cupcakes. 

The cupcake craze faded considerably since the early to mid 2000s but cupcakeries and cupcakes are still all around. Sprinkles was always on top when it came to cupcakes which compounds the confusion and has enthusiasts wondering, what happened? 

What else does KarpReilly own?

Why did they do Sprinkles Cupcakes employees so dirty? 

How much money did Nelson get when she sold Sprinkles?

If you're looking for answers on-line the Sprinkles website offers no information, it doesn't even state that they've gone out of business. The Sprinkles Cupcakes social media pages have been deleted, deactivated, wiped clean, as if  Sprinkles never existed. 

The only conclusion I could think of is that sales had to be down, way down. Did inflation costs which all of us feel, make matters worse? Baking ingredients aren't cheap and they're not getting any cheaper. Did rising costs leave those in charge feeling hopeless about cashing in big moving forward? 

Pride Sprinkle cupcake from Sprinkles Cupcakes 2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

A private equity firm is an investmate company that pools money from wealthy individuals and institutions to buy, improve and sell companies not listed in the public stock exchange. They aim to produce high profits by growing the business or restructuring the business over several years. 

KarpReilly owns stakes in small to mid sized consumer growth companies which is quite unsettling of you think about it. How many Sprinkles Cupcakes lovers thought they were supporting a woman owned business that started small only to have the rug pulled out from under them, exposing the man behind the curtain. KarpReilly also owns Salt & Straw Ice Creamery, Spindrift Sparkling Water and Koia Protein Shakes. 

In the age of gross consumerism where everyone is inudated with information that's more often than not taken at face value with little to no research done before drawing a conclusion, what we witnessed with Sprinkles Cupcakes comes as a reminder to slow down. Know where your dollars are going. Are you supporting small, local businesses or are you feeding the gluttonous man?

Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. Spend wisely. 

Couch @ The Fonda Theatre December 10th, 2025

As Thanksgiving approached I couldn't shake the thought of this year going by without offically covering a concert. So, despite December being the start of the slow season for live music, I looked up what shows were coming to town. I hadn't heard of the band Couch before they popped up in my search. They sounded fresh and pop-y when I gave them a go, so I set out to cover their show at The Fonda Theatre on December 10th. Low and behold, on show day I got word that I was approved to cover the show that night.

After working what feels like countless shows, it sure does feel good to go to a show. Sure, in a sense I was working but reviewing shows is not work to me.

Couch at The Fonda 12/10/2025
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Finding nearby parking didn't take too long which was great because I was a few minutes late for the estimated start time. With doors opening at 7:00pm and one opener I had guessed Couch would go on at 9:00pm. 

The Fonda 12/10/2025 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Live music seeped from the open doors beyond the mags as I collected my ticket from will-call around 9:05pm, confiming that the show had indeed already begun. I hurried inside to a crowded floor as the first song "What Were You Thinking" came to an end. Making my way to stage left in hopes of finding some wiggle room a little closer to the action, the crowd cheered and clapped as the next song began. 

Vivacious applause following an obvious fan favorite "Jessie" from their 2023 EP Sunshower simmered down as singer Tema Siegel informed show goers at The Fonda that night that it was family photo time. She explained that this is when they pass around disposable cameras so the crowd can take photos of themselves. If so inclined, people can purchase their Couch family photos knowing that all proceeds go to a Rosie's Place, a women's shelter  in Austin Texas which happens to be where the band from. 

Couch at The Fonda 12/10/2025
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Listening to their latest ablum, 2025's Big Talk, Couch struck me as a pop band, the vocals reminding me HAIM while the bouts of horns give their sound some ska flare. 

There's a lot more soul along with some funk and a whole lot more from the horn section when they perform live.  

Siegel gracefully dominates the stage with powerful vocals and lively energy that makes you want to be friends with her. She can belt it out from the bottom of her being then hold a note like you could hardly believe coming from a petite front lady in an indie pop band. 

It's abundantley clear that Couch is comfortable on stage, playing with each other and performing in front of others. Naturally because of that their vibe was well recieved and reciprocrated over and over again at the start of each song and again and the end of each song. 

Their debut full length album, Big Talk  dropped not too long ago in October so of course most of their set was comprised of songs from it. 

Treating us to as a keyboard solo, a drum solo and no shortage of solos from the horns they also conversed to and with the crowd  betwix songs through out the show.  Maybe it was because this was their LA show, the entertainment mecca where people come to find stardom but they didn't take their stage presence or crowd engagment lightly. It had me wondering how long they'd been on tour. Turns out this was the tail end of their 2025 run, which is impressive in and of itself being how full steam ahead they were. With three shows following their LA stint, Couch will be back on the road at the top of next year.

Catchy through and through, this up and coming band means business. Fun loving business in a work hard, play hard vain. I can easily see them drawing a crowd at a mid day performance at a Summer music festival with their signature yet familiar sound, then having people stick around until the end of their set because of their insatiable go get it attitude their live show permeates. 

Couch at The Fonda 12/10/2025
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Couch at The Fonda 12/10/2025
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The show ebbed and flowed between slow, mid and more upbeat tempos continually yet even when tempos dipped the vibe remained high. 

I myself was quiet content when Siegel wondered out loud if we ever go on night walks and find ourselves peering in windows that aren't ours for a glimpse in to other people's lives. Seeing things that we percieve as nicer than what we have only to realize that what we have is also quite nice. I have peered through other people's windows for years wondering what their lives were like and admiring what I could see, so I personally connected with the sentiment of an awakening of gratitude she was alluding to as a prelude to my favorite song from their LP, "Window".

Couch at The Fonda 12/10/2025
photo by Nikki DeMartini

A little later, about half way through "Still Feeling You" Siegel took time to introduce a gal named Haley who had started out as a loyal fan, working her way up from selling merch to hitting the road with them. Working in part as assistant tour manager, VIP and merch manager to a guest saxophonist, Haley joined the horn section on stage for a short but sweet sax solo. 

After showing some love for the openers, Siegel invited the singer from Night Talks, Soraya Sebghati, back to the stage. The two front ladies covered Britney Spears' "Toxic" in a charismatically entertaining lounge style duet. 

Couch at The Fonda 12/10/2025
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Just when one might think there couldn't be any more crowd interaction up their sleeves, the keyboardist took an opporotunity to get the left side of the room, the right side of the room and show goers who wound up in the middle of the room to harmonize certain parts of "Lucky To Be Stuck With You". 

Couch gracisously continued with little lulls here and there. During one pause between songs they acknowledged and thank their entire crew and production team which is seldomly seen done at shows. It was so nice to witness a band appreciating the hard, tiring and most often than not thankless jobs done by the people who make the show go on behind the scenes night after night, tour after tour. Before the en core Siegel made the rounds on stage introducing her bandmates as "Summer with You" rounded out the regular set. 

Couch at The Fonda 12/10/2025
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As mentioned above, Couch continues touring in early 2026 starting at the Buffalo Iron works in Buffalo New York on January 23rd and bringing them to the Broadberry in Richmond Virginia on Febuary 3rd before hopping the pound for shows in the UK in March. 

There's also the chance to catch Couch next July at the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival and see if I guessed right about them delivering a good mid day fest set. 

Couch at The Fonda Theatre 12/10/2025 

1. What Were You Thinking 

2. Saturday 

3. Little Less Over You 

4. Jessie

5. Poems

6. Slow Burn 

7. Alright 

8. LA

9. Window 

10. Static and Noise 

11. Still Feeling You 

12. Lucky To Be Stuck With You 

13. Transparent 

14. Toxic 

15. Autumn 

16. One Night 

17. So Myself 

18. On The Wire 

19. Summer With You 

en core 

20. Easy To Love 

21. Middle Man 

Sweet Potato Cupcake from Sweet T's Bakery in Philly's Reading Terminal Market

I had the pleasure of visiting Reading Terminal Market in Philly again recently. The last time I was there I got a cupcake from Flying Monkey Bakery. This time I purused around to see if there might be any other cupcake options. That's when I found Sweet T's Bakery and when I saw that they had a Sweet Potato Cupcake I was sold. 

Sweet Potato Cupcake from Sweet T's Bakery
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Thanksgiving being right around the corner sweeted the deal. What makes it even sweeter is that Sweet T's Bakery is the first black owned bakery in Reading Terminal. It's always so much better to support small and local businesses over major corporations, franchises and chains plus it doesn't get better than supporting a marginalized minory owned small business. 

The cucpake which fits in the palm of my hand cost a little over four dollars. It was packaged in a clam shell made perfectly for one cupcake, ensuring no smooshed frosting as I forged on with my exploration of the surrounding area in Philly. 

Sweet Potato Cupcake from Sweet T's Bakery
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The small  Sweet Potato Cupcake from Sweet T's Bakery was just right as a not too late night treat: not too big, not too small and not too sweet.  It didn't taste like sweet potato but the constistency of the cake was not like other cakes. It's spongy and moist and bounced in your mouth with every bite. Though it lacked in flavor, I appreciated that it didn't taste like pumpkin which sweet potato flavored things have a tendency to do. There's enough pumpkin, spice and everything nice this time of year. 

Sweet Potato Cupcake from Sweet T's Bakery
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The frosting took the cake of this cupcake. It is one of, if not the thickest frosting I've ever had. It's sweet but not too sweet with a pleasing hint of cinnamon. What the cake lacks in flavor, the frosting makes up for, ten fold. 

Sweet T's does offer a version topped with pecans which I didn't see at the Reading Terminal Market location but I did see it on their website. 

Sweet Potato Cupcake from Sweet T's Bakery
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It came to my attention while writing this review that one of my favorite cupcakeries in the Bay Area is offering the same flavor this season. Berkeley's Cupcakin has a sweet potato cupcake with cream cheese frosting topped with a candied pecan called the Dirty South. Another thing these two cupcake places has in common is that they're both black owned small businesses. 

By all accounts Sweet T's Bakery Sweet Potato Cupcakes seem to be offered year round while Cupcakin's Dirty South is their flavor of the month for November. It looks like both places are selling out of this flavor like hot potatoes so get your orders in quick!

Thankful to pass along my discovery of yummy small businesses to support and enjoy this Thankgiving to family and friends.
Happy gobbling! 

Keanu Reeves the Broadway Star

 Is there anything that Keanu Reeves doesn't do? From The Matrix to John Wick all the way back to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure he proves he can hold his own as a star in some of the biggest block buster movies there is. Action, drama, comedy, Keanu is a well rounded movie star. He's also a rock star. Dogstar the lesser known stardom of his. He's been playing bass and singing back-up vocals in the band  since 1994. Dogstar still tours too. Most recently they played shows in the UK over the summer and they're slated to play Mad Cool Festival in Madrid Spain next Summer on July 9th. 

While in New York for one night last week, I made my way down the bustling streets from the public library on Fifth Ave to Times Square to meet a friend. The bright lights of Broadway play marquees and illuminated posters along the way kept catching my eye which was coincidental being that the friend I was meeting does lights for off-Broadway plays. One poster in particular made me do a double take, mainly for a face I thought I saw. My eyes weren't tricking me. There it was, Keanu Reeves on a poster for a Broadway play. His Broadway debut. 

Times Square 11/5/2025
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Waiting for Godot opened at The Hudson Theater in September but I'm not a Broadway play person, let alone a play person (though I do enjoy them) so I had no idea. Keanu stars alongside his Bill and Ted co-star, Alex Winter, in Jamie Lloyd's production of Samuel Beckett's classic. It's a play about the absurdity of existence, the meaninglessness of life and the endurance of hope. Waiting for Godot is scheduled to run until January 4th, 2026 at The Hudson Theater on Broadway. 

Movie star, rockstar, Broadway starring actor and as humble and under the radar as can be. Keanu even dates someone his own age, which is 61 if you can believe it. 

 He is living up to his name which means cool breeze over the mountains in Hawaiian. Everything points to him being a cool, chill dude.
Keanu rules.

Salted Caramel Cupcake from Cupcake Royale

It had been a few years since I had a cupcake from Cupcake Royale in Seattle, Washington so the last time I was in town I made it a point to try another one. 

The closest Cupcake Royale location was about a half hour walk from where I was staying and by the time I got going it was later on the afternoon than I had hoped. Side tracked by the mesmorizing Seattle Public Library en route put a little more pep in my step being that I had to be back within an hour for a dinner date with a dear ex-festie. I wish I had gotten out earlier but a las, all the more reason to visit again soon as each time I do, I leave liking Seattle a little more.

Salted Caramel cupcake from Cupcake Royale 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Getting closer and closer to the Cupcake Royale location I wished more and more that I had broken free of the work email vortex I had been sucked into because the neighborhood I found myself in was so cute. Where was I? The streets were alive with an arts district vibe, cute small business store fronts, murals, sticker covered street signs and rainbow crosswalks. Turns out I wound up in the Capitol Hill area and subsequently, unintentionally found the gayborhood. No wonder I serendipitously felt calmer even though I was rushed. 

Stickers at Cupcake Royale in Capitol Hill 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Cupcake Royale in Capitol Hill 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The neon light sign outside conjured memories of the last time, my first time, I visited Cupcake Royale but as soon as I walked in I knew it wasn't the same location. This one was so much smaller and it was so gay. Taking in all of the cute pride and Halloween decor, including sassy stickers by the register I quickly realized that I had indeed gotten there late because the cupcake pickings were slim. 

One of the few flavors left was their Salted Carmel: a chocolate based cupcake with a salted carmel frosting. Though I am not one who usually goes for chocolate cake unless it's flourless (the most chocolatey of chocolate cakes go). I'm also not partial to salted carmel flavored things outside of salted carmels themselves. However, salted caramel carries a certain cozy vibe especially this time of year, doesn't it? I thought so, so I went for it. 

Salted Caramel cupcake from Cupcake Royale 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was no surprise to me therefore I wasn't disapointed that the chocolate cake wasn't that chocolatey. I will say that it was better than most chocolate based cupcakes I've had. 

As soon as I licked the frosting my mouth salavated for more. That salted caramel flavor hit the sweet and salty spot of my tastebuds and wow. It is one of the most flavorful frostings I have ever had. It's such a comforting flavor, perfect for a cozy Autumn day/evening/night. Just thinking about it makes me crave it. 

If the chocolate cake would have been more chocolatey it might have taken away from the salted caramel and been way too much. The dark chocolate shavings on top of the frosting gave the cupcake an extra touch of chocolatey-ness that was just right. I couldn't have been happier that I decided to take a leap of faith and try a flavor I might not have tried if there was more to choose from. It is a salted caramel in cupcake form. 

Turns out this very Capital Hill location has a Halloween version of the Salted Caramel which features candy corn curls in place of the dark chocolate shavings. Candy corn might get a bad rap but I'm a fan of this Halloween confection. What a treat this halloween time cupcake is! If you're in the area this Halloween you gotta try it for me!

Be safe out there ghouls & goblins. 

The Fest & The Gainesville Music Scene

This Summer I got the chance to work Beyond at The Gorge in Washington State. For those who don't know Beyond is one of many festivals put on by Insomniac, the same promoter behind EDC Vegas, EDC Orlando and so many others. These days such festivals are widely considered as raves however, raves are traditionally underground and far from mainstream. Insomniac events have essentially become the epitome of mainstream so here's to calling these shows what they are.

I had wanted to work this one for years and was excited to get to cross this one off of my work bucket list simply because of the beautiful location. I was also excited to be working with a skelton crew of my boss and my co-worker who's been working with our boss since the begining. They're both pros at what they do and I consider myself very lucky to get to work with them and therefore learn from them. 

Out of the three of us working this EDM festival none of us are fans of EDM.  

Our drive to and from site every day was at least 45 minutes with the same commute time to look forward to in the wee hours of the morning after a long work day. My coworker drove, so by default he was the DJ (no pun intended) and took full advantage of listening to something very different from the noise we were subjected to for hours on-site. 

He likes rock. Rock n roll. Punk rock. Hard rock and everything in between. Along with learning tricks of the trade on-site from him as I do at every show we work together and have for years, this time I also learned about a specific genre of music I have since deemed Gainesville Rock. 

Gainesville is in Florida and my co-worker is from Florida, not Gainesville but close enough.  If I hadn't worked Beyond Gorge with him I don't think I would have ever known about the Gainseville Music Scene and all of the bands that have come out of it. 

One of his favorite bands, Hot Water Music, happens to be from Ganiesville and that's who we listened to the most on our drives to and from work.  Music blaring, he'd feed me information about the band, album or song that was playing much in the same way my Dad has always schools me on music while listening to it. Both instances are first hand encounters of the power of music: grown ass men fully enthraled by the influence of this art form and spreading the love of it. 

Aganist Me! and Less Than Jake, both of whom I'm more familiar with, came in the rotation a couple of times and I was surprised to learn that they too are from Gainesville, FL. There were a slew of others he'd play a song or two from, they're sounds ranging from punk to hard to harder and thrashier. So many bands have come out of and are still popping up from the Gainesville music scene. A scene that's seemingly underground if you're not already in the know, as underground happenings go.

Radon

Draft

As Friends Rust

Spoke

Roach Motel

Mutely Chix

Fried Christ

Asshole Parade 

Tired From Now On 

Along with a thriving underground music scene, Gainesville Florida is also home to a more underground music festival than most. Simply named, The Fest this homegrown three day fest is entering it's twenty-third year this year. It's layout is similiar to that of SXSW, taking over multiple venues in a certain area every show day and every show night. With the layout of The Fest being how it is, it's almost as if attendees trick-or-treat their way around from show to show at the festival. 

It takes place close to Halloween every year which got me thinking, what happened to the New Orleans Halloween rock fest, Voodoo Fest? That was one I always wanted to go to long before I started working music festivals but never got a chance to. 

 

There's no shoartage of Spooky Season EDM festivals Boo! in Seattle, Escape in San Bernardino, Hulaween in Live Oak, Florida and probably others that aren't on my radar but a rock filled Halloween music festival seems to be a real treat to come by now a days. 

With middle fingers flying at "the man", this year's The Fest was announced weekend two of Coachella.  Along with the multiple venues and long list of acts, there's also been quite a few changes to the bill making it hard to keep up with who's playing at The Fest. One band in particular stood out to me and that's Tsunami Bomb straight outta Petaluma, CA. Back in my local punk show attending hayday I'd seen Tsunami Bomb around The Bay and was tickeled to see them on the bill all these years later.  

"Technically" show day one is Friday, October 24th but like any good music festival these days there's a soft launch of the madness that is The Fest tomorrow, Thursday October 23rd. Even punks got make an extra buck when they can.