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© 2017 Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola On this year's annual trip to cover Salem's Haunted Happenings for The Harold & Maudecast Halloween series, I visited one of the most thrilling exhibits I've ever experienced, It's Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts. Kirk Hammett, best know as the lead guitarist for Metallica, has one of the largest and most impressive collections of classic horror and sci-fi movie posters in the world. Hammett acknowledges his poster collection as a source of inspiration for his own musical creativity. "My collection takes me to a place where I'm most comfortable and most creative," stated Hammett. "That's where the magic has happened for me all these years and it's something I've come to trust. From the moment I first encountered these characters, I could see that these guys had just as much difficulty in coping as I did. It's a very, very dark universe when we shut our eyes at night." © 2017 HMC. Photography by Sarah Mason. Hammett's obsession for collecting horror-movie posters began when he bought an original BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN half-sheet. "When the thing arrived at my house, it was an eye-opening moment because it truly turned my head around because of how cool it was – the graphics, the smell of it, the patina of age," said Hammett. "Not to mention that it was also one of my favorite horror movies of all time. I put the poster up on a huge pedestal and I just started buying all the older stuff. Now I have an amazing collection that I want to share with the world." The exhibit features 90+ pieces, posters, guitars, collectibles and sculptures from Hammett's collection. It is impeccably curated by the team at the PEM, designed as an experiential event that explores the evolution of horror and sci-fi films providing insight into the complicated relationship they have on contemporary societal fears. The exhibit is sectioned in categories that include, The Undead, Classic Tales, Other Realms, Women and Power, Horror Spoofs, Mad Science, Zombies and The Collector featuring six custom guitars and a short film with Hammett discussing his collection and its influence on his music. My own fears were tested the moment I entered the exhibit when a silent but eery clip from the classic film NOSFERATU, appeared out of the dark as I walked through. This quietly startling revelation set the tone for the entire experience as I found myself cautiously peering around corners before entering the different rooms where other monsters awaited me. © 2017 HMC. Photography by Sarah Mason It's Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection is on view August 12 through November 26, 2017. For more information about this exhibit and The Peabody Essex Museum visit www.pem.org At a press reception for the opening of the exhibit Hammett surprised the audience with a an original composition made in partnership with his wife Lani, "The Maiden and the Monster", a 7-minute musical odyssey, a sample of which you can hear below courtesy of PEM. Here are highlights from the exhibit in an excerpt from The Harold & Maudecast Images from It's Alive! Classic Horror & Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection Gallery Photos © 2017 HMC. Photography by Sarah Mason #kirkhammett #metallica #peabodyessexmuseum #itsalive #classichorror #scifi #movieposters #pem #salem

Bloop Records Festival at an Abandoned Hospital in Lisbon. Photo by Mike Long. Arriving in Lisbon, which sits on the heels of eastern Europe, felt like landing on another planet. The city is covered in multicolored tiles, and the streets are like small, daunting mountains.The tiles and marble that cover the city lend it a unique acoustic sound. Walking through the streets sounds like standing in large, empty theater. Belém Tower, Sintra, Lisbon. Photo by Mike Long. Compared to other European cities I’ve visited, Lisbon has a much more in common musically with African and South-American traditions. From clubs like B’Leza, featuring the music of Cheny Wa Gune from Mozambique, to the one-woman army of Rita Braga, who plays a whirling cyclone of folk tunes from all over the world, these two continents kept coming to the forefront. While the western styles of blues-based rock bands are present, they were quickly overshadowed. Artist Cheny Wa Gune at B'leza. Photo by Mike Long. Like many European capitals, there is a strong showing of electronic music and DJ-culture in Libson, but what set the city apart was its love of nylon strings. Street musicians and stage-artists alike favor classical guitar styles, with a strong showing for Samba, Tropicalia, Bossa nova, and other Brazilian genres. In a small community art space called BUS Paragem Cultural, I watched Teppe Wanatabe of Japan play original compositions in a Brazilian style on a solo classical guitar. The quality and volume of the show was a quintessential example of what I experienced in Lisbon: acoustic instruments, unamplified sets, a leaning toward folk traditions, and elements of African and South-American styles. From Fado in the City, a concert series that finds small, unconventional settings to host its shows, to a folk-tradition from the early 19th century, or the Lisbon Living Room Sessions, an ongoing concert series of various world musicians playing in people’s homes, Lisbon has a predilection for acoustic and global sounds. Teppe Watanabe at BUS Paragem Cultural. Photo by Mike Long. Lisbon is an absurdly hilly, convoluted, and hard-to-navigate city. But amidst all the twists and turns is an equally tangled knot of musical traditions: a warm, coastal intersection for global acoustics to come spilling in. The incredible art on this building is courtesy of street artist, Blu. Photo by Mike Long. Video Street musician, Christian (in this video is arguably the best sounding musician I've heard on the streets, anywhere. In part because he was really talented, and also because of all the marble tiling that makes the whole city sound like a shower -- incredible acoustics. Gallery For entire Acoustic Cities series visit our Blog. Last stop Edinburgh! Stay tuned.

Street performer in front of Berlin Cathedral. Photo by Mike Long. Trying to understand what’s happening musically in Berlin is like trying to eat one dish from every country in one sitting: You’ll fail, but you’ll learn a lot on the journey. Berlin encourages musicians from various countries and unique styles to join its bustling streets, resulting in an eclectic mix that’s anything but boring. The city has a reputation for being an electronic music hub. It’s said that techno-spinning DJs run the clubs in Berlin. While I found that story to be true, it wasn’t my story. Berlin, again and again, proved to be an epicenter of experimentalism that’s driven by multi-nationals and expats. Nearly all of the street musicians I met were from other parts of the world. In one day alone, I met a guitarist from the UK, a steel drum player from New York, two guitarists from North Carolina and several brass players from Turkey. Musician Michaud Savafe in Berlin park. Video by Mike Long. On the same day I arrived in Berlin, a friend of mine from Seattle was touching down from the U.S. armed with three guitars and loose plan to find stable work as a musician. His name is Michaud Savage (pictured right), and he’s 28. Michaud is undertaking the journey of many bold artists and planting himself in a cultural city with hope and a guitar. Berlin is famous for being amenable to professional musicians, even if they aren’t native Germans, and Michaud hopes to join this group. During my time in Berlin experiencing music in locations ranging from subway stations to opera houses, I came to see it as a melting pot for such artists. Berlin is rooted in its musical traditions. From my viewing of Wagner’s classic “The Flying Dutchman” at Deutche Oper Berlin to seeing the Brno Philharmonic Choir in the Berlin Konzerthaus, the city is in no danger of losing its conventional sounds and styles. However, both in clubs and out on the streets, the number of transplants pushing boundaries and experimenting with sounds was unmatched in my travels. Brno Philharmonic Choir, Berlin Konzerthaus. Photo by Milke Long. I spent an evening at Keith Bar with a mix of locals and expats. Andreas, the one-man “band” known as Window Magic was performing. Window Magic is self-described as featuring “tape deck ghosts,” which is a good indicator of the level of experimentation going on. He was not so much giving a concert as creating a living, breathing ambient auditory backdrop for the small bar. Tapes with found sounds and pre-recorded melodies fluttered in and out, augmented with various pedals and synths as accompaniment. The entire operation was an organized accident—and a clear diversion from today’s popular music. On a different night, in the neighborhood of Kreuzberg, I saw local act “Jawbones” play a set of psych/synth rock. Kreuzberg is supposedly giving Brooklyn a run for its money in achieving hipster “coolness,” and it showed in the band’s musical choices. Though they cycled through conventional genre norms, the musicians also injected weird tape-deck sounds and other experimental elements. Like many other acts I saw in Berlin, Jawbones was an expat collective, with one German, one American and three French members. It makes sense that musicians who specialize in contemporary, avant-garde and challenging music choose Berlin. Its sheer size and cultural endorsement of the arts enable unconventional (and sometimes schizoid) styles to thrive there. Something about Berlin welcomes progress and novelty. The word “eclectic” only begins to do the massive sprawl justice. Local street musicians in Berlin. Photo by Mike Long. Videos Musicians Glenn and Burkhard practicing in Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin. Photo by Mike Long. Gallery For more of our series Acoustic Cities visit our Blog #acousticcities #travel #berlin #music #streetperformers #eclecticmusic #lifestyle

Charles Bridge, Prague. Featured in the film, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Photo by Mike Long. Do you revel in all things dark and theatrical? Are you a fan of slasher-flicks and haunted houses? Then the city of Prague, located in the Czech Republic, just might be the place for you. With enough spooky thrills to support a Halloween-like vibe year-round, Prague is a city that never stops surprising you. I quickly found that exploring Prague’s musical and aesthetic sensibilities is like going to a death-obsessed nihilist’s birthday party: It might feel and look like a party, but it gives a spooky vibe that will have you on edge days after you visit. Kampa Museum sculptures. Photo by Mike Long. Prague is a city with an affection for revelry, and this is clear as soon as you enter the city. There are hundreds of places in which to party or simply pass the time, and most of them have a particular eerie bent. There are nightmare-themed bars, large baby statues with no faces and torture museums to keep tourists and locals entertained. The first band I encountered in my travels to the capital of the Czech Republic was Die Blaue Trottel Parade at Klubovna, a strange, artsy place near some warehouses outside of the city center. Perched on the roof at the entrance to the venue was a asked doll watching the entrance like a gargoyle. Such alarming displays turned out to be par for the course for Prague. Die Blaue Trottel Parade @ Klubovna. Photo by Mike Long. The band tore through an amazing set of post-punk, spoken-word, free-jazz, psychedelic math, blues and various other forms of music. To echo this collision of styles, band members wore outfits that looked like a combination of Mad Max and Waterworld.One member wore a giant, red tentacled gas-mask, and stage props included such items as a hatchet. The vibe was that of a nightmarish carnival. In talking with the band after the show, I found out that the focus of many of the songs was personal and political, with references to recent communist history. There was definitely a message being shared amongst the strange setup. A few nights later, I was out walking and saw a bar that had been recommended to me called “Cafe V Lese,” Wandering in, I found a rickety staircase in the back leading to a stony underground cavern. It looked like a cigarette smoke-filled cistern. Upon turning the corner into a cramped room, I saw a man on-stage with a black bag over his head, playing a guitar made out of an old gasoline can. It seemed the entire city of Prague enjoyed wearing costumes and getting weird. Kittchen @ Cafe V Lese, Prague. Photo by Mike Long. Kittchen, as he dubbed his project, had a disturbing, lonesome presence on stage. The theatricality was present in his appearance and the music. While not gothic in aesthetic, it was distorted and dissonant--perhaps even a little malicious. Atmospherically, the venue complimented the feeling of the show with its aged, wooden posts threatening to allow the old stone ceiling to crash at any moment. Despite the strange feeling the Kittchen project gave me, the venue didn’t disappoint overall. A few nights later, I saw an amazingly talented and good-natured Balkan band, The Free Balkan Quintet, play in the same space. This time the audience was highly energized, dancing enthusiastically to the music. The band played a variety of instruments, including the accordion, fiddle, double bass, bassoon, banjo and a strangely-assembled drum set that included features such as bikes and bells. The fast-paced music made for a thoroughly entertaining show. Exploring Prague. Photo by Mike Long. The people of Prague enjoy getting strange and theatrical, with a wide variety of music that is sure to entertain those who enjoy a darker aesthetic. For travelers seeking the musical equivalent of a Bohemian Horror film, welcome to Prague. Nitcho Reinhardt Trio at Jazz Dock Note on the artist: By far the musical highlight of Prague was seeing the Nitcho Reinhardt Trio at Jazz Dock. The trio performed as part of the Khamoro Festival which is a celebration of Roma art/music. Nitcho and his players self-describe as "Gypsy Jazz", which a lot of players use. Nitcho was inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt who developed the "hot jazz" style. This show was some of the most expressive, nimble, and exciting guitar playing I've ever seen. Gallery For more of Mike's journey around Europe visit our Acoustic Cities blog.

Jason Momoa aka Aquaman in Hall H at Comic-Con. Photo by Sarah Mason Our third day at Comic-Con was spent almost entirely in Hall H. Was the five straight hours of standing in the press cage on concrete worth it? We'll tell ya tomorrow if we're still able to communicate. Here's what we got to see -- Warner Bros. started the day off with the Justice League. But before they took the stage Jason Momoa made a rock star entrance as Aquaman. This was undoubtedly the most exciting moment of the day. There's been a lot of buzz online about Marvel kicking DC's ass at Comic-Con, not true, not true! Hey Avengers, you may have a Hulk, but we've got a Momoa. After intimidating Chris Hardwick for several minutes, who proclaimed himself "Aqualad" after Momoa handed him his Trident, the excited Hall H crowed was treated to a special video message from Director, James Wan who presented never before seen footage of his film AQUAMAN, which hits theaters December 21, 2018. Spoiler alert, Momoa let it slip that the villain he's fighting is his brother, Ocean Master, whose Armada was featured in the footage. It looked a lot like the underwater alien ships from James Cameron's film THE ABYSS. Nevertheless, super cool! Momoa then introduced his fellow Justice Leaguers who were all in attendance, Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Godot), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). The Justice League entered from the audience, like Aquaman. Chris Hardwick chatted with them for a bit then opened the floor to questions. Ben Affleck neither confirmed or denied the rumors that he will no longer be Batman after the Justice League movie. But he did say that he is loves being Batman and the studio is committed to him in the role (for now) and he is humbled to be there in Hall H stating, "How many guys get to sit on the stage in Hall H and say, I'm Batman". Then we got to see the new trailer for JUSTICE LEAGUE which was amazing. It apparently was on the internet within an hour of showing it in Hall H for which we say, WTF? Seriously, people camp out all night to get into Hall H, we are told repeatedly that we cannot film anything and it's exclusive just for the fans in Hall H, then an hour later the studio releases it to the public? Come on now, give the good folks who waited in line a feeling of some kinda exclusivity, at least for a few days or a week or something. Not cool. After taking a much needed break from the smells of Hall H (it's pretty spectacular, not in a good way), we headed to the outside attractions. Harley Quin bike at Comic-Con. Photo by Sarah Mason. The lawn area in front of the Hilton Bayfront included FX American Horror Story, The Strain. They also have little stations with sun lotion which is super cool and helpful. Fox had The Orville, The Gifted and Ghosted interactive displays and games. There was a Legion VR experience produced with VR company, HERE BE DRAGONS. Amazon had The Tick take over. Along the harbor there was an Adult Swim carnival with Rick and Morty front and center. Lots of Rick and Morty cosplay at Comic-Con 2017. And IMDB had their annual IMDB Party Boat hosted by Kevin Smith. Syfy also had Live at Comic-Con hosted by Zachary Levi. Adult Swim Carnival at Comic-Con. Photo by Jake Essoe. The weather has been so perfect in San Diego, no wonder this is always cited as one of the best climates in the U.S. After we soaked up the sun for awhile it was time to go back to smelly Hall H. But we quickly forgot how unpleasant it was to stand in a cage with a bunch of reporters (most of who were not fans like us, at all) when the cast of Stranger Things took the stage. The panel, hosted by Patton Oswald was wonderful. There's very few folks who can moderate really well, he's one of them and of course Chris Hardwick is the master. Gotta give it to him pulling double, triple duty all over Comic-Con. David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown aka 11 at the Stranger Things panel. Photo by Jake Essoe. The entire cast showed up, (minus Wynona Ryder) and we met a few new characters from Season 2 including Paul Reiser who takes over the bad government agent guy role from Matthew Modine who was also in attendance, and gave us a hi five when we shouted VISION QUEST! From the press cage. We got to see the trailer for Season 2, and holy shit it looks amazing! If you thought you couldn't binge watch a show any faster than Season 1 of Stranger Things, get ready for Season 2. An audience favorite moment was when Barb, actress Shannon Purser, asked a question from the audience then joined her Season 1 castmates on stage. No word on whether a resurrection is forthcoming. The cast of Season 1 and 2 of Stranger Things at Comic-Con. Photo by Jake Essoe. Time for Westworld! The entire cast with the exception of Anthony Hopkins showed up to bring the fans footage of Season 2 -- badass doesn't quite cover it. Despite the uber cool star power, this panel was one of the weakest, no fault of the cast and show creators, hubby and wife duo Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Comedian and James Cordon's band leader, Reggie Watts was the moderator and as cool and funny and smart as he is, not a good moderator. As stated previously, takes a special talent to moderate these panels. He focused all his questions on technical and filmmaking aspects that only Nolan and Joy could answer so the actors barely spoke. That would have been cool if it was for a USC film school seminar, but not in Hall H. Hey man, the fans want to hear from the actors. At one point Lisa Joy took a question he threw her and pivoted to the actors, many of whom grabbed that bait and ran with it, but there were a couple, notably Rodrigo Santoro who plays Hector Escaton, literally said nothing. Ed Harris got in a few words as did Jeffery Wright, Thandie Newton, James Marston and Evan Rachel Wood gave excruciatingly long and nonsensical answers to questions she wasn't asked. Ed Harris hugs Tessa Thompson as the cast of Westworld leaves the stage at Comic-Con. Photo by Jake Essoe. Next up in Hall H, Marvel, oh shit! The already crowded press cage got even more jam packed as Chris Hardwick returned to moderate along with Marvel super star creator/producer, Kevin Feige, who brought with him footage and panels for THOR: RAGNAROK and BLACK PANTHER. The begin with Thor, and I gotta say we were pretty excited when Director, Taika Waititi came out cause we are huge fans of his work, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS and HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE. The entire cast of Thor followed including Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) new villain Hela (Cate Blanchett), Valkyrie (Tess Thompson), Grandmaster the Collectors brother (Jeff Goldblum), Skurge (Karl Urban) and Rachel House who we LOVE from all of Taika's films and most she was grandma recently MOANA. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Thor: Ragnarok Director, Taika Waititi at Comic-Con. Photo by Jake Essoe. The footage we saw from THOR: RAGNAROK looks like Marvel's got a new spin to its stale blueprint. It's gotta be that Taika had some control and was able to infuse his comic vision into the Avengers universe. Here's hoping. Equally fresh looking is BLACK PANTHER. The footage was amazing. It looks so badass director Ryan Coogler (CREED, FRUITVILLE STATION) was visibly emotional as he spoke to the Hall H crowd recounting the story of his childhood love for comic books and how his first time in Hall H he camped out and was all the way in the back and now here he is on the stage. It was an authentic and sweet moment. The biggest cheers from the audience came for Andy Serkis who sheds his motion capture uniform to play nefarious character Ulysses in the film. Before the panel Serkis walked through the outside line of people waiting to get into Hall H and shook hands and signed autographs. What a classy man. The cast of Black Panther at Comic-Con. Photo by Jake Essoe. Before leaving, (Kevin Feige wasn't gonna leave us with just two film clips?!), Loki and a couple Avengers came back on the stage and introduced footage from AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. It looks like everything a Marvel fan could ever want from this ride we've been on since IRONMAN. Oh! That reminds us, Paul Rudd and Michael Pena did a special taped intro/recap of all the Marvel universe films starting with IRONMAN just to get us up to date. The video message preso ending to reveal that they had been giving this synopsis to Michelle Pfeiffer who we discovered will star in Summer 2018's ANTMAN AND WASP alongside Rudd, Pena, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas and new cast members, Walt Goggins and Laurence Fishburne. Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Chadwick Boseman and Mark Ruffalo at Marvel Panel. Photo by Jake Essoe. We ended our very long, thrilling day at Comic-Con with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer 20th Anniversary party at San Diego's Side Bar. It was exactly what our tired feet and thirsty mouths needed. The bar was filled to the rim and there was a long standby line out the door down the street to get in and party like the Annointed One -- who is all grown up and hanging with the Buffy fans. Stay tuned for our final day at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 along with our full podcast review. Follow our social feeds for realtime updates on our antics. We unfortunately didn't make it to the Cosplay Masquerade ball this year, boo! But here's a look at some of the amazing cosplay. The 2017 Comic-Con International Masquerade on day three of Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA., Saturday, July 22, 2017. (Staff photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Southern California News Group) LISTEN to Sarah and Jake's San Diego Comic-Con 2017 Diaries Full Review & Recap

Guardians of the Galaxy Cosplay, SDCC2017. Photo by Jake Essoe. Day 2 at Comic-Con and it appears the serious Cosplayers are starting to arrive. We found the Guardians of the Galaxy en route to the Convention Center. But the them of the Day for Friday, July 21 at Comic-Con was, Horde. Because that's exactly what this massive crowd looks like. We are all used to the crazy crowds at Comic-Con, but this is pushing the limits of safety. Let's put it this way, if an actual zombie apocalypse broke out it would be impossible to survive. Despite all their efforts, the growing numbers are literally pushing this Convention out of San Diego. We hope that doesn't happen but there doesn't seem to be a good way to manage the overabundance of foot traffic. Nevertheless we push on and into Hall H for several panels starting with Fear the Walking Dead and onto The Walking Dead! The cast of The Walking Dead quietly took to the stage, in the dark, and Showrunner and Comic Book and Show Creator, Robert Kirkman introduced the panel with a tribute to their fallen colleague, stuntman, John Bernecker who was tragically killed while filming an episode of the show. Gimple gave a rundown of Berneckers impressive resume which in addition to The Walking Dead includes LOGAN, BLACK PANTHER, FANTASTIC FOUR and many others. Gimple went on to say that they were not sure if they should do Comic-Con but they decided to be there for the fans. The Walking Dead has one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in the world, heavily represented at Comic-Con. After Gimple and Kirkman's opening remarks we were treated to the trailer for Season 8 and then they immediately went to questions from the audience. It was somewhat sad, but also had sweet and funny moments. They discussed how Season 8 will mark the shows 100th episode. Earlier in the day at the Fear the Walking Dead panel Kirkman hinted that he is working toward an end of the comic book and the series. Fans didn't like that very much but all good things must come to a good end, eventually. We'll see what happens. He's said this before... Panelists for the The Walking Dead panel were cast members, Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Chandler Riggs, Seth Gilliam, Alanna Masterson, Khary Payton, and show creators/producers, Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero. Next up in Hall H was the Game of Thrones panel. The cast of Game of Thrones, Hall H, Comic-Con 2017. Photo by Sarah Mason. Hodor himself, Kristian Nairn, was the surprise moderator for the Game of Thrones panel. "These are the people I've worked for six years with on what I believe the greatest show that's ever been created," said Nairn. He then introduced Sophie Turner, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Alfie Allen, Jacob Anderson, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel & Conleth Hill. Alfie Allen (Theon GreyJoy) entrance was a crowd pleaser as he took the stage with his adorably cute dog, Abby. Way to bogart the cheers Alfie! We got to see an existing trailer for Season 7 that's been out for months, wah wah, but bonus they did release a brand new trailer which ends with the Red Woman telling Daenerys "I believe you have a role to play, as does another." Hmm, might that other be, Jon Snow! Nothing of things to come was reveal, no surprise there. We were hoping to see Kit Karrington (Jon Snow), Lena Headey (Cersei), Emilia Clark (Daenerys), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister) and Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) but alas, twas not to be. But that cast that was there were very engaged and lively, having fun with the Q&A particularly when the Night King, who is apparently from Philadelphia, asked a question. The Night King showed up at Hall H to ask the cast of Game of Thrones a question. Photo by Sarah Mason Just when we thought we were getting out of Hall H, the Twin Peaks panel was about to begin. Damon Lindelhoff, writer/producer of (Lost, The Leftovers), moderated the panel. He paid tribute to David Lynch stating there would be no Lost, The Leftovers, Stranger Things, Westworld if that had been no Twin Peaks. Here here. He went on to introduce the cast member panelists, Kyle MacLachlan, Tim Roth, Dana Ashbrook, Kimmy Robertson, Everett McGill, Matthew Lillard, James Marshall, Don Murray, and Naomi Watts. They all gushed over working with David Lynch, who wasn't there but sent along a special video for the Hall H fans. It was really weird, in that way only David Lynch can be. Kyle MacLachlan added that he was really easy to work with and they all respect him but once he goes into artist mode, he likes to give him his space to create. We ended up our day at one of the most fascinating and informative panels we've ever been to, at Comic-Con and beyond. VR CON, which is running in conjunction with Comic-Con at the Omni Hotel, produced the World Creators Crossing Platforms, a discussion of what it takes to make worlds come alive across a multitude of platforms, featuring some of the greatest creative minds in the business. Panelists included, Ted Schilowitz (Paramount Studios’ Futurist), Kiki Wolfkill (Head, Halo Studios, Microsoft), Randy Pitchford (CEO, Gearbox), Colum Slevin (Head of VR, Oculus), Wayne Kennedy (Digital Domain), Nathan Burba (Survios), and Marlene Sharp (Sega). Bonus! Official Game of Thrones and STAR WARS artist, Rob Prior did a live painting of Boba Fett during the panel. No word yet on who gets it, but we will gladly offer up our studio as it's new home. We will be back tomorrow with The Harold & Maudecast Comic-Con Diaries Day 3. Till then, follow our social feeds for real-time photos, live streaming and videos of all the action at SDCC!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle panel, Hall H, July 20. From left to right, Pedro Pascal, Screenwriter Jane Goldman, Moderator and British comedy legend Jonathan Ross, Jeff Bridges, Taron Egerton, Colin Firth and Channing Tatum. Photo by Sarah Mason. What an incredible start to San Diego International Comic-Con! Beautiful weather in this wonderful city, Sunny skies, nice marine layer in the morning that clears off by noon. It's warm but not too hot. Perfect for standing in long lines with sweaty people! Musical Anatomy of a Super Hero panel, SDCC 2017. Photo by Sarah Mason. Day 1 started off with one of our favorite annual SDCC events, Musical Anatomy of a Super Hero panel. After an impressive montage of all the panelists works, Brian Tyler, Composer of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, THOR: THE DARK WORLD, THE MUMMY and many more took the stage with much enthusiasm and flair. He was joined by fellow composers, Mark Isham (Cloak & Dagger), David Russo (Gotham), Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther; Death Wish), and Lorne Balfe (The LEGO Batman Movie), moderated by Ray Costa and Marco Beltrami (Logan, The Wolverine), was supposed to be there but unfortunately had the flu. We were disappointed to miss him. If you haven't see SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY, Beltrami, is featured building a 175 foot-wired piano wind harp outdoors in Malibu in order to capture the sound the aura of insane 19th century women on the plains in Tommy Lee Jones’ new western THE HOUSEMAN. Musical Anatomy of a Super Hero panel celebrates the artistry of these phenomenal composers Movies would never be the same without them. One of the biggest challenges at Comic-Con, (especially when there are only two of you covering it), is getting from place to place in time. We had to bolt out the door of the Hilton Bayfront across the street to the Convention Center to get to Hall H in time for the first panel of SDCC, KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE. And it was worth the jog and the sweat. KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE PANEL, the cast takes the stage on Hall H. Video by Sarah Mason. British funny man Jonathan Ross was one of the most entertaining Hall Moderators we've seen at Comic-Con. The cast was equally entertaining and giving to the audience, Taron Egerton (Eggsy) in particular was animated and super excited to be there showing a lot of love to the fans. Highlights of the panel: Jonathan Ross passed down a bottle of whiskey, they all poured shots but Channing Tatum poured Halle Berry a full pint and being the great sport and sassy woman that she is, she chugged that puppy. We saw three never before scene clips of the film including the entire opening sequence -- thanks 20th Century Fox! The movie looks AMAZING! Just as good as if not better than the first. Original Kingsman Harry (Colin Firth) and Eggsy (Taron Egerton) are joined this time around by their American counterparts, Agent Tequila (Channing Tatum), Agent Whiskey (Pedro Pascal), Ginger (Halle Berry) and Agent Champagne (Jeff Bridges). One of the clips we saw featured the new villain, Poppy (Julianne Moore) in an oh-so-Kingsman-gory scene. We can't wait to see KINGSMAN: GOLDEN CIRCLE! Halle Berry at KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE panel, SDCC 2017. Photo by Sarah Mason. Next up for us, STAN AGAINST EVIL, panel. Writer/Co-Star and Show Creator, Dana Gould along with series stars John C McGinley and Janet Varney showed us some exclusive clips of the new season and talked about the intersection of horror and comedy. "The original premise was, what if I made a movie, and put my Dad in it." joked Gould whose hilarious vision and brilliant writing make STAN AGAINST EVIL a must watch. John C McGinley's impressive resume filled with nefarious characters both comedic and horror/drama make him the perfect Stan are are why we love him so much, Scrubs, SURVIVING THE GAME, THE ROCK, PLATOON, THE BELKO EXPERIMENT, and so many more. Stan Against Evil panel, SDCC, photo by Sarah Mason. What would Comic-Con be without DC? And What would DC be without Geoff Johns?? The DC writer, president, and chief creative officer discussed his love for writing characters, the upcoming Doomsday Clock, Dr. Manhattan and how he might cross over with the Justice League showing us a very cool still of the Justice League with caption "Who Watches the Watchmen". He talked about DC Rebirth and admitted the only time he's ever been stuck writing was for Marvel which wasn't as much fun as writing for DC--which we appreciated as DC loyalists. He also treated fans to some never before seen stills of comics and we all walked with a Doomsday Clock pin. Teaser artwork for Justice League/Watchmen crossover. Photo by Jake Essoe. On to one of the funniest panels of the day, Ghosted, the upcoming new Fox show starring Craig Robinson (The Office) and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) Craig and Adam came out, surprising the audience, to introduce the full premiere episode of Ghosted, which was hilarious. The series is about a discredited yet brilliant cop, LeRoy (Robinson) who is skeptical of all things alien and paranormal and ousted MIT professor, Max (Scott) who firmly believes his wife was abducted by aliens. The misfit duo are recruited by The Bureau of the Underground, a kind of secret X Files agency, to find one of their agents whose disappearance leads them into the relm of the paranormal. We will post a full review of the pilot episode which airs September on Fox. Ghosted panel at SDCC 2017. Photo by Sarah Mason. Moving on, cause we got no time to spare. We attempted to cruise through the Convention show floor, but it was mobbed with wall to wall people, Exhibit A, The Walking Dead booth. Fans can line up and wait for an hour t see images of their favorite cast members? I guess that's cool. Nah just kidding there's much more to it than that. The outside of the booth is set up like Alexandria, seemingly safe but lurking inside are Walkers. They were pretty impressive too, no theme park zombie make up here, straight up Nicotero-style magic. If you make it through the Walkers you are taken through to the junkyard, Heapsters' community, remember Jadis the traitor? What's super cool about this was they had Resident Evil, spike Walker, the one that Rick fought. After fighting Resident Evil Walker you walking into Saviors compound and meet up with Negan and Lucille. There's a cool photo op with the oven Negan through the Doctor into. You can snap a pic of yourself getting baked. Nice. There are Walker sounds and creepy noises along the journey. It's pretty awesome, but the line, yikes. We recommend waiting for Halloween Horror Nights. It's longer, better and you can buy a jump the line pass. Convention showfloor, SDCC 2017, The Walking Dead booth. Photo by Sarah Mason. As far as Cosplay, well the real pros of the game don't really show up until Saturday for the Cosplay Masquerade ball, but we managed to find some friends along the way. Harold & Maudecast host Jake Essoe at SDCC 2017. Photo by Sarah Mason. Okay, enough of the Convention Center we've got to get to Conan! Conan O'Brien is back at Comic-Con for his third appearances, I think this is becoming a thing. This is our absolutely favorite thing to do at Comic-Con and definitely the most fun. Conan O'Brien at Comic-Con, Conancon, photo by Sarah Mason. On Thursday night's show, Conan welcomed the cast of the new LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE, Dave Franco, Olivia Munn, Justin Theroux, Zach Woods, Michael Pena, Kumail Nanjiani and Abbi Jacobson. What a fun show! Jimmy Vivino and The Basic Cable Band started the show off with and brought the crowd in Spreckles Theater to its feet. Then Andy came out and introduced the guests and Conan and when Conan took the stage, the crowd went wild giving him an extended standing ovation. They had to calm us down to start the show. It was pretty awesome. There were some hilarious Comic-Con themed bits and clips including audition tapes for Teen Dumbledore, Nick Offerman, Patton Oswald, Thomas Middleditch, Tatiana Maslany, and Aubrey Plaza participated. One of the funniest moments of the show was a clip they produced about a new Con, LINE CON, come to LINE CON and wait in some of the longest lines you'll ever wait in! It was hilarious. Please find the clip of this online if you miss the show when it airs. It's brilliant, particularly those of us SDCC attendees who really get the joke. After the show, class act that he is, Conan came round back of the theater and spent 30 minutes signing everyone's Funko Pop Conan The Flash, which everyone got. It was an amazing Day 1 at Comic-Con! Follow our social feeds which you can access from our homepage for more of our SDCC coverage.

Alexandrina band @ Form Space in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Photo by Mike Long. The word “Transylvania” usually conjures up images of a giant castle, possibly some bats, a sickle-like moon and almost certainly a vampire or two. In fact, Transylvania is a diverse region in Romania about the size of Louisiana that’s full of vibrant scenery and dark music. Despite the fact that vampires are tied to the town of Braşov (where the Dracula-esque “Bran’s Castle” is located), the mystique of the legend is ever-present around Transylvania as well. Despite the persistence of the legend, I didn’t see a single vampire or hear any songs about vampires during my small town travels and time in the larger city of Cluj-Napoc; however, the folkloric local music did exude a sense of mystical darkness in its brooding and melancholic tone. Maybe it was the weather, the recent departure of communism resulting in an undefined cultural identity, or perhaps my own expectations of Transylvania that gave me this impression. Whatever the reason, I decided I need to explore. Cluj-Napoca (or just Cluj), in Northwestern Romania, is the unofficial capital of the Transylvania region. The city is full of buildings dressed in pastel colors, funky green parks and lots of little streams and brooks running through town. It’s absolutely pastoral and beautiful for a city of its size, (approximately 400,000), yet despite all its vibrant hues, the music was more reflective of the mythic, dark tones previously mentioned. One of the first shows I saw was at Form Space, a vampire-meets-alien style concert hall that was sleekly dressed in black except for a few purple lights. The artist performing was Alexandrina.The show a perfect match for the mysterious and shadowy atmosphere I’d expected from Transylvania. Alexandrina and her band had a somber, velvety quality from song to song. The trumpeter played long, lonesome tones that wrapped the band in a kind of folkloric fog while Alexandrina played piano and sang ghostly, ethereal melodies. Though many of the tunes were more upbeat and lively, the general tone would have fit in perfectly at a Halloween party. Form Space in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Photo by Mike Long. Flying Circus, another venue in the center of town, had a similar black-on-black color scheme. The door on the street led immediately to a series of staircases painted black which led into a series of various-sized black rooms. The Romanian locals were generally friendly, though they had a subterranean vibe that perfectly matched their choice in music. Metal Band Dordeduh @ Flying Circus, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Photo by Mike Long. As I played foosball waiting for a local metal band called Dordeduh to begin, I laughed as they yowled, grunted, and shrieked into their microphones for the sound-check. When the band finally began to play, their sound was much like you would expect from any metal band But the five players had a well-practiced stage-trick of head-banging in perfect unison, sending their long black hair whipping out at the audience in sync. While it might seem like a cliche (and it certainly doesn’t have its roots in Romania), the adherence to the otherworldly, mystical and “dark” Romanian music was reinforced by the show. Some audience members argued that the band’s hair-whipping is more than just a gimmick; it’s a way of getting in touch with something primal and pagan. Flying Circus is home to a host of shows in this vein, and it’s telling that in these small Romanian communities there is so much emphasis around bands like Dordeduh. Furthering the case for the haunting, borderline “occult” vibe of Transylvanian music was a local venue called “The Shelter.” I was advised to check it out by the owner of a local record shop, “Dusty Records.” Shelter had been a leader in cultivating local “Stoner” metal, a genre typified by long, rough, dark riffs and repetition. Again this penchant for mysterious, almost entrancing music fit with the puzzle I had been piecing together. The shop owner was interested to know my feelings on the venue, since “things had changed.” Daniel Piper, Dusty Sounds Records. Photo by Mike Long. Dusty Sounds Records Str. Eroilor no. 31, 400129, Cluj-Napoca, Romania +40 743 750 444 Facebook When I asked what he meant by that and why things had changed he told me about recent tragedy at the venue “Colectiv” in Bucharest. In October of 2015, a pyrotechnic malfunction killed 64 and injured over a hundred audience members. The incident had far-reaching implications including, the resignation of the Prime Minister and a sweeping shut-down of many music venues in Romania that were not up to code. To a certain degree, he said, this major incident led to the atrophy of local music in cities all over the country, including the city of Cluj. Alexandrina peforming at Form Space, Cluj, Romania. Photo by Mike Long. This tragedy gave some shape to the music I had been seeing and I now understood why concerts and street performers were not available in high volumes like they were in other cities. Daniel walked me through the aftermath of the tragedy. He said that as venues closed, many bands hung up their instruments as they no longer had spaces to perform. Thankfully, it appears they are on the verge of a resurgence. As increasing amounts of people visit Romania (which, in this author’s opinion more people should) this nascent music world will continue to evolve. For travelers and melomaniacs with a penchant for getting a little spooky, Transylvania has a lot to offer. As cities like Cluj recover their footing, the dark and translucent sounds of music will continue to create a culture that would make Dracula proud. Exploring the Hanging Art in Timişoara, Romania. Photo by Mike Long. Gallery Follow Mike's journey through Europe with Acoustic Cities in realtime on our Instagram. Check out other episodes of Acoustic Cities - Budapest | Vienna | Copenhagen | Dublin

Budapest, Scenes from the Citadel. Photo by Mike Long. The crumbling architecture, overgrown parks and rough but welcoming vibe of Budapest embraced me as an old friend. First the city felt cool and distant, then warm and comfortable--as if it mean to welcome me all along. Both cities (Buda and Pest, which reside on either side of the Danube River), brought a me a surprising gift: eclectic jazz. It seems like everywhere you turn in Budapest you hear jazz music the most people in the city are seem to be in denial about how integral it is to their culture. I stayed with a friend who came from a family of musicians whose tiny house was crammed full of small and strange instruments. When I mentioned my observations, she raised her eyebrows in alarm, “You think Budapest is a jazz city?” Yes, I do. Like a wandering trumpet solo that never seems to wrap-up, I explored the city for weeks with seemingly no end in sight for venues that were chock-full of smooth sounds. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Musician Barabás lőrinc at Arkvarium Venue with Budapest Turnarounds. Photo by Mike Long. A trumpeter named Barabás Lőrinc played the first concert I saw in Budapest. Like almost all of the musicians I met, his trio configuration that night was only one of his many performing groups. Jazz players, in particular, seem to accept that multiple gigging bands are part of the path to paying one’s rent. At Arkvarium Club, Barabás and his band, along with a much-loved local singer named Sena, played a diverse range of tunes to one of the most engaged and dance-ready audiences I’ve seen on my travels. Her funky soul tunes sparked an intense and palpable energy in the audience. Afterward, Barabás cooled us down with his smooth effects-pedal augmented trumpeting. I was still on a high from that the show when someone mentioned I should go check out the open-mic at Lampas Bar in town. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words “open mic,” I imagine 21 year olds chugging their way through Bob Dylan songs on acoustic guitar. Szimpla Kert (Simple Garden). Photo by Mike Long. Thankfully, this open mic experience was more skillful than a collection of folk covers. Down a set of crumbling stairs and through short passages that required me somehow become much smaller than I usually am, I found a bar and stage with 5 or 6 musicians noodling their way through various prog/rock/jazz tunes. Sometimes players would walk off stage and someone else would instinctively take their places, carrying a flute or saxophone with them. The jam didn’t seem to have a beginning or end, and the line between audience and artist was blurry. There was an easy-going and light-hearted fun to the whole event, with enough talent to rival any professional gig. It was less of an “open mic” as we know it in America and more of an amorphous, free-flowing jazz session. The nature of jazz seems to lend itself to improvisational situations like these, and the impromptu musicians were simply basking in its glory. Budapest wins for unique venues, interesting stories and energetic audiences. The city really knows how to celebrate. I had been told about a venue called A38 which was on a boat on the “Buda” side of the Danube River. A38, boat and music venue on the "Buda" side of the Danube river. Photo by Mike Long. The Toaster (from New York) played the most light-hearted and fun show I’d yet seen on my travels, and in the belly of a beautiful boat, no less! Locals conversed on the banks of the river, filing in and out sporadically, echoing the changes in the music. Inside, the dance-crazed audience rocked the boat until the late evening. Gentrification is occurring rapidly and visibly in Budapest. Most of the “action” and tourism happens in the fifth district. To escape the tourist traps, I opted to stay in the eighth district. About ten blocks toward the city center from my house was a shiny new shopping center. Next to it stood a recently-constructed Nokia Sky Center and several other fresh high-rises. This wave of growth and new money was unmistakably moving toward the eight district and across the entire city. Goyla, one of the last surviving original music venue pubs. Photo by Mike Long. Among the construction madness was of the most unique places I’ve ever seen--a tiny club called Golya. It defiantly stood at the edge of the shopping mall in the shadow of two massive, modern buildings.In the U.S., the equivalent would be your Grandma’s house sandwiched between two Walmarts. I saw several shows there and made an effort to talk with bartenders and regular patrons. When I asked if Golya was going to survive, the answer was always “no,” with variations on how long its devotees expected it to last. One night I was sitting in the back of the bar when I noticed an older man smoking and working on some contraption that involved magnetics and an apparent attempt to generate energy through some gyroscopic force. He explained that Golya had been around since he was a kid. It was once meeting point for what sounded a lot like a Hungarian Mafia. He pointed to a trap-door and said there were meetings there. He mentioned that sometimes drummers come and meet and play in the basement. On-stage, Tudósok, an art-school favorite, played through a set of punk-jazz, spoken-word and funk. As with all the shows I’d seen, the audience was open, warm and ready to cheer and dance. Whiskey Moon Face performing at Goyla. Photo by Mike Long. Budapest was brimming with spicy and fun flavors of jazz, colored by Hungarian traditions. Buzzing clarinets, vibrant saxophones and off-the-rails fast tempos are scattered around all the eclectic venues all over the city. Like an auditory scavenger hunt, the feeling of the city is festive and fun, with no telling what you’ll find.But if I had to guess, I’d venture jazz. Next stop - Transylvania! The home of Vampires and surprisingly cool music. Stay tuned! To follow Mike's Acoustic Cities journey in real time, follow HMC's Instagram Gallery Videos - Just a taste of the many cool bands we saw! Kerekes Band at the National Museum for the Budapest Spring Museum Festival. Video by Mike Long. Nemulass performing at Aurora in Budapest. Video by Mike Long. The Toasters performing at A38. Video by Mike Long.

In the Wiener Konzerhaus in Vienna rests a large frowning bust of Beethoven. He is not happy to see me or anyone else. In my time exploring the acoustic and musical waters of Vienna, I’ve found that the celebrated masters of classical Vienna still hold influence today, just not in the way you might think. What comes to mind when you think of Vienna? You might list composers, Mozart, Haydn, Strauss, Mahler, Schubert, classical music in general, opera, Sigmund Freud, okay Arnold too probably. At first glance Vienna looks every bit the city of its classical and historical icons. But as I dug deeper and ventured out I observed something quite contrasting; Ladies in their 60’s with wild purple hair riding the bus, crosswalk signs with little green women leading little green men (or often just two women), all the signage displaying the Anarchy A symbol. Wait a minute, this isn’t the stereotypical Vienna we all know! This Vienna is egalitarian, outspoken and eclectic. Vienna, a hub of political, progressive and feminist ideologies has moved in opposition to its patriarchal heritage. As soon as I hit the music venues I discovered more of an underlying theme, deconstruction of social, genre, and gender norms. And there is no better place to find this in theme in the art and culture of Vienna than WUK, a beautiful multi-purpose community space born out of the socio-political unrest and events occurring at the time of its inception in 1981. Originally WUK existed as a locomotive factory in 1855 before becoming a technical trade museum and research institute from 1884 to 1980. Against the backdrop of a growing counter-cultural and political movement in the late 1970’s, the WUK association Verin zur Schaffung offener Kultur und Werkstättenhäuser (Association for the Creation of Open Culture and Workshop Houses) was founded paving the way for what it is today, a communcal space at the intersection of artistic practice, labor, and political engagement promoting everyday culture as a life practice and investigating social models that support community-oriented conduct*. The night I ventured into WUK, Yasmo und Die Klangkantine, an eight-piece band made up of a four brass players, guitar, bass, keys, and drums, led by front woman and MC Yasmo (Yasmin Hafedh), was performing. This performance was one of the most electrifying concert experiences I’ve ever had. As I listened to them perform, modern Vienna came into focus for me; a city that defies categorization. Yasmin’s background in slam-poetry mixed with an intuitive and unusual blend of big-band, swing, hip-hop and funk, projected an energy reflective of the city; vibrant, urgent, optimistic, and open. Despite the language barrier I felt very connected to what she was saying. Clearly there was an emphasis on feminism and her identity as a female MC. This social and political commentary had a grassroots sensibility to it. It was wildly genre-bending with complex composition. Her attitude on and off-stage was very communicative and inviting. She engaged with the audience like peers at a coffee shop debating and discussing the issues effecting the world and the city. With every rap she drew me further into the communal experience so sought after by the venue. MC Yasmo und Die Klangkantine on stage at WUK, Vienna. Photo by Mike Long. At Brick-5, another multi-purpose artist space, I watched Thomas Hauvlik perform poetry with the aid of improvised music and dance. As with most of the musicians I saw, he merged unconventional art forms and displayed a defiance of standard musical genres. An audience of young and old alike watched carefully as Thomas read his work in a kind of fugue-state with the aid of improvised guitar and a style of dance David Lynch would approve. Much of the music I saw reflected this same predilection for the erosion of clear boundaries between genres and art forms with a serious penchant for community engagement. At “Electric Spring” a free music festival in the Museumquatier neighborhood I saw Five Highs, two performers who looked more like Nintendo’s Mario and Luigi than musicians. They billed themselves as “garage rap synth pop” and rapped entirely in Austrian German minus the occasional ode to the Vengaboys “Boom Boom Boom in My Room”. A giant projector screen showing random imagery of hearts and Pokemon displayed behind them cemented my feeling that their music was meant to be ironic…maybe not. Still the existence of an Austrian electro-rap band was intriguing to me as it was it too blended typically non-complementary genres. The huge turnout at a free, multi-staged concert in a highly-visible cultural center suggested a welcoming atmosphere and a community that fostered experimentation like this. Vienna Street Art. Photo by Mike Long. What I discovered on my short trip to Vienna was that there is no escaping history. The city is flooded with vaulted ceilings, ornate statues, and busts of very stern and powerful men. Indeed, the artistic and musical norms that put Vienna on the map are still highly visible. Vienna’s modern day composers, rappers, folk-singers, poets, street musicians and artists are well aware of the city’s legacy but they are not bound by it. Mozart, Beethoven and Vienna’s many celebrated classical composers may not be played in the clubs, bars, streets, or most venues but their legacy has left its mark on the city through its rich appreciation for music and progression. I can safely report, Vienna is safe in the hands of its vanguard musicians and artists. To follow Mike's Acoustic Cities journey in realtime, Follow HMC's Instagram Yasmo und Die Klangkantine on stage at WUK, Vienna. Video by Mike Long. Vienna Woods. Photo by Mike Long. Footnote * WUK info http://www.wuk.at/WUK/Das_WUK/Organisation #acousticcities #vienna #music #classicalmusic #travel #culture #WUK #musicandtravel

Ireland’s musical pedigree is arguably one of the most influential and well-known in the world. Ireland has impacted modern music in ways that defy probability for such a small nation. From Irish folk tales to roving Irish ballads, there’s something astoundingly resonant and approachable about the heart of the Irish people. “Folk” is undoubtedly the word that emerges when exploring Irish music. It is like the artists who create it, unpretentious with a spirit of being for the people, by the people. My mission is to explore just how tethered Dublin is to its musical heritage -- foundation for the future or limitation? When you step across the cobblestones of Dublin music immediately greets you. In the heart of town, street musicians are in higher concentration than anywhere else, possibly in the world. Old wizened figures accompanied by fiddle, or guitar singing a range of typical Irish folk songs, young troupes of teenagers belting tunes into the open sky are familiar figures in the streets of Dublin. Ireland knows and is proud of its musical identity. What surprised me was that Dubliners have a willingness and eagerness to seek out new music and welcome others to its stage. Musician Giovanni Agostini. Photo by Mike Long. As I strolled through the streets of Dublin listening to the music in the streets I came upon a young performer outside of Saint Andrew's church. Giovanni Agostini, a Venezuelan immigrant who moved to Dublin in 2012 makes his living playing music. He plays on the streets and sometimes clubs. His music is a mix of pop tunes and Irish tunes with a dextrous finger-picking style that is decidedly South American in origin. In hearing of his and other immigrant musicians similar stories, it is clear to me that Dublin is actively embracing new ideas within the framework of it’s traditional forms. Further evidence of this point is the existence of the first-annual Cruinniú na Cásca Festival in Dublin, a celebration of all things contemporary in Irish music and culture. The crowds were thick on Easter Monday at St. Stephen’s Green. The park was filled with numerous stages and tents, some for performance, some for hands-on playing and learning. What was exceptionally exciting about the festival was how much it valued the blurring of lines between various genres and cultures and things traditionally “Irish”. On the main stage, a gospel choir performed with the aid of an Irish fiddler. In a small tent a drum circle of Afro-Irish drummers practiced varying rhythms. Workshops were offered on subjects ranging from traditional Irish folklore to LGBTQ identity within Ireland. If this festival was any metric, Dublin is mastering the art of maintaining their historical identity into the future while remaining open to new ideas and influences. Raidió Teilifís Éireann - Ireland Radio and Television Broadcaster. Photo by Mike Long. Most tourism in Dublin seeks out the sort of old Ireland that remains cast in stone and unchanging. Temple Bar is a neighborhood where one might not find a lot of locals visiting and things remain fairly true to the “Golden Era” of Irish music. There is an abundance of music to hear in Temple Bar and it is some of the best in the country. Even in other neighborhoods Dublin still boasts an unassailable number of musicians and shows. The next night I had the great fortune of visiting a small venue called Doyle’s near Trinity College. On Tuesdays they put on “Ruby Sessions”, a showcase of local artists, with occasional surprise appearances of bigger names. In the past, famous local musicians like Damien Rice, Mumford & Son, and others have played unannounced. Doyle’s looks by all accounts like a fairly typical Irish pub equipped with dim lighting, wooden structures slightly warped with a cave-like series of twists and turns. The pub is filled with people, pints and an easy attitude. I ascended a narrow set of stairs to a small room and stage. As the announcer walked the audience through the line-up, he made it very clear that Ruby Sessions was a no-talking venue and his mandate was law. This is the sort of experience I’m rarely privileged to take part in: a small, acoustic show where the audience was prepared to sit still and listen to the performers. The Fontaines, Ruby Sessions at Doyle's, Dublin. Photo by Mike Long. The presence of a silent audience makes a serious statement about the current state of music in Dublin. Music is still prioritized. The role of the artist, though I can only attest to that of the musical artist, is still one that’s highly appreciated. The community supports and provides places for up-and-coming singers and bands to practice in unique way. In many settings and cultures, bands and musicians seem like almost incidental props to attract people to bars and clubs; a sort of decoration that people occasionally notice but are not central to the experience. Here, however, the focus of the audience was to listen. The bands ranged from tight-knit three-piece acoustic sets that seemed fairly Irish to my ears to singers with more of a Samba or Brazilian influence. The last band, The Fontaines, played a ragged and urgent mix of 60’s psych rock and 80-90’s Irish punk. They seemed to embody a sort of old-Dublin stereotype of young masculinity. Brash, young, rough and nearly combative, they tore through a riveting set. The tone of their guitars was thin and stinging and their strumming fast and aggressive. The singer stared unflinchingly into the audience when he wasn’t singing which made me borderline uncomfortable to make eye contact with him. A silent audience listened to every word, even the painful and uncomfortable ones. Aside from the intimacy and localness of the show, The Ruby Sessions show really struck me for it’s emphasis on the spoken word or the story told. All the vocals were always highly audible-- a very unusual occurrence in my concert-going experience. So while musical forms and compositional norms of Dublin might be fairly consistent with other Western cities, the emphasis on the words still seems very Irish. My brief stay exploring one of the world’s most famously musical cities has been incredible. I can sense that in Dublin is maintaining strong roots to the past with an openness to the future. Storytelling and folk songs are still the primary vessel for the music of the people, but it seems to be openly embracing the sounds, rhythms, and voices of a world of influences. Stay tuned. More to follow. Next stop, Vienna.

Copenhagen City Streets. Photo by Mike Long. Music is an integral part of almost every culture. It ties us to our past and connects us to our future. The earmarks of music, the rhythms, the melodies and harmonies may vary in arrangement but the impact music has on every aspect of culture is consistent--often without our knowledge. What would a wedding, a funeral, a festival, a parade or almost any occasion be without the music. Music is the unnamed conductor orchestrating the mood of our lives. You can see the effects of music in the art and feel it's influence in the essence of a city. One can hardly look at graffiti on neighborhood walls without hearing the soundtrack used to paint such vibrant colors. In April, I set off to explore just how impactful music can be to a community. What can the relationship between music and cities tell me about the people who inhabit them. In the age of distraction and multiple platforms for listening, can the old fashioned venue survive? Come with me as I put my ear to the streets, stages, houses, and neighborhoods across the Europe this summer in search of the culture of music. Copenhagen Copenhagen began with an exploration of the main downtown of the city and the neighborhood called Nørrebro. Copenhagen’s efficiency and reputation as one of the world’s happiest places and overall quiet demeanor put it in good standing for having a wide range of healthy genres. Everything from American Folk, NOLA Jazz, Electronic music, and country music seems to be represented in the city. Perhaps it is the socialist leanings of the country or the general affluence, but there seems to be an interest in favorable, positive music. Take for example, NOLA Jazz band who performs the first Tuesday of every month at the Mojo Blues bar. Being interactive with the music (also known as dancing) isn’t as common as I have observed in other cities however, people do seem to enjoy music. Perhaps not the same way that a city like Dublin seems to eat and sleep music nevertheless, it's clear that this ritual of Tuesday night jazz ties people together in mutual appreciation and enjoyment. Another observation, innovation is not the highest goal with many of the musicians here. Rather fun and community are the missions of the music in Copenhagen. Copenhagen land of bicycles and free teddy bears. Photo by Mike Long. In Nørrebro, a neighborhood that is one part immigrant families and one part Portlandia, there are a few small clubs. These venues mainly cater to the left-of-center, grittier sensibility folk. Dorena, a band from up the road in Sweden played a set to a rapt audience. In this setting, technical skills and virtuosity were prioritized, and their demeanor was, again, one of positivity and inclusivity. This seems true of much of the music of the city. The band Vechbeeren at Loppen in Freetown Christiania. Photo by Mike Long. Within the confines of Copenhagen is the mysterious Freetown Christiania, a semi-autonomous enclave of hippies. Freetown Christiania is known for being very radical, having a semi-legal drug trade and being wildly bright and eclectic in stark comparison to Copenhagen’s more vanilla flavored appeal. Freetown Christiania has had various clashes with the Danish government since it’s inception in the 70’s. So it goes almost anywhere in the world where there are political clashes, expression thrives. Freetown is Denmark's flag bearer for alternative art forms--music included. On Easter Sunday at the venue Loppen, metal band, Vechbeeren, from the Danish/German border, played a show to a large and enthusiastic crowd. Many fans had come from all over Denmark to watch them perform. The acoustic landscape of Copenhagen is somewhat quiet. There are some good and lively jazz bands and a small rock and roll scene but, the city isn’t dripping with music nor is it filled with an abundance of innovative styles. However in the island of alternative energy, ota Freetown Christiania, experimentation exists. There the sensory landscape is wild and unrestrained giving room to a variety of musical genres and exports. Denmark has been the perfect city on my exploration into how music defines a cities culture. There are some highly talented individuals working on their craft in Copenhagen. Though musical innovation does not seem to be at the forefront of the craft, the overall tone of the music is bright, communal, and cheerful, much like the people themselves. So if music reflects the mood of a city, I'd say Copenhagen music scene has done it's job nicely. Stay tuned as my journey continues with Dublin. Follow our Instagram for regular updates. Gallery photos by Mike Long