Delayed Reviews

Hello there, Spookies!

I've been dragging my feet on this update for a month, and I feel absolutely awful about it. Truthfully, my Spookies, my mind has not been clear enough lately to post. Life has been quite difficult for me lately, and I've had to momentarily put some things on the shelf while figuring some things out. Having said that, things are looking up, and I am making some positive steps towards the future. Pray for the best, my friends.

Now! I promised you all some reviews. The first thing I'd like to tell you all about is my visit to the brand new Outland location, and the Voltaire concert I saw there. All I have to say about Outland is that it is FANTASTIC. It's decorated with elements of style ranging from 1980's glamour to Victorian Gothic. Somehow all aesthetics come together in a delightfully eclectic and fashionable mish-mash. It is spacious without feeling empty, and provides plenty of secluded corners for couples to sneak off and have a snuggle between songs.

As for the Voltaire show.... it was an event, Spookies. Many people know Voltaire as a friendly and quick-witted individual who enjoys sharing conversations with his fans. That evening was no exception, and I had the opportunity to enjoy the presence of Voltaire's company among some new friends.

Immediately upon joining this conversation, I was the target of his jokes for a while. To my disappointment, Voltaire is not a fan of Dr. Steel's music. This makes me very sad, and for whatever reason, it's a bit difficult to attach words to. I feel like these two musicians, who I respect greatly and who share quite a bit of common ground, should be friends. Perhaps one day. Toy Soldiers, I'm setting you on it!

This particular concert was an extremely intimate showcase of some of Voltaire's lesser-known work. The majority of the songs he played were either never recorded for albums or were on small-release albums such as "Banned on Vulcan". He also sang a few songs that are slated to be released on his country record, due out later this year. It was much more toned down and slightly more intimate than the "To the Bottom of the Sea" show he played at Circus over Halloween. Definitely a fabulous show. As always, Voltaire delivered an amazing one-of-a-kind show. I cannot wait for him to come back to town. I'll be the one in the Toy Soldier uniform. ^_~

Speaking of my dear Dr. Steel, he has recently released his VERY FIRST official music video for his song "Childhood Don't A Go-Go". It was directed by Tony Leonardi III and has been in the works for the past several YEARS! In fact, if you look closely, you can see a clip from the finished product in "Building a Utopian Playland", which was released several years before hand.

The video itself blends live-action, computer-generated graphics, stop motion, and of course, an army of very strange little toys. It's a fantastically entertaining little video, and generated a lot of pride amongst the Army of Toy Soldiers. It is available EXCLUSIVELY on the front page of WWW.ToySoldiersUnite.COM

Finally, also speaking of Dr. Steel, I must share that just this past weekend I participated in a large-scale invasion of Columbus Ohio's MARCON (Multiple Alternate Realities Convention). With 1800 in attendance, our small squad of soldiers were able to send an estimated 1300 of those people home with propaganda. As if this success wasn't enough, our booth also won "Best in Show", outranking the legendary 501st Legion of Stormtroopers(Check out the photo of Div. #614 in front of our award-winning booth on the sidebar!). Our group's accomplishments make me proud to be a Toy Soldier, and I will do my best to continue striving for excellence for the benefit of Dr. Steel.

I hope to be more regular about my posts in the future. That should be a much easier accomplishment once I'm home for the summer. Good luck at your finals, Spookies! Goodness knows I'll need luck for mine. ^_^

Love!
Miss Manic