A certain someone did some hard hitting video games journalism today. Check it out at gamingalexandria.com!
https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/2024/04/new-release-the-infamous-lost-dungeon-kid/
New Article: The Infamous, Lost Dungeon Kid
Author: zephyr.mang
Just a crunchy doe mom screaming through space.
Phish Fall Tour 2023: Nashville October 6th-8th
I keep forgetting to put this out, so these Phish tour stories are going to be a bit delayed.
Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, I had wound up spending several years not going to shows at all. Instead I embraced a part of me that had been stewing for a very long time with the furry community. After a bit of a personal crisis, I decided this eight night, 3 city tour would be my chance to return, and combine two things that had been essential to my own growth.
In the run up to this trip, I had started going through the motions of hyping myself before the tour, just like when I was 19, ten years ago.
10/6/23
Arriving at the Cleveland airport, I did not see any fellow heads, besides who I think may have been Peter Shapiro.
I made friends with the guy next to me, Mark, for this run as we had both bought the 3 day pass.
Night 1’s first set blew me away with the merging of Axilla Part I and II. Trey declared it “Best of both worlds”.
Then I heard my first Destiny Unbound since Super Ball night 3 (7/3/11), 12 years ago. That show in particular irreparably changed my the course of my life. It had been 47 shows since I had last heard it, all those years ago. 17 years old and front row at Super Ball, I had turned around during the piano part to see this giant fish made out of balloons rapidly approaching the stage. Stage staff did all they could to push it back, and when they did the crowd then tore it apart like absolute savages.
Think the guy in front of me was tripping on something, and he kept taking pictures of me. I eventually went up to him and said you can just ask if you want to take a pic, and I might have actually scared him. Another screamed “Back on the Train? That’s worth the price of the ticket alone”, Mark and I cracked up at this.
When they went into Torn and Frayed in the second set, I could tell from the first note. I cried. 12th grade me annoyed the shit out of my guitar class teacher with this one. Self aware of their rough start, “They’re a bag of nerves on first nights”. Trey’s strained gravely voice was evident. Completely sober, the man at points sounded like he was on helium. My thought at the time was that they should either Shut Up n Play Yer Guitar or play songs that primarily use the others as vocalists.
Set 2 opened with Gotta Jiboo which then beautifully segued into Oblivion like water from a hose. Absolute bliss of a jam. 21 minutes or so long. Flawless segue into Santos.
People assumed I was a wolf, a kangaroo among things. Some guy asked if I was a dog faced boy and I rolled my eyes at him, though there was no way for him to tell, I think it’s funny because I’m neither a boy nor a dog. I’m a doe. Feel kind of bad though.
Roaming Broadway after the show with Mark, I realized just how much in the south I was while wearing my custom pup mask and edgy shein dot com occultist garb. Priceless reactions. Glad I had made a friend to keep me safe. Must note I had never seen nitrous on the scene just this rampant.
We eventually found a shakedown parking lot, and had a very uncooked burger I dubbed the “covid burger”. Halfway through on the ride home I told him I was trans, which I had already assumed he knew. He didn’t, but he was super cool about it. Just was happy to have a friend. Walked me to my sketchy hotel room because I didn’t feel the safest there at that hour. Made an ally overnight. Dudes rock.
Gross ass picture of uncooked wook covid burger below.
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10/07/23
Phish’s 2001st documented show started with a ripping rendition appropriate Deodato cover, Also Sprach Zarathustra. I’d never seen a show open so hard and fast. It had took me 53 shows to fully appreciate CK5. The mood in the room had been set from the first note. It was as if they were going to tear the roof off. This then tightly segued into Gumbo. I had thought initially thought this was some sort of tribute to the recently passed Jimmy Buffet as he had covered this song for a benefit album.
Followed was a bust out of the Del McCoury tune Beauty of my Dreams was so happy to hear this one. This followed by another blessing of a newer tune, Mull. Solid playing all around. Dirt is a gem. Just a tight first set in general.
Always a fan of About to Run. Really hits home for me now more than ever. Last year, intense trauma caused me to relapse. Thankfully I am surrounded at shows by Phellowship folks at setbreak. On lot I often feel like I’m staring down temptation in the eye. I see exactly who I’ll turn into if I go back. I’ve wanted something more than just being a parking lot gremlin but at the same time, who knows how long we have till hell freezes over.
The set ended with a ripping nearly 19 minute Split open and Melt.
Second set started with a great newer song, Life Saving Gun, off of Trey and Page’s new solo album, January. Smoothly moving into Sand, I got to say, tight Phish is my favorite kind.
“Did I forget, forget to mention Memphis” the redheaded goober almost missed the lyric somehow. I thought that was funny. Damn neat 16 minute Cities transitioning into a slow Llama, again as if water. What a treat. Every night would further prove to as why I should continue to see them. Kind of rolled my eyes at I Always Wanted It This Way until it grew legs, topping at about 12 minutes long.
Bug always reminded me of the final, title track of Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) by Brian Eno.
I had went to the Phanart events on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Met a friend I hadn’t talked to in years. He had thrown me a shirt during the Miami 2014 run that I wear as a pajama shirt to this day. One of the bands playing the event played a bluegrass cover of Corrina by Taj Mahal and I had really felt it. That was a tune I hadn’t heard Phish play since I had just turned 18. SPAC 2012.
Dogs were kind of weirded out by the mask to say the least. One barked. A pitbull was cautious. I took off my mask because I wanted to blow his mind. He remained cautious. Glad there was a shakedown of sorts. Figured out pretty fast that Nashville was sketchy for a girl like me to do alone.
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10/08/23
Night 3 started off with Buried Alive. I just knew we were in for a treat. Segued into AC/DC Bag and then Free. Sightless Escape is a tune they need to do a lot more often. Would fit in so well with the jam-centric newer material.
I will never be upset with an Undermind. Such a fun song. During Ya Mar, Trey called Page grandpa, and then to make up for it the next song was a Page tune, Beauty of a Broken Heart. Bathroom tune.
“hey stranger” has begun to grow on me a bit. Though I had felt as if the Mercy album it came from needed some outside help song-wise. Evolve is another tune I need to stew on for awhile.
The only song in the second set that was less than ten minutes was a bust out of Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young. Deep cut. I was happy to be in the room for that.
You Enjoy Myself is possibly my favorite Phish song. I feel at home immediately. It’s where my journey started with the Junta album. I was talking with Mark that I’d like to hear it before the show and he told me no they’re probably saving it for Dayton.
I had been calling for a Howling, so for that to be an encore I started howling. In hindsight I probably should have run around the venue. Manifested!
Afterwards nothing interesting was open for post-show munchies so we went to Wafflehouse where we met a couple of 1.0 vets. Very knowledgeable about Phish in general down to memorizing the dates of shows dating back to the late 80s.
Everything fell into place for this run. Eternally grateful I had Mark to protect and drive me around.
Big thank you to the five or so people from Bluesky who stopped by to say hey! And of course, I must credit the lovely Violet for helping with editing!
Mangled
By Zephyr Mang
Art by Pavlovforgoths.com
The trail lingered wherever she went. Tentacles skidding, the beast lurched forward. What once was a deer; now a disfigured and corrupted beast. The thick strand trailed behind her, leaving a path of putrid slime and decay. Pushing onward; bringing death to all that crossed it. No mind given to the plant and flesh matter that crossed it. A poor cat; mangled and torn to pieces. Its bones were spit out and sank into the newly created corroding mire. Yet another unfortunate soul. The beast continued on its path instinctively. She looked down at the ground, hunched. A weighted, chaotic, mass of antlers had grown over her head. She once tried, but the beast couldn’t save them from themselves.
An unstable lifestyle; littered by the souls that have passed and those who’ve lost their minds. Friends lost; although who she once called close. Naively, she let them hurt her. She didn’t know any better. They met their fate from the life of excess they lived. The songs of the sirens mesmerized them. It felt as if it all happened a lifetime ago.
What had started as a muse reared its ugly head. Then the days turned to years, having contributed nothing. Wandering aimlessly, caught up in thought. The serum had long corroded essential circuitry. Bonds ruined that could have lasted a lifetime. Selfishly squandered. It’s too much for some. A burden too great.
She stared at the murk of the lake far below, faces and figures emerged through the distortions of her vision; the remaining sliver of sentience in the back of the multilayered abomination watching in horror. In a rare moment of lucidity she grasped a decorated piece of scrap metal from a tiny leather sack, heaving it at the apparition. The abomination jolted suddenly, swaying her head around, confused. Where was she again?
Something warm grew from within, an awareness, starting from the heart. As it began to spread, her muscles physically stiffened. The muscle fused into a clay-like substance and quickly hardened. A bright light emitted from the cracks of the cocoon. With the little amount of control she had, she pushed herself head first off the cliff into the lake.
A glorious, bright purple celestial, humanoid figure arises, soaring far above. The potent reminder of the sting of the wasp gone, sinking in the abyss far below. No desire to dwell in the past, only the wind brushing against her. The songs of the sirens below become clearer, embracing their true messages. She eventually finds her place in a flock of multi-colored light beings.
Spotlight: Kaiser Wrench (Poached Parody series) by Stacey Bender
I read the first two volumes of this 13 part series before my Kindle Unlimited subscription ran out for now, but I am looking forward to reading more in the future when I can.
Private investigator Kaiser Wrench finds himself gig to gig, relentlessly chasing his next suspect, often landing himself in situations he’s lucky to be still alive later.
I am quite a fan of the fast-pacedness, edginess, and the humor of these furry noir novellas. I must note however that my brain wants to re-imagine it in the context of the comic/game series Sam & Max due to it being furry noir.
I tend to read more novellas and short stories than anything, so being able to finish something in only one or two sessions is great. I read the first two volumes in about 45 minutes each.
The series is available in eBook or paperback format here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KGTSPG3
Spotlight: City of a Thousand Feelings by Anya Johanna DeNiro
This was the one book from the Pride bundle on Storybundle.com a month or two ago that resonated with me the most. So I’m writing about it here.
A beautiful epic fantasy transgender allegory in 100 pages. DeNiro is incredible at writing beautiful, evocative imagery. I certainly feel as if they are a thousand steps ahead of whatever I’m capable of writing. And yet, the story wraps itself up before overstaying its welcome.
A wonderful surprise because the cover art had me hesitant to read it in the first place.
City of a Thousand Feelings is available as a paperback or ebook here: https://www.amazon.com/City-Thousand-Feelings-Conversation-Pieces-ebook/dp/B0846DJZ1H
Review: Gnarl Writes a Book: Sort of… by Shaun McGrath
Note: The writer of this article was given a free copy of this ebook by the author himself.
This is seemingly a semi-autobiographical parody of a hobbyist writer trying to write books and the millions of distractions life throws at one while doing so. Making a living owning a farm, and taking care of chickens with the wife.
The scenery changes and the issues that arise are amusing enough. The writer himself falls asleep and starts dreaming of a sci-fi scenario, which intertwines itself loosely into a a dragon-slaying fantasy world, and then onto a ship sailing the sea. When the author snaps back to reality they find themselves going back into their unfinished stories from years ago, and trying to merge them into their current projects.
Reading some of their other work, confirmed my suspicion that on on a level, this story is wish-fulfillment for the author themselves. However, there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
An amusing 4 star light light read at only 76 pages. Despite some formatting issues, I was able to read this comfortably.
It is available for 2.99 as an eBook here: https://www.amazon.com/Gnarl-writes-book-Shaun-McGrath-ebook/dp/B078J4CWCL
Restless Town by Madison Scott Clary (Audiobook)
This review is for the audiobook version of Restless Town by Madison-Scott Clary. She had been generous enough to briefly give it away for free on her web store, and I felt I should give it a listen, despite me owning it in physical book format already.
Madison (sometimes going under the alias, Makyo) has often experimented with interactive narratives. One of the short stories in this collection “You’re Gone” was initially one of these experiments.
Makyo presents her stories in the audiobook in a way that reminded me of a kind of church sermon, which isn’t too surprising considering her other work. As well, I took note that each story is presented with appropriate content warnings before the stories start.
Each of these stories in the book is set in Sawtooth, Idaho. I would not be surprised from listening to the author’s delivery of this audiobook, that the stories themselves may be partially autobiographical.
The story “Disappearance” is somewhat of a fantasy many queer people such as myself might feel as if they’d want to do. In the story, the main character disfigures their appearance, and over several months documents their new life.
“You’re Gone” made me cry. A story about the loss of a life partner, and then dealing with a family who doesn’t want to acknowledge their relationship.
Presented are a wide range of relatable queer experiences, from coming out as and embracing your true self, to coping with obsessive compulsive disorder, to dealing with vague BDSM party negotiation. Makyo’s sincere delivery of the lines, made me cry along with them, grabbing me by the heart. I honestly wanted to hug them as I kept listening.
Restless Town can be purchased in a variety of formats (physical, ebook, and audiobook) directly from the author’s website, here.
Todays Read: Melody of a Street Corner by Sean Rivercritic
This is a tiny update unfortunately, but I hope to start doing actual reviews soon.
This is the second Goal Publications “Pocket Shot” book that I have read. I am not sponsored by the publisher in any way or form to write this post.
A pocket-sized 46 page read I read while waiting on a Zoom call. Having read the description, I knew I had to check it out as it is set in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s a place close to where I spent my childhood summer vacations, Grand Haven.
Roland is an abandoned youth, left by their parents outside a grocery store. There, Roland grows up under the wing of his mentor, a busking homeless fox violinist named Christophe. After Christophe passes, they soon find themselves both without a father figure, and without a place to play their violin.
A comfy 20 minute read in a tiny book. I like the size of these. They’re a change of pace and as well, the shape and cover art make one curious about the contents.
This pocket sized story can be bought in physical form here at Goal Publication’s website, as well they also offer the story as an eBook.
What I have been up to
Sorry, my new job has been crazy, alongside my language study and writing projects. I’ve been trying to read literature within the furry fandom in my spare time. I have a couple short stories that I have been brewing. Hope you can read them soon.
I read the pocket sized short story Lunar Cavity by Mary E. Lowd on a work break the other day. Published by Goal Publications. Left a pocket-sized review on my Goodreads page.
Anyway, looking forward to providing some more sweet sweet CONTENT for the two people who read this. Love y’all.
Stay tuned.
The Merry Prankster
A search for familiar souls in Second Life led me to it’s longest operating venue, The Merry Prankster, a Deadhead themed venue.
light the song with sense and color
Hold away despair”
Robert Hunter
While trying to find similar interests in the middle of this crisis, it’s been pretty painful for a fan of live music. I went to seek out the kind of crowd I am familiar with. I found a crunchy Deadhead venue.
Established in 2006, this is apparently the longest running music venue in Second Life. I was told this by someone whose name I forget (there’s about five hundred jokes I could make right now about that). Where’s the bowl of Kool-Aid again?
“Picker” (picker.apogee) played Ripple by the Dead and I really felt it. It has been far too long since I have been able to go to live music. You never know what you got till it’s gone I guess. Raw audio from the musicians really added to the charm. Big boomer guitar guy energy here at this venue in general, but I love it that. This is church.
“Let there be songs, to fill the air” – Robert Hunter
I’m certainly grateful for everything I get to hear or see nowadays. Soon we all be back on the train, dancing our asses off.
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The Musings of Zephyr Mang 