A beautiful fall day at Lutz City of Templemore. Perfect vibe for my music. Photo by Kat.
I always find out about my upcoming shows at Lutz City of Templemore in the most unexpected moments imaginable. As I've said many times before, it's long been one of my favorite collection of live music venues in Second Life... visually stunning, great community, everything you'd want as a performing musicians in a virtual world.
That being said, some random number of months will go by and then someone from Templemore — this time being Katsumi Ayashi — will pop up, perhaps in my Facebook messages, and ask if I'm available on some random date and time. And I can't remember once where I didn't instantly accept, and then rearrange my scheduling conflicts accordingly. It's just a terrific gig. I'm always happy to play there.
What Else Is Up?
So much shit is going on in the world that I'm hesitant to bring up any of it. Here's all I'm gonna say: every day, you face a battle, but it might not be what you assume it is. There are the day-to-day aspects of earning a living, being a responsible person for yourself and your loved ones, and generally getting through this thing called life under normal and typical circumstances. That, in and of itself, can be a big challenge.
And then there are bigger picture things, like doing your part — however small it might be — to assist in saving the whole-ass world from fascism and bigotry and authoritarianism and injustice. And once you take on that battle, it's far too easy to ignore your important day-to-day life, along with the other things that make life worth living.
I'm not immune from feeling overwhelmed... but I'm never hopeless. Despite all the madness of the world, I remain a pretty optimistic and generally happy person. And part of that stems from not giving up or giving in. The very act of fighting back is what helps the most.
So part of the battle is with yourself... doing what you can to stay informed and awake, and to make the world a better place in which to live for all people, and still not allowing yourself to be in despair as a result. I don't know if it's comforting or not to know this, but every person of conscience faces the same conundrum. The key — as is the case for much of life — is balance. And if you're like me, you'll find yourself making constant adjustments so that all important aspects of your life (and that of the people who depend on you) get taken into consideration. It ain't easy!
How Was The Show?
I'll start by saying it had been a good while — like, years — since I had a morning show in SL, and I forgot that I actually enjoy getting up, getting my ass ready, and jumping onstage. You have a good sense of accomplishment when it's not even noon and you already were being a rock star for an hour. So that's hoe this Sunday morning went... out of bed, showered and dressed, caffeinated, warmed up, and next thing you know I was getting onstage.
Me onstage, doing my thing. Maali basically insisted that I put on a Santa hat, and I suppose that was the right thing to do for a mid-December show. Pohot by Kat.
One nice thing about Templemore: they have a terrific community, and I can almost always count on a good-sized crowd popping up at my shows there... even at 10am on a Sunday morning. Photo by Kat.
And — as I've raved about many times before — Templemore is one of the most artistic and detailed builds in the virtual world of Second Life. My respect to Luis Lockjaw and his design team is through the roof. Photo by Kat.
My only notes in that regard... I know that from mid-December on, it is very much expected to do holiday music. And I really do like doing traditional Christmas songs. It's just really easy to burn out on them as a performer. So what I do is spread them out over however many Christmastime shows I end up doing (as opposed to repeating the same ones over and over), and that way I don't feel like a jukebox at the North Pole.
The final note is that it had been so long since I'd done my own song "Lines On Your Eyes" that I had to get on YouTube and listen to it so I could relearn how to play it. I just checked my show archives, and the last time I played it live was in May 2015, over ten years ago. It went well, and I think I'll bring it back into the set list a little more often.
Not that I want to start doing a bunch of morning shows, but one thing that any online performer can tell you: there are people in various time zones around the world, and simply by doing a set at a different point in the day, you'll see people in your crowd who'd never typically be able to make it to your show. Photo by Kat.
I actually enjoyed getting up early on a Sunday, getting myself ready, and getting onstage. I used to do that from time to time for shows in SL, and I'd forgotten that there's an appeal to starting your whole day by performing live music. I felt pretty good for the remainder of my Sunday after the show was done. Photo by Kat.
Templemore set list...
Don’t Let It Pass (Junip)
River Man (Nick Drake)
Hannah Sun (Lomelda)
Long December (Counting Crows)
Among the Leaves (Sun Kil Moon)
Alison (Elvis Costello)
Lines On Your Eyes (Zak Claxton)
Sour Girl (Stone Temple Pilots)
Ironic (Alanis Morrisette)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Blane/Martin)
Closer (Nine Inch Nails)
How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths)
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams)
Massive thanks to everyone who hung out for my show at Templemore bright and early on Sunday, with super extra thanks to the following who helped support it!
Amaya Mavinelli, , Chloe Smythe, Katsumi Ayashi, Rhia Janick, Tera Vanilla, Maya Lockjaw, Semiiina Resident, Celtic3147 Resident, Kat Claxton, my terrific manager Maali Beck, and most of all to Luis Lockjaw and all the people who keep the stages at Templemore rumbling!
Welcome back reader. Every year around this time, I go through a fuck-ton of music that I've noted through the 12 previous months, and try and boil it down to a list that I present here for no reason at all. Of note: of all the years I've done this list, I think this one has the least amount of crossover with the best-of lists I see from the well known music and culture magazines and blogs. That either means I'm cooler than them, or getting less cool each passing year. I don't give a shit about it either way.
Of note: there are many places to check out the alleged best in pop music. This isn't one of them. My tastes lean toward indie rock, alt-rock, shoegaze, dream pop, art rock, and the many sub-sub genres betwixt and between. Most of my picks are on respected small labels; others are self-released. None in this year's list are on major labels, though that wouldn't preclude a great song from making the list. It just usually works out that way.
Finally, this list is presented in alphabetical order by artist/band, because I don't rank music. That's a silly thing to do.
Bleary Eyed Easy (Born Losers)
Bleary Eyed is a shoegaze/dream pop band out of Philadelphia that I’ve been following for a few years. Their new album Easy is probably their strongest yet both in terms of songwriting and excellent production. Within its indie rock/dream pop vibe, it’s got the grungy riffs, complex synth textures, and atmospheric soundscapes that get my musical dick hard.
Hailing from New Orleans, The Convenience are an art rock/indie pop duo of Nick Corson and Duncan Troast. I wasn't a big fan of their 2021 debut album; this one floats my boat. This album — and the follow-up single “Angel” — are tasty treats for anyone into the tight, urgent, and concise sounds of the post-punk genre. Great vibe.
Key tracks: “I Got Exactly What I Wanted” “Western Pepsi Cola Town” “Target Offer” “Angel”
Fib Heavy Lifting (Julia’s War Recordings)
Fib is an art rock/indie rock/post-punk band out of Philadelphia (which, as you’re already seeing, was probably my favorite city in the world for new music in 2025). If you’re a fan of bands like Palm and Television — and I surely am — you’ll like Fib. They don’t sacrifice musicianship for the simplicity of their genre, either. Great guitars!
Key tracks: “PS” “You Ruined Everything” “Right out the Window”
Alex G Headlights (RCA Records)
I generally don’t label any artist or band — or the music they put out — as my favorite at any given moment. That said, the only artist on this list I actually went and saw live this year was Alex G, the singer-songwriter out of Philly (yup). He's been an outstanding artist for years, and I’ve enjoyed his stuff going back to when he was some kid in a bedroom popping out albums on Bandcamp. Now he’s a well-known guy; the same week we saw him at the Greek Theater in LA, he was the musical guest on Kimmel. But Headlights deserves the kudos; it’s adventurous and great post-genre music. The fact that the attendees of his show ranged in age from 12-70 tells me that Alex G is music for people who like interesting shit in their lives. Count me in.
Key tracks: “Afterlife” “June Guitar” “Real Thing” “Oranges” “Headlights” “Beam Me Up” “Far and Wide”
Goon Dream 3 (Born Losers Records)
LA-based Goon has made my list every year for the past few years, and it’s because they’re fucking great and keep getting better. Frontman and main creative force Kenny Becker just seems to get more and more focused as he matures, and the resulting third LP is chock full of artful psych-shoegaze which is inherently listenable while never getting boring. If you’re a fan of bands like Elliott Smith, Radiohead, or Nirvana, I’ll bet you find something enjoyable on this album.
Key tracks: “Closer To” “Patsy’s Twin” “Apple Patch” “This Morning Six Rabbits Were Born” “Fruit Cup”
Hand Habits Blue Reminder (Fat Possum Records)
I am an unabashed fanboy of Meg Duffy, the LA musician who creates and performs music as Hand Habits. I first became aware of them as a side musician to many artists whom I also respected, and their guitar playing is fucking phenomenal. But as a singer and songwriter, Duffy is at their best. This folky, experimental album is at time soft, at times crunchy, both sparse and heavy, cold and emotional. It’s fucking great, is what it is.
Japanese Breakfast For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) (Dead Oceans)
J Brekkie — aka Michelle Zauner — has built quite the multi-faceted career. Her 2021 book "Crying in H Mart: A Memoir" was a best-seller. I've been impressed by her on various food channel shows. And yes, of course, her work as Japanese Breakfast has been outstanding, and remains so with her fourth album. I'll also state that you don't have to be a woman to understand and appreciate her emotive singing, music production, and poignant lyrics.
Key tracks: “Honey Water” “Orlando In Love” Mega Circuit”
Jouska How Did I Wind Up Here? (Koke Plate)
This is the second album for Oslo, Norway-based artist Marit Othilie Thorvik. It's got a lot going on... electronic pop, trip-hop, and shoegaze influences are abundant. This artful alt-pop collection explores themes of grief, guilt, and shame. I find it both enjoyable and cathartic.
Key tracks: "California” “Should Have Seen It Coming”
Pile Sunshine and Balance Beams (Cooper Records)
Okay, I'll just say that I fucking love Pile. This Boston-based band's sound harkens back to the real post-hardcore era of the late '70s and early '80s... sparse and intense. This is their ninth album and, frankly, my favorite of anything they've ever done. The band started as Rick Maguire solo project in 2007, and there's something about his voice — very present, very earnest — that makes you sit up and take notice.
Key tracks: “Deep Clay” “Born At Night” “Bouncing In Blue” “Uneasy”
Runo Plum Patching (Winspear)
This Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter has released a batch of EP's and singles, but this is her first full-length... and it was worth the wait. Written after a big breakup, it is packed with emotional turmoil and turbulent feelings. The resulting soft-edged, introspective, indie rock is superb... as is the production by Lutalo Jones.
Prewn is Northampton, MA-based singer-songwriter Izzy Hagerup, and System is her second album. Gritty and melodic, I liked it at first listen. If you like rawness, experimentalism, and vibe, you'll probably like it too.
Key tracks: “System” “Cavity”
Retail Drugs Reckless Driving (Angel Tapes)
Again, outstanding vibe from this Brooklyn-based band and its frontman Jacob Brooks. Grungy, lo-fi, and raw, the albums has a vibe of hitting "record" on a tape machine and playing... probably because that's exactly what this band did. I get off on realness.
Key tracks: “manny” “little dog” “just the thing” “Anti-Lonely”
Sex Week Upper Mezzanine (Grand Jury Music)
I like Sex Week, another Brooklyn-based band. I like their atmospheric indie rock sound. I like the melancholy mixed with warmth and emotional depth. This EP is the second for art pop duo Richard Orofino and Pearl Dickson after last year's self-titled collection, and I'll be on the lookout for more as it comes.
Key tracks: “Coat” “Coach” “Lone Wolf” “Moneyman”
SLEEP CLUB (Self Released)
Ahhhh... grungy shoegaze puts me in my element. Sleep Club is the solo project of Boulder, CO-based Matt Jones of The High Lines, and while he's put out a batch of great singles this year, they don't seem to have as yet coalesced into an album. That's fine; a rose by any other name smells as sweet. This is good shit. Matt claims that recording music is his answer to horrible insomnia. I wish him well in getting better rest, even if it means missing out on these cool tunes.
Key tracks: “When I Close My Eyes” “Skyline” “People On TV” “Take These Hands, Show Me How To Feel” “Bellows” "The Water Runs Cold”
Spill Tab ANGIE (Because Music)
I've been a fan of Spill Tab — aka singer-songwriter Claire Chicha — for quite some time based on previous singles and multiple EPs. This is her first full-length, and it runs the gamut from noisy lo-fi to swampy psych-pop, and it's both interesting and inherently listenable to the point that I didn't feel the slightest bt bad about adding her to this list.
Key tracks: “Angie” “Assis”
Teethe Magic Of The Sale (Winspear)
I'm a slowcore guy, at least when I'm in a certain mood. And that mood goes back to bands like Low, Codeine, Red House Painters, Duster, and many others. So I have a background for Teethe, the Texas-based band who put out their excellent second album in 2025. Of note: some of the guests on this album include Xandy Chelmis of Wednesday and Charlie Martin of Hovvdy. I was pleasantly surprised to find this out well after I'd started in as a Teethe fan. It meant I liked them without the awareness of these other fine artists' involvement.
Key tracks: “Hate Goodbyes” “Holy Water”
Terraplana natural (Balaclava Records)
Hailing from Curitiba, Brazil — making them one of the few non-US based entry on my list this year — Terraplana is killer indie rock and shoegaze with a mix of lo-fi. This album is packed with great sonic textures and the outstanding vibe of bassist/vocalist Stephani Heuczuk. I have yet to hear anything from them that I don't like, and I'm a picky fucker.
Key tracks: "charlie” “hear a whisper (feat. Winter)” “amanhecer”
They Are Gutting A Body Of Water LOTTO (ATO Records)
Holy fuck, I absolutely love this Philadelphia-based shoegaze band. And I'm sorry to say that I slept on them for their three previous albums since their debut in 2017. I plan to rectify that with some retroactive backwards discography experiences soon enough. LOTTO offers dense and raw layers of guitar and bass betwixt sections of quiet-loud-quiet, and TAGABOW — which started as the solo project of vocalist/guitarist Doug Dulgarian before blossoming into a full four piece — is everything I like in the world of alternative sounds.
Key tracks: “american food” “trainers”
Triathalon Funeral Music (Lex Records)
I've liked this New York-based lo-fi shoegaze band for a good while. I liked their previous outing (2022's Spin), and I'm happy to say I like this one as well. Is it dark? Yes. Is it vibey and fuzzed-out? Yes and yes. If you want some atmosphere as your soundtrack for insightful moments or late-night drives, you could do a lot worse than Funeral Music.
Key tracks: “RIP” “Chevy” “Salt”
Twen Fate Euphoric (Self Released)
Who the fuck is Twen? It took a little bit of searching to learn more about this Nashville-based duo, but I will tell you that it took me roughly 0.3 seconds to decide that "Godlike" was going to be one of my favorite songs of the year. I hear a lot of genre and era crossing in these songs, ranging from '60s garage rock to '80s college radio to '00s alt-pop. Catchy, fun, energetic, at times hooky as fuck, I really enjoy these people.
Key tracks: “Godlike” “Tumbleweed” “The Center”
Unknown Mortal Orchestra CURSE (Jagjaguwar)
Of all the bands on this year's list, I am most intimately acquainted with UMO. I got into this Portland-based band led by frontman/guitarist Ruban Nielson all the way back to the self-titled debut in 2011, and have seen them at such diverse locations as the Troubadour and at Payy & Harriet's. CURSE is an EP that's the first release of new songs from Unknown Mortal Orchestra since their very impressive album V in 2023, and I truly enjoyed the new outing's theme that reflects the cursed times in which we live, with song titles pulled from Italian horror films of the 1970s and 1980s.
Key tracks: “BOYS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOLVES” “ONE HUNDRED BATS”
Wishy Planet Popstar (Winspear)
I enjoyed last year's full-length from Wishy, an Indianapolis-based dream pop/shoegaze/indie rock band, and their new EP Planet Popstar lives up to its name with a bright and upbeat vibe. Normally I'm into more melancholic music that occasionally makes me want to jump off a bridge, but Wishy's new stuff is more of an optimistic shot of '90s/'00s alt rock from a more innocent time.
Key tracks: “Fly” “Over and Over”
Wombo Danger in Fives (Fire Talk)
I truly enjoy this quirky little Louisville-based trio. Call it whatever you want... art-pop, post-punk, psych rock, it doesn't really matter. I love the tightness and urgency of the songwriting and production. I love Sydney Chadwick's voice, and her bass playing too. Danger in Fives is a collection of bangers without a mediocre song on it. Well done.
This was a new discovery for me in 2025. Based here in the LA area, Worthitpurchase is a dup who does experimental electro-pop that is somehow still organic. The album is extraordinarily well produced for an alleged lo-fi project, which is no surprise; Nicole Rowe and Omar Akrouche were both staff engineers at Tiny Telephone, where (like many of us in the world of music production and audio engineering) worked on their own music in between projects for other artists.
Yeule Evangelic Girl is a Gun (Ninja Tune Records)
I never know what to make of Yeule, the musical project of Singaporean songwriter and producer Nat Ćmiel. I don't love everything Yeule does, but it's always interesting as fuck. It's kinda pop (but not), it's sometimes trip-hop (but not really). I can say that this album kept surprising me, which is nice in a world of blandness and derivative sounds.
Key tracks: “Skullcrusher” “Evangelic Girl is a Gun” “Dudu” “The Girl Who Sold Her Face”
Honorable Mentions
“The Mauves” by Bistro Plate
“Long Gone” by Ford Chastain
“Summer Sweat” by Hannah Cohen
“Silver and Red” by Helena Deland
“Bigger Pieces” by Helena Deland
“Shining” by Mac Demarco
“Home” by Mac Demarco
“Asking” by Finnish Postcard
“Atom” by Finnish Postcard & Short Frenzy
“Cathode Ray” by Folk Bitch Trio
“Go on, move your body” by Jana Horn
“Julie” by Horsegirl
“Final Generations” by Raisa K
“Affectionately” by Raisa K
“777” by L.A. WITCH
“The Lines” by L.A. WITCH
“I Figured” by Lutalo
“Shadow Answers the Wall” by Lutalo
“Ostinato” by Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr
“Open Sky” by The Ophelias
“Just Because” by Peaer
“Mind Loaded” by Blood Orange (ft. Caroline Polachek, Lorde, and Mustafa)
“The Train (King's Cross)” by Blood Orange ft. Caroline Polachek
“On The Beach” by Caroline Polachek
“Maelstrom” by Skullcrusher
“Stay” by Sea Lemon
“Blue Moon” by Sea Lemon
“These Days” by Small Forward
“I Only Feel Love When It's Missing” by Small Forward
See, here's what happened. I grabbed the pics that Kat had nicely taken for this show at Hotel Chelsea, along with several other sets of pics at the same time. And while I was scooting stuff around, I accidentally deleted these pics before using them. Perhaps she won't notice, he said, knowing that someday she likely might.
You Can Still Tell Us About The Show Though, Right?
I mean, yes. But also no. I can tell you that it was a good show. I can also tell you that it was the very first show I'd played after learning the very sad news about having lost my buddy Lyndon Heart to Parkinson's disease in late November.
Initially, I had planned this show to be a sort of tribute to Lyndon, until finding out the I'd have the privilege of performing at his memorial event in SL the following day. That's why I chose to hold off on a number of the songs that I'd have otherwise lined up in my set to honor this great musician and great man. We will discuss more about that when I write up that show.
So as it was, I just picked one tune — James Taylor's "Fire & Rain" — as a way to honor Lyndon at this show. We had an outstanding crowd, and my shows at Hotel Chelsea have been uniformly excellent as of late. I always look forward to the next one, every single time.
Hotel Chelsea set list...
Pretty Pimpin’ (Kurt Vile)
Swirl (Charlie Martin)
Long December (Counting Crows)
Pink Moon (Nick Drake)
Abrasion (They Stole My Crayon)
Jane (Barenaked Ladies)
Perfect Day (Lou Reed)
Carry Me Here and There (They Stole My Crayon)
Fire & Rain (James Taylor)
Allentown (Billy Joel)
Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth (Traditional/David Bowie)
Holly Jolly Christmas (Burl Ives)
*Messy Chelsea Improv (Zak Claxton)
Big thanks to everyone who came out and spent some time with us at Hotel Chelsea, with mondo thanks to the following who helped support it!
Weats Fairelander, Bloozegirl Resident, Pattye Caproni, Trouble Streeter, Kalie Indigo, Neon Cerise, Kat Claxton, Sangreal Arnica, my terrific manager Maali Beck, Hotel Chelsea manager Shyla the Super Gecko, and Chelsea's great staff!
Hotel Chelsea is always a great spot for fun, casual times with friendly people in Second Life. Photo by Kat.
Hey there peoples. It's me, Zak Claxton, your friendly neighborhood bard, galavanting through the streets and strumming my lute, singing stories of ancient yore as a minstrel-poet-warrior.
Or maybe I'm just some other guy with a guitar. I don't know. I just play music for whoever happens to be around. One this particular occasion, it was for my regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month show at Hotel Chelsea in Second Life.
Shows on Election Night
I've talked about this before, specifically because I always play at Hotel Chelsea on days of US elections, which tend to get scheduled (often by law) on the first Tuesday of a month... and definitely when that month is in November.
By the time I took the stage at 5PM, polls across the country were starting to close, and a number of election results were starting to come in. As a low-level political junkie, I'm always very much aware of key races in any election year, and I'll be the first to admit that while Kat was there in SL, watching my show and taking pics as usual, she had another window open to a news station so that we'd be among the first to know about any races that got called.
The 2025 election was definitely one of my favorites in recent history.
I'm not going to talk about those election results here. As I mentioned in my daily Random News article, it was an astonishing victory for Democratic candidates and causes at all levels, even in races where Republicans won but the numbers skewed wildly away from the MAGA world. I was in a great mood while doing my show, which got even better as we monitored the results into the later evening.
How Was The Show?
It was a really good one. We got a surprisingly big crowd, and everyone seemed to be having a good-ass time. And now would be a good time to say that when I'm performing, I am not thinking about anything but what I'm doing. Kat could have told me just about any political news while I played and I wouldn't have allowed it to interrupt my show. Well, I suppose one thing would have interrupted it, but that didn't happen.
My whole set was very mellow and occasionally melancholy. I think those songs and sounds are appropriate for the vibe of autumn. And yet, the show itself was upbeat, and the crowd was engaging and I have zero complaints about anything that happened that night.
I have a long-running joke with my manager Maali, complaining to her if there isn't a large crowd present when I'm starting my first song. We ended up pulling in a fairly good amount of people this time, especially for a Tuesday night at 5PM. Photo by Kat.
Just me. Photo by Kat.
What I see from the stage. Photo by Kat.
Hotel Chelsea set list...
All I Want (Joni Mitchell)
It's Easy Like Walking (The Sadies w/Kurt Vile)
River Man (Nick Drake)
Man on the Moon (R.E.M.)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
Lost Cause (Beck)
Carry Me Ohio (Sun Kil Moon)
Don't Let It Bring You Down (Neil Young)
Six Underground (Sneaker Pimps)
Blew The Dust Away (They Stole My Crayon)
Hannah Sun (Lomelda)
If It Makes You Happy (Sheryl Crow)
If I Had a Tail (Queens of the Stone Age)
Big ol' thanks to everyone who came out to the show, with super special sauce thanks to the following who helped support it!
Brontie Bisiani, VladDarrow Resident, Ember Twinkle, Laurel Aurelia, tony1945 Resident, Faith Reilig, Xariee Resident, Eva Knoller, Mika McAlpine, Buck Dezno, Jarris Fairelander, Kat Claxton, my terrific manager Maali Beck, Hotel Chelsea manager Shyla the Super Gecko, and Chelsea's great staff!
Rocking for a great cause at Homes for Our Troops. Photo by Kat.
Hey there everyone. Zak Claxton — musician, composer, performer, producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, former child model, political activist, and very handsome aging Gen X man — here to tell you about the benefit show I did on Sunday in Second Life for Homes for Our Troops.
What Is Homes for Our Troops?
I've done fundraising shows for this terrific organization many times in the past, though my most recent one was all the way back in 2020. I believe that while my pal Frets Nirvana — the face of the organization in Second Life — has requested my presence at shows since then, I'd run into a number of scheduling conflicts. But this time it worked out and I was happy to be there.
Homes for Our Troops is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially-adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. These vets — who've have sustained injuries including limb amputations, blindness, severe burns, and/or severe traumatic brain injury — get homes that restore some of the freedom and independence they sacrificed while defending our country.
As I mention at each one of these fundraising events, I am as much of an anti-war pacifist as you can imagine. I consider the needless violence of war to be an anachronism that we should have grown past long ago in the goal of conflict resolution. But I also am clear that if a person if going to risk life and limb in defending their country, the least that country can do is not abandon them once their job is over.
Friday night was a combination of Halloween and the sixth game of the 2025 World Series, with the Dodgers facing elimination against the talented Toronto Blue Jays. I stayed downstairs, minding the door with my big bowl of candy for the trick-or-treaters while simultaneously watching in astonishment as the Dodgers pulled out a victory in Game 6.
Saturday night had Game 7 of what is now being called not only the greatest World Series in MLB history, but perhaps one of the greatest championships of any sport, ever. It was a privilege to watch the Dodgers win both of these games and get their back-to-back baseball championships. But the Blue Jays couldn't have been a tougher opponent, and it took all seven games and a bunch of extra innings to determine the winner. That series will be discussed for generations to come.
There are about a thousand moments like the one above that I will remember about the 2025 World Series for the rest of my life.
And then that night, before we went to bed, we had to set our clocks back an hour, because it was the end of Daylight Saving Time. I know, most of you hate the end of DST. I'm not one of you. I don't like it being pitch black for hours after I get up early in the morning, and I don't mind it getting dark earlier in the evening. But like all time changes, it always requires adjustment, and that's the part that none of us like.
And let's see... there's an election today on Tuesday November 4, with huge implications moving into the future. There's a world around us where the very essence of democracy in the United States of America is being challenged by outright fascism and authoritarianism. So yes, lots going on.
How Was That Show?
That show was superb. As always, I'd have liked a bigger crowd, but not to stroke my own ego... at a fundraiser event, you want as many people there as possible so that their generous contributions — large and small — add up to a worthwhile total.
But it turns out I needn't have been concerned. Due to the kindness of the people in attendance, HfOT pulled in about L$50,000 during the event, which is a bit over $200 USD. Not bad, for playing guitar and singing for an hour on a random Sunday afternoon.
A mellow crowd for a mellow music set. Photo by Kat.
Rocking for the vets. Photo by Kat.
Kat reps our hometown heroes while Triana dances in bunny slippers. Seems about right. Photo by Kat.
Hoes for Our Troops set list...
Airport Bar (Martin Courtney)
Things Behind the Sun (Nick Drake)
California (Joni Mitchell)
It’s Good to be King (Tom Petty)
America (Simon & Garfunkel)
Perfectly Calm (They Stole My Crayon)
Sleeper in the Valley (Laura Veirs)
Among the Leaves (Sun Kil Moon)
Thank You (Alanis Morissette)
Pancho & Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)
Cat’s In the Cradle (Harry Chapin)
Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)
Huge thanks to everyone who came out and provided both moral support and — more importantly — financial support for this terrific cause!
I've already written extensively about the overall story and impact of the October 18, 2025 No Kings nationwide day of defiance against the Trump regime. What I'm going to do here is to put all of my focus on the No Kings event I personally attended, in Torrance, CA for people the South Bay Area of greater Los Angeles.
What is LA's South Bay?
I also mentioned this last time, because not everyone who reads this is familiar with Southern California geography. My local No Kings event — like the last few protests I took part in, organized by many of the same groups — was situated in front of city hall in Torrance, CA, a spot just a few miles from my home in Redondo Beach. It was meant to represent the whole of the South Bay... coastal and coast-adjacent cities southwest of DTLA that includes the Beach Cities (Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach), Torrance, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, other local cities like Carson, Gardena, Lawndale, Lomita, and nearby LA neighborhoods like Harbor City and San Pedro.
This area — where I've spent most of my life since 1975 — spans a wide range of income groups, racial makeups, national backgrounds, political outlooks, and more. It also accounts for nearly a half million people. It's not an insignificant populace, and a good portion of people here lead active lifestyles and are hard workers. And we care about the world around us. At least most of us seem to. I love it here, and always have.
Arrival
Both Kat and I were very much aware that this was going to be a big event. Bigger than the previous ones, which were wildly successful in their own right. But that hypothesis became reality when we pulled up to the parking area near Maple and Maricopa. Previous events — even the big ones, like the last No Kings — still had plenty of parking in that massive lot.
But yesterday, on October 18, the lot was 4/5ths full when we arrived early. And as we pulled up, the streets — again, still 15 minutes before the official start — were already packed full of sign-wielding protestors on both sides of Torrance Boulevard, stretching for a half mile.
Size Matters
Right from the start, I knew that the October 18 No Kings event in Torrance was at least twice as big as the previous one, and my suspicions were confirmed later that night when the official attendance number was delivered by Beach Cities Democrats. They had the Torrance No Kings attendance at 40,000 people. That's not a typo. It's twice as many people as could fit in Crypto Arena where the Lakers play. It was fucking huge. It was — with zero doubt — the largest single protest action in the history of the South Bay. I am proud to have been a small part of it.
Why is the crowd size important? Very simple: it's a tangible indicator of the energy that the populace has to get out and force change. Think of it this way: for every person who physically attended these events, there were at least twice as many (if not way more) who supported it, but couldn't make it out for various valid reasons. And the huge majority of the people are voters.
Coming into some special elections in a few weeks, and with the 2026 Midterm national election in just over 12 months, the more people who are energetic and engaged, the higher the voter turnout will be. And make no mistake: while we come from varied backgrounds and have our own priorities on what to fix and when, our one and only united goal is to flip the House and Senate in 2026. That will effectively neuter Trump, and many of the cruel and often illegal programs he has in place can be rescinded and defunded. It matters a lot.
Festive Local Vibe, Huge Local Support
I know — because I spoke to them in person — it was the first time protesting for a good chunk of our crowd in Torrance. They couldn't have picked a better occasion to hit the streets. The 40,000 people spanned every demographics... old, young, kids, teens, seniors, Gen Z, Gen X, Millennials, Boomers. Our Torrance crowd was predominantly white, which makes sense given both the racial makeup of the area as a whole, and the fact that people of color have been unfairly targeted by Trump's gestapo troops.
But not only was there no violence — and extremely few incidences of any counterprotesting — but the event itself had the vibe of a fun block party. Music playing. People dancing. Laughter. Smiles. Hugs. Conversations among friends, old and new. All I saw for the duration of the No Kings event in Torrance was positivity and enthusiasm. If you don't understand why that's important, nothing I can write here will help you.
I'll add that the constant din of car horns from people driving by and cheering was literally deafening at times. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see a single negative reaction the entire day on Torrance. Just waves and fists up and thumbs up and horns blaring. It was glorious.
Why Wasn't No Kings More Serious?
It was actually perfect exactly as it was. See, the authoritarian fascist only knows how to respond to violence. That's something they truly understand. Just look at January 6, 2021, when they had their failed coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol. So it's their expectation that all protests have that same mindset. Throwing bottles and bricks, setting fires, pushing, shoving, trampling. Destruction of property and injury to lives.
Guess what they don't understand? Joy. Positivity. Exuberance. And the one thing that really, truly hurts them is ridicule. Why do you think that people appearing in absolutely silly inflatable costumes has become an icon of this moment? Because when federal troops showed up in Portland, they wanted to show streets in chaos, filled with violent crime. Instead, they had to view a benevolent blow-up frog. And then try and pass off said frog as being threatening... and looking like utter fools in the process.
So when I was at the Torrance No Kings event and saw inflatable raccoons, unicorns, sharks, ponies, and dinosaurs. There were the usual chants and whatnot, as there should be. It's not meant to be a party. But the upbeat feel of people coming together across the whole country permeated the event. And that is what left the MAGA world feeling so deflated. Their entire narrative of No Kings protests being filled with violent thugs became a punch line.
What's Next?
A few things. First, I can't say it enough, make sure you Californians vote Yes on Proposition 50. You can return your ballot any time in the mail or via ballot drop boxes. If you need to vote in person, fine: the special election is on November 4. Don't miss it. This is crucial.
Second is that people are asking for more events like No Kings, and it's important to note that important local events happen all the time. If you want to become more aware of opportunities for social activism near you, check out the following...
DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.
Good morning. It’s October 19, 2025, and it’s a Sunday. For obvious reasons, I’m enjoying a much more leisurely morning than I was able to yesterday. Slept in a little bit (which for me means 7:30am), and currently enjoying a fresh cup of Peet’s Brazil while ensconced in my bathrobe. That’s a Sunday vibe, man.
Before we even start to talk about the details, I want to thank everyone who reads this little collection of news chunks every day and who took part in any way in yesterday’s No Kings day of national defiance.
And by “in any way,” I mean that. Whether you got out in the streets, or helped spread the word, or drove by honking and waving, you were part of what made it so successful.
And I want to give the biggest kudos of all to the ones who protested for the first time in their lives. I’ve seen hundreds of posts from such people, and the best part is that I knew how energized and enthused and heart-warmed they’d be once they got out there.
And then they were.
I’m going to write a whole-ass report on the No Kings event I attended for Los Angeles’ South Bay area in Torrance, CA, and I’ll do give the details there of my personal experiences.
But it was easily the largest local protest action I’ve seen by miles and miles, and I’ve been to a bunch. According to the Beach Cities Democrats organization, we had 40,000 people at No Kings in my “sleepy” area of LA. Doesn’t seem too sleepy now, does it?
But let’s instead look at No Kings as a whole.
It was — according to multiple sources — the largest day of protest against a U.S. president in history, with more than seven million people out in the streets.
Let’s point out that each of the mass anti-Dump, anti-fascism mobilizations has grown massively, starting with Hands Off on April 5 which had some three million participants, and then the first No Kings on June 14 which had over five million.
But with well over 7,000,000 at yesterday’s events, the No Kings of October 18 was collectively one of the largest demonstrations in the history of the USA.
The huge majority of the nearly 3,000 individual events were completely peaceful. NYPD issued a statement that with well over 100,000 people participating, they didn’t have to make a single arrest.
Keep in mind that the Republicans were spinning the events beforehand as “hate America rallies” — something they could relate to, I suppose — the vibe at nearly every one of the events was extraordinarily positive and peaceful.
You see, Republicans understand hatred and violence. They know how to react to that and use it for their own goals. But joy and positivity? That scares the fuck out of them.
As does the trie patriotic American people reclaiming what is rightfully theirs.
At every rally I saw, there were a huge number of U.S. flags. I’m pretty sure these were all “love America” events. The hate comes from the Republicans who are becoming aware that we’re taking this country back from them.
And we’re just getting started.
Katie Bethell, the executive director of MoveOn, said it well. "The millions of people protesting are centered around a fierce love for our country. A country that we believe is worth fighting for.”
Many news services compared the events to festive street parties, and that’s accurate.
I want to quickly acknowledge some of the absolutely massive demonstrations in places like Chicago, Boston, D.C., Seattle, New York, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and other large cities.
This seemed extremely well run considering how huge they were. Some of them individually hosted a quarter million people.
But the even more impressive (to me) No Kings events were those in red states, and in small towns scattered across the country.
There were huge No Kings events in Florida. In Texas. In Idaho. In North Carolina. And not just in the big cities of those red states. There were reports of town with a population of a thousand people, and hundreds of them showing up for the event.
One sentiment I read over and over was that people had no idea that they weren’t alone in their feelings about Dump and his horror show government.
These folks live in places that are assumed to be 100% MAGA. And then yesterday morning, they were to their local park or town center and found dozens — even hundreds — of people who felt that same way they do.
For many, it was a very emotional moment. And all over the country in areas both red and blue, when the first-timers arrived and then saw and felt the overwhelming wave of support from the huge crowds and the surrounding community… I’ve seen many posts about people tearing up.
So here’s something I want you to consider: for each of the 7+ million people physically in the streets, how many were there who were 100% supportive, but were unable to be out there?
The list is long. People who had to work. People who had childcare and other responsibilities. Those physically unable to stand and/or march. People unable to get transportation to attend an event in person. Those who have fears about being in public or in large crowds. There are many.
And most of all, people — immigrants, brown people, Black people, gay people, people living in violently MAGA areas, people who could lose jobs by being seen there — who felt they might be in danger by participating directly, but support the message of No Kings with every ounce of their soul.
So no matter how big No Kings felt, the actual impact is far larger. And here’s what’s going to happen.
We’re going to take that same festive energy and the newfound confidence of many of you, and we’re going to turn it into all manner of tangible action.
There are crucial elections happening in a few parts of the country in less than a month. And in barely over a year, we’re going to make the 2026 Midterm national election the largest non-presidential election in the history of the country.
We’re going to register voters. We’re going to take this level of excitement and positivity to the voting booth. We’re going to flip the House and maybe even the Senate to being under Democratic control.
And by doing so, we’re going to neuter Donnie Dump. He will have no budget to pay for his ICE goons or his concentration camps. He will get zero legislation passed, and nominees approved. And he and his team will be under immediate congressional investigation for the illegal acts of cruelty committed thus far.
He will be powerless for the remainder of his term. It will be glorious. And you — yes, you — are going to be part of that process.
Don’t let anyone tell you that yesterday’s No Kings didn’t matter. And if they do say so, there’s only one appropriate response.
Laugh at their sad, frightened asses. Those people are scared as fuck today.
Okay, let’s move on.
We briefly mentioned that on Friday, Republican and former national security adviser John Bolton was criminally indicted by Dumpy on federal charges pertaining to the alleged mishandling of classified information.
While it’s easy to see why this instance of Dump prosecuting one of his political enemies could be lumped in with the other recent high-profile indictments of James Comey and Leticia James, the situation with Bolton is very different.
Bolton’s alleged misconduct is both more serious and appears to have occurred over a significant period of time.
While Dump is absolutely now going after fellow-Republican Bolton for reasons of revenge, the investigation on Bolton was started by the Biden administration.
During his time as Dump's national security adviser, Bolton put the country at risk by improperly retaining and transmitting classified information to family members using insecure means, including AOL.
And yes, some of the documents were labeled top secret. So if that shit is true and provable, Bolton needs to answer for it.
Let’s move on with a note for the International Desk…
Hey, how’s that Dumpy ceasefire going in the Middle East?
Not great. Today, Israel carried out several strikes on Gaza after saying its troops came under fire from militants in a violation of the ceasefire, the first major test of the US-brokered truce.
An Israeli military official said Hamas attacked Israeli forces in Rafah in southern Gaza with rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire, prompting Israel to carry out strikes in the area.
Again, according to Israel, Hamas fired towards Israeli forces in three separate incidents today. And then hospitals and witnesses reported at least eight people were killed in Israeli strikes in several other parts of Gaza.
That supposed truce began nine days ago, and I’m glad that it allowed the release of Israeli hostages as well as Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
But not a day has gone by that there hasn't been some fighting, and today’s incidents are the most serious yet.
Sigh.
One other quick note, this one from the Health Desk…
Does it seem to you that an extraordinary number of food contamination events have been happening lately?
In the most recent, frozen meals served to students across the United States as part of federally-funded school breakfast and lunch programs may be contaminated with listeria and have been recalled, officials announced yesterday.
The recall applied to approximately 91,585 pounds of prepackaged breakfast burritos and wraps, manufactured by the California company M.C.I. Foods between September 17 and October 14, per the USDA.
That food is distributed to low-income students around the country as part of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, which the Department of Agriculture administers. The breakfast program served more than 14 million children in 2016, and close to 30 million children participated in the lunch program in 2019.
The good news: there are no confirmed reports of illnesses tied to the recalled products. The agency said it recalled those products after the manufacturer discovered listeria while conducting routine testing on egg ingredients from its external suppliers.
But I’d say overall, be careful what you eat. Multiple listeria outbreaks have been reported just this month.
One impacted meal kits from the food subscription service HelloFresh and another forced the recall of nearly 245,000 pounds of precooked pasta, which contaminated dozens of different products sold in grocery stores nationwide.
Ugh. Ain’t no one got time for that.
And now, The Weather: “The Middle” by Home Star
From the Sports Desk… yesterday was an uncharacteristically quiet day in the pro sports world as of late. Today will not be.
In addition to Game 6 of the ALCS between Seattle and Toronto, we have a full slew of NFL Sunday games.
I’ll note that the NBA season has begun, and my Los Angeles Lakers are (checks notes) in last place in the entire Western Conference at 1-5.
Maybe we’ll wait until baseball ends to start checking NBA news.
Today in history… King John of England dies at Newark-on-Trent and is succeeded by his nine-year-old son Henry (1216). Martin Luther becomes a doctor of theology (1512). John Jay is sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the United States (1789). Austria cedes Veneto and Mantua to France, which immediately awards them to Italy in exchange for the earlier Italian acquiescence to the French annexation of Savoy and Nice (1866). Max Planck discovers Planck's law of black-body radiation (1900). Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, is isolated by researchers at Rutgers University (1943). President Nixon rejects an Appeals Court decision that he turn over the Watergate tapes (1973). Black Monday has the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 22%, 508 points (1987). Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity (2005).
October 19 is the birthday of activist John Woolman (1720), actress LaWanda Page (1920), actor Robert Reed (1932), singer-songwriter/musician Dave Guard (1934), illustrator Peter Max (1937), actor Michael Gambon (1940), singer-songwriter/guitarist Peter Tosh (1944), actor John Lithgow (1945), singer-songwriter/guitarist Patrick Simmons (1948), NBA player Joe Bryant (1954), politician Michael Steele (1958), boxer Evander Holyfield (1962), actor/director John Favreau (1966), animator Trey Parker (1969), actor Chris Kattan (1970), MLB player José Bautista (1980), singer-songwriter/bassist Thundercat (1984), and rapper Lil Durk (1992).
As I mentioned above, I’ll be doing a full report on my No Kings experience here in LA’s South Bay, and I’ll share that when it’s ready. For now, I should bathe and dress myself. Probably the right thing to do. Enjoy your day.
