Billy Moran is a man of many talents. It’s well known that he’s a phenomenal guitar player, and is part of the bands Louden Swain and The Station Breaks. But, Moran, is much more than that. He’s a humble musician, who is also an incredible writer and vocalist. When we talked to Briana Buckmaster this past weekend, who is touring with Moran, she stated that he’s a “musical genius,” and we definitely agree.
We got the chance to sit with Moran for a few minutes, where we asked him about the PBJ Tour, writing original songs, and more. You can check out our interview with him below.
Thanks again to Billy for taking the time to talk to us!
This weekend was something I was long looking forward to – going on a road trip to visit Decatur, Georgia, located minutes outside of Atlanta.
The city was quaint and eclectic, with various local shops and eateries lining the streets filled with rich history – statues, old buildings, and various historical signs were littered around the city. Situated among these buildings was Eddie’s Attic, a local music venue and bar which would be the home to the last shows of the PBJ Tour featuring Jason Manns, Briana Buckmaster, Billy Moran, Paul Carella and Hayden Lee.
It wasn’t my first time seeing Manns, Buckmaster or Moran, who I have seen previously at a Supernatural convention, but I was looking forward to seeing them in a more intimate, relaxed setting. It would, however, be my first time seeing Carella and Lee, who I have listened to before, but had yet to see them perform live.
There was originally only one show scheduled at the venue at 7 p.m. However, due to that show quickly selling out, a second show was added at 4 p.m. We arrived to the venue early, which is set back inside a brick building, on the second floor, above a Waffle House. Inside, the venue is lined with artist posters, giving it a really cool vibe and making it fun to look around and see who else has played there. Up the stairs there’s the stage room, but Eddie’s is also a fully operational food establishment, where there’s a full bar outside where you can order food.
Most of the crowd was starting to arrive around 2:30 p.m. to reserve their table. For the shows, you could sit at a table (which you had to purchase ahead of time) or there was a few stadium-seating benches towards the back of the room for general admission attendees.
Around 2:30 p.m., myself, and staff photographer Mandi, were able to go into the stage area to shoot photos of soundcheck. Lined up across the stage sat Billy Moran, Briana Buckmaster, Jason Manns, Paul Carella and Hayden Lee. We stood in the back, greeted by the five, who then jumped right into checking the sound of their instruments and microphones. It was a good behind-the-scenes look into the logistics of touring and showing us just how knowledgeable these five are. They each played a bit of a song, motioning or stopping to adjust different parts of the sound to their liking. Their complete professionalism and knowledge blew me away. This was them performing raw vocals, and it was a treat to watch them in their element.
After soundcheck, we mingled back with the growing crowd outside the stage room inside the lobby. The room was buzzing with excitement, as the audience was browsing the merch table which consisted of Dogwood Events shirts, stickers, tote bags, as well as tour posters and CDs for all of the musicians.
While people were waiting for the doors to open, Mandi and I went out on the back patio and were able to interview Moran, who spoke highly about the tour. He talked about his experience touring, working with Buckmaster, writing and more.
After the interview, we made our way back into the lobby where doors were opening. The tables were set up towards the front of the room, with names for those who reserved them on them. There were low tables and high tables scattered throughout the room and because the size of the space, there was not a bad seat in the room.
Soon, Manns, Buckmaster, Moran, Carella and Lee took the stage, sitting in a row similar to that of soundcheck. Manns explained that this was a different format than what they normally do, because the majority of the same fans were going to both shows, so they wanted to switch it up a bit.
Lee started first, singing a song from is new album, Crazy Little Secrets, as the rest of the crowd watched on. He started off the show strong, and there were many faces around me smiling. Next up was Carella, and before he started, the rest of the musicians bantered about a story that’s now becoming infamous on the tour – the five-pound meat sandwich. The previous day in Charlotte, Manns dared Carella to take the restaurant’s “Fatboy Challenge”, by eating a five-pound sandwich, ½ pound of coleslaw and ½ pound of macaroni and cheese. True to Manns, Lee and Moran’s character, the three of them had a blast taking photos and videos of the entire ordeal, which included Carella signing a waiver to not sue the restaurant.
The audience laughed wildly as they recounted the story before Carella went into his first song, “The Beast in Me”. Next up was Manns, followed by Buckmaster. The crowd’s excitement grew as they realized Moran was next. Moran, who’s the lead guitarist for indie rock band Louden Swain, is not just an amazing guitar player but a “musical genius”, as Buckmaster described to us, who really goes a bit underappreciated. His vocals are just as good and he often gets one of the loudest applauses when he sings.
After a bit of banter from Manns who talked about how he gets Moran to sing, Moran finally broke out singing a goosebump-inducing cover of “Green, Green Rocky Road”. The audience was so quiet during the performance, it was a stark difference to the end of the song when the applause was deafening.
During the set, you could order drinks and food from Eddie’s and they had waiters going around to serve. It was a great, relaxing setting where you could eat and drink while watching the musicians perform (the food was amazing, too.)
The line started over again, going back to Lee, who sang “Natural Phenomenon”. The comfort level of this show was enchanting. Each musician seemed comfortable and was joking around with the audience and each other, making everyone laugh and have a great time. Carella stunned the crowd next with “Caledonia”, which was a request from Buckmaster. Not to be outdone in emotion, Manns performed “I Shall Be Released” next. Buckmaster sang “In the Arms of the Angel”, which had many of the audience close to tears. It was time for Moran again, who opted to sing “Hallelujah” with all the rest of the musicians. It was a soulful rendition of the Leonard Cohen song, and each person took a different verse and were harmonizing beautifully.
The line went through one more time, this time Lee singing “The Traveler”, Carella singing “Whiskey and You”, Manns singing “Stand By Me”, Buckmaster and Moran performing “Home Sweet Home” and then all five rounding out with “Wagon Wheel”.
At the end of the first show, the five were gracious and the room was cleared for VIP to come back and start soon. I also had VIP tickets and was eager to see what that would be like as well. After the room was cleared, fans crowded around the lobby waiting for VIP, as more people arrived for the second show.
Soon, the VIP doors were opened and fans were allowed to sit close to the stage at the tables and the five of them came back out. It was really relaxed and definitely something you should do if you go to a show in the future. They asked for questions from the audience, which included some great banter for song requests and stories about the tour. The VIP session ended with group photos, where you could get your photo with the fab five.
Since quite a few people were in VIP, the venue let the VIP stay in the room and sit at their designated tables. Soon after, the rest of the doors were opened and fans began to trickle in, with the room quickly getting full.
For this second show, the format was different. Instead of all coming out at once, each musician, aside from Buckmaster and Moran who performed together, would each get about a twenty-minute set to perform on their own.
First up was Lee, who showed off his socks (they were peanut butter and jelly themed, just for the PBJTour!) and went into performing. Lee’s vocals are strong and are only complimented by his wildly funny humor. The songs were beautiful and many fans around the room were singing the songs back to him.
After Lee was Carella, who stunned the audience with his voice as fans clapped and sang along. Carella shines on stage, and has such a mesmerizing stage presence that you can’t take your eyes off of him.
After Carella was Manns, who was wildly applauded and had everyone ready with smiles on their faces. Manns has such a sweet demeanor, it’s hard not to smile watching him tell jokes and sing. His soulful voice rocked the room as he sang. Every audience member was swaying in their seats and laughing in between each song at Jason’s humor.
After Manns came Moran and Buckmaster, who finished the set out strong. They played songs off of Buckmaster’s album, as well as the fan-requested “Shallow” and a beautiful, tear-inducing rendition of “Carry On My Wayward Son”. These two musicians are incredible and not something to be missed. I was continually blown away by Buckmaster’s vocals and how well her and Moran blended together. Hopefully we’ll see an album from these two soon!
As the last song of the night, Manns, Carella and Lee joined Buckmaster and Moran to sing “Come Together” and there was a fun moment as each decided what verse they were singing. It was a raw look into them as musicians and made you realize just how incredibly talented they are, being able to pick up anywhere in the song to play instruments and sing.
As the show ended, thunderous applause arose and the show was over. After the room cleared out, the audience spilled back into the lobby where the merch tables were. We mingled for a bit, before the fab five came out and started taking pictures with people, having conversations. After a long day, it was astounding to see them still so appreciative to come out and take time to talk to the audience who was still in the venue.
I sat back, really thinking about how incredibly lucky we, as fans, are that these people share their talent with us. They’re not only amazing musicians, but unimaginably kind, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.
On Saturday of the San Diego Comic-Con, the Critters filled one of the larger halls for the Critical Role panel. Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Sam Riegel, Ashley Johnson, Taliesin Jaffe, Marisha Ray, and Travis Willingham were all in attendance, and Brian W. Foster acted as moderator for the panel.
They started out with a live reading of three pages from the next issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II that will be available in your local comicbook store or digitally via DarkHorse and ComiXology on August 14. After that, they moved on to taking questions from the audience, talking about their favorite roleplaying moments that did not include their own characters, what Caduceus expects to find when they finally reach The Kiln, whether we will ever get to know more about Mollymauk’s backstory, and what will happen when Ashley Johnson returns from filming the last season of Blindspot, amongst other things.
The panel aired in place of the regular Talks Machina on the Critical Role twitch-channel on Tuesday. Watch it in full below!
Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor in ‘The 100’ Image courtesy of The 100/The CW
Are we all still weeping over Bellamy’s love for Clarke? No? Just me? Okay.
I’m super stoked to see Bob Morley (Bellamy) directing this episode. I love it when an actor steps behind the lens. They usually bring added dimensions to the screen. I’m looking forward to seeing what Bob brings to the table.
Previously on The 100: Madi goes on a Prime killing spree & Murphy utters the magic words: bone marrow.
Zoom in on Madi, She Who Will Not Be Executed. She’s strapped to a medical table where Jackson is draining said bone marrow from her. She is just not having it though, so she jumps up and tries to practically murder Jackson. He’s swift, that one. He manages to tranq her before she takes him out. Well, she wasn’t really trying to take him out out, just kinda out? And Sheidheda is all up in her brain being angry about it. He wants her to kill everyone who gets in her way, getting revenge for Clarke. He doesn’t care that Jackson is her friend and ally. He just wants to murder Primes and anyone standing in the way of getting to Primes.
Madi?
Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.
Mark Madi down for a yes on that.
After the credits, we find ourselves in the forest with Octavia. Bellamy is inside playing Nurse Nightingale to Clarke, who’s been taking a nap. He apologizes, she thanks him. They try to hatch plans to convince Russell that Josephine’s still in her mind. Gabriel wants to reinsert the drive, of all things. We don’t get a lot of thinking time before we’re whisked away to Sanctum.
In the holding cell, Gaia’s praying, Murphy’s bitching, and “Houdini Miller” is attempting to break out. Good thing Raven’s on the job and will have Becca’s magic notebook to set them free later. Before too much goes down, Murphy is escorted by guards to the castle, where Echo is now on trial. The sentence passed down is death, but hey, Russell can give her a pass because Jordan saved Priyah (HBHN). Russell wants to know who else Echo has been talking to. Naturally, she ain’t talkin’. So, once Abby’s bone marrow technique is up and running, guess who gets to be the new Queen Simone??? (Hint: it’s Echo.)
Murphy strolls into the castle (as much as one being escorted can) and wonders aloud, “So, who do I get to be?” LOLZ Murphy. I love you. Russell has his number though, and he likes Murphy because he knows how to save his own ass and with that, he is predictable. Knowing what he’ll do, Russell gives Murphy the ultimate quest for the ultimate prize: bring Josephine back to him and Murphy, along with Emori, gets immortality. If he fails, Emori dies.
COLD. HEARTED.
Next, Bellamy, Clarke and Octavia discuss plans to save the Earthers with Gabriel. It isn’t long before Bellamy’s swiping at Octavia, calling her the queen of cannibals. (Man, e’rrbody being a “b” tonight, y’all.) Gabriel states O is “special,” because she went into the anomaly and came back out. He can’t say more, because the Children of Gabriel come a-knocking with guns. Gabriel outs himself, and it doesn’t go as expected. They go after him, slicing his face with a knife. (Blood = black). These children of Gabriel really got some Daddy issues. I mean, Gabe’s been lying to them for ten years and they don’t like it. Bellamy saves Gabe’s hide by proposing they wait to kill Gabe — wait until he and his Night Blood walk weaponized red sun toxin past the electrical security fence and into Sanctum, create some chaos so they can get all their Earth people out. After that, CoG can TCB with Gabriel and all the Primes. They’re all for the plan as long as they get to kill Clarke, whom they think is Josephine reinserted. Y’all, this is so damn complicated and I love it. Gabe refuses to build the sun toxin bomb if they kill Clarksephine, who’s actually just Clarke now. So, tentative truce, I guess.
In Sanctum, Gaia is about to claw the walls down herself. No need for Houdini Miller. Guards come in with food and orders to put hands on the wall, and when Miller refuses, the guards pummel him… long enough for Miller to pick-pocket a blade from them.
Ah. Houdini!
“Houdini” Miller. Image courtesy of The 100/The CW
Alright, I hate to gloss over something because it’s all important, but I’m going to gloss over the relationship between Gabriel and the sister of the guy whose body he’s in. I’ll just say it’s exactly like you’d expect it to be. What I will talk about is that the anomaly has been leaving them scratching their heads for decades. It’s going to be important going forward. I said it here first.
While Clarke and Gabriel work out the deets of which order things will be done, Bellamy and O have a little chat about said anomaly. Octavia is feeling guilt over the anomaly eating Diyoza up, but spitting her out. As they gather the glowing green plants they need for the red sun toxin, Octavia admits Bellamy was right for leaving her behind at the beginning of the season.
Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.
Everything has changed since she went inside the anomaly. She realized Bellamy was her compass and without him, she did terrible things. She doesn’t want his forgiveness or trust. She wants him to just be her brother again. He admits she’s his sister, she’s not his responsibility anymore.
There are tears here. And I have to say I love the direction Bob went with the shots in this scene. He went wide with them on opposite ends with all the green glowy in the middle. Not only did it look pretty, it highlighted the distance between them. Plus, the unusual landscape showed that them being at odds wasn’t normal for them. At least that’s what I got out of it.
Anyway, Riker has Echo strapped to a chair as Abby’s bone marrow trial study. She thinks he may let her go after she tells her sob story. Which is: young Echo learns to shoot a bow and arrow and her Queen forces her to kill an innocent man. She purposefully botches the shot, so the Queen does the deed herself in front of her. Because Echo failed the first task, she now has to kill her sister…? Wow. These people need to calm down.
A scuffle ensues and then Echo’s sis surprisingly stabs Echo…then…oh man, she takes her identity! She is Echo now. I know. Right? She’s not even OG Echo! But anyway, she has some experience becoming someone else, so she doesn’t want to do it again. Riker’s response is to try and do it anyway, but Gaia and Miller show up and play guard, so, yay.
Only now Echo’s a Night Blood.
A Night Blood who guts Riker.
Meanwhile, CoG have tied up Gabriel and the Earthers. They think they’re goners…until Murphy comes to “save” them. (That’s Murphy to the rescue TWICE this episode. Not that I’m counting, except that I’m counting.) Remember, he’s got a job to do, which is to take Josephine back to Russell.
He and Jade take Clarke, who’s doing her best Jo imitation, but not before Murphy drops to Bellamy that Echo’s in danger. Don’t fret though: he’s going to try and help her. He also apologizes and lets them know the only reason he’s here for “Josephine” is that Emori’s life is on the line. Aw. Heart. Clarke fakes him out and then heads into Sanctum.
I don’t want to say “told ya so,” but Clarke enters Sanctum twisting a strand of hair. I told you that was going to be used in the future! (Oops, guess I do want to say told ya so.)
Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.
The hair twist coupled with her biting wit convinces King Dad that she’s Josephine. He’s happy to see her, but disappointed that “Gabriel took out her drive.” Clarksephine learns Queen Simone is gone, but is soon to be inserted into a mystery body. King Dad is anxious to show Jo how she and her mom are going to be reinserted. He clears the lab to show Jo how they’re making more Night Blood.
Pan to…Madi strapped to a chair. We’ve come full circle since the first image of the episode. That’s the kind of thing I use when I try to convince non-believers how awesome these writers are. Love it. LOVE. IT. *round of applause*
Back to Madi: she’s in bad shape, kru. Clarke keeps it under control, careful not to tip her hand. Madi goes ballistic, shouting the death threats and such. Clarke acts fed up, then tranqs her. We end the episode with Clarke casually turning to Russell saying, “Time for my new drive. Being mortal sucks.”
I can’t believe we’ve got only two more shows this season! A tip of the hat to director Bob Morley. The visuals were tight and purposeful, and I loved the emotion flowing from just about every character.
Tune in with me next Tuesday on The CW to see how long Clarke can keep up her act. Until then kru, I’ll be here picking glowy green plants and practicing my Houdini skills.
Left to right: Billy Moran, Paul Carella, Jason Manns, Briana Buckmaster, and Hayden Lee at The Evening Muse, Thursday July 25, 2019. Image courtesy of Staff Editor Hailee.
Y’all better listen up because woo boy, did the #PBJTour give their first southern audience a foot-stompin’ good time!
Continuing their east coast tour, Briana Buckmaster, Jason Manns, Billy Moran, and Paul Carella dazzled at their show in Charlotte, NC with help from special guest Hayden Lee. The Evening Muse offered an intimate setting for the audience to immerse themselves in the glowing blue of the lights and vibrancy of the talented musicians on stage.
Billy Moran at The Evening Muse, Thursday July 25, 2019. Image courtesy of Staff Editor Hailee.
The night started out with those with a VIP ticket getting a taste of the rest of the concert to come, as well as hearing the very Scottish Paul Carella share his attempt at a southern accent (which was not done well, according to Hayden Lee). A lot of laughter and cheering came from the venue as the five entertained the lucky VIPs. After a quick round of pictures, the doors opened for the rest of the crowd to join.
Hayden Lee, a Charlotte native, started the night off with a few songs from his new album Crazy Little Secrets. Accompanied by Mike on guitar, Hayden’s set list featured: “Red Balloons,” “Daybreak,” “Round the Bend,” and title track “Crazy Little Secrets.” He had the crowd singing along loudly with “Another Brick in Kansas,” which is a fantastic mash-up of “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd and “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas. Hayden finished out with “Shifting Tides” and “The Traveler” as everyone “la-la-la’d” with him.
Paul Carella at The Evening Muse, Thursday July 25, 2019. Image courtesy of Staff Editor Hailee.
Next up, Paul Carella impressed and roused with a rather sensual selection of songs, starting with “My Little Lady” and “Hero,” before moving into “Chasing Echoes” where Hayden sang harmony. Paul’s deep voice was prominent as he made pulses race during the requested cover “Bad Things,” which is the theme song of True Blood, and “Making Love With our Boots On,” complete with harmonica solo. Paul’s Scottish accent was showcased in the beautifully sung “Caledonia,” and a little bit of a southern drawl came out as he covered Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” Paul ended his time on stage with one of his own songs “Red Sole Woman” before handing off the mic to Jason Manns.
Jason Manns at The Evening Muse, Thursday July 25, 2019. Image courtesy of Staff Editor Hailee.
As for Jason Manns, the words “Set list? What set list?” are very appropriate. Jason will tell you himself that he doesn’t have a plan in mind when going up on stage, which oftentimes comes back to bite him when someone inevitably requests a song that he may have written, but definitely does not remember. Jason’s performance began with a little Dirty Dancing feel when he sang “Cry to Me,” and then moved into crowd favorites “Soul” and “Stand By Me.” After a failed attempt at remembering “Weary Man,” Jason convinced Billy Moran and Hayden Lee to join him to play a different request, “Hallelujah.” With both of them remaining on stage, Billy transitioned to the always beautiful, “I Shall Be Released.” Billy next played the Station Breaks’ (Jason’s band with Billy and Rob Benedict) song, “They Ain’t You,” catching Jason by surprise and causing him to borrow a fan’s phone to read the lyrics. Jason, Billy, and Hayden closed it out with upbeat tune “Another Number.”
Briana Buckmaster at The Evening Muse, Thursday July 25, 2019. Image courtesy of Staff Editor Hailee.
With Billy Moran remaining on stage, Briana Buckmaster waltzes up to the microphone to the sound of ear-splitting cheers. Bri immediately sets the mood with the seductive “Do I Move You,” and blows it out of the water with her final “GREAT GOD ALMIGHTY!” and rockstar pose. Next, she sang a moving rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons” that never fails to bring her audience to tears. She picked up the pace more with Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s” that had Bri and everyone in the audience wiggling their hips and dancing before knocking our socks off with her cover of “The Joke.” Paul Carella hopped up for the next song to play a very impressive harmonica solo as Briana performed Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket” for the first time. Tour special “Carry On Wayward Son” was then performed for a crowd that knows every single word and was incredibly touched by the inclusion of the magnificently beautiful version that Briana and Billy play. For the final song before the entire group is on stage, Briana belted out her cover of “Gunpowder and Lead” ending her set with loud whistles and screams.
All five musicians came out for the final performances of the night. First up was “Come Together” in what ended up being the most entertaining song of the whole night as everything fell into chaos. With almost everyone needing to read the words to the song, and needing to move to see the lyrics, those on stage kept bumping and running into each other and the mic stands. Paul attempted to join Billy on guitar before deciding that what the song really needed was some drums, taking a seat at the drum stand and pounding out a beat. Hayden accompanied Paul with some beat-boxing as Briana took Paul’s guitar off his hands and moved to power squat back to back with Billy. Meanwhile, Jason watched everything unfold around him with glee on his face as a proud Master of Chaos. Things calmed down for the last song of the night, and the group sang out a very enjoyable “Wagon Wheel” before taking a well-earned bow.
As they have done for the last few shows of the tour, Jason, Briana, Billy, Paul, and now Hayden stayed after the show to take pictures, sign autographs, and chat with fans. These five incredible people, who are so giving of their time and talent, stayed for long after the show, allowing those who were there to have amazing experiences and interactions that they won’t ever forget.
The #PBJTour had the next night off — which they spent going on a pub crawl through Charlotte with a few lucky fans — before continuing the tour with two more shows at the last stop in Atlanta.
Catch up on all of the coverage from the rest of the tour, and stay tuned for more as the #PBJTour continues to Atlanta!
Video games are more prominent than ever. 2019 will see long-awaited sequels, reboots, and new series available on multiple platforms — and it doesn’t look to be slowing down. Also, this month is PAX West, taking place in Seattle, Washington August 30 to September 2.
Regardless of the platform you use, Play Station 4 (PS4), Xbox One (XBO), Nintendo Switch (NS), Computer (PC) etc., there is a game for you to enjoy. Check out this list of some of the anticipated video games to be released in August!
Included in those games is a computer-based game called The Vale, which is an audio game for the visually impaired and sighted. “The Vale is a first step toward our ultimate goal to produce mainstream video games that sighted and blind gamers can play together.”
Also, just a mention for those who were looking forward to playing Shenmue III this month, unfortunately its release has been delayed until November 19.
August 1
Collapsed (PC)
Players can choose between four hunters that have to track their prey through hazardous levels in a post-apocalyptic world. Each hunter has its own set of skills and abilities, but also gains new ones on the way.
Forged of Blood (PC)
A fantasy world in the middle of a civil war finds players having to plan strategic tactical moves on the battlefield. Off the battlefield, choices made will determine the kingdom’s fate.
Lightstep Chronicles (PC)
Exploring an out-of-this-world underground crash site filled with alien technology, players take on the role of a military captain that can communicate with the AI in this text-based game.
Pandemic (XBO, NS)
There is a rapidly spreading disease that is killing off humanity. Players can try to find the cure and contain the infection either alone or with other players as one of the five specialists. This game is based on the 2008 board game.
Hamsterdam (PC, NS)
As a hamster with martial arts abilities, players can fight off bosses and attacking vermin while saving the city.
Chroma Squad (NS)
“It’s Morphing Time!” Five stunt actors leave their jobs and plan to start their own show, inspired by Power Rangers. Features of the game include customizing the TV studio and, once the camera is going, controlling what happens in the scenes.
Standby (NS)
It will take concentration and determination to get through the 54 challenging levels of this game. Players can slide, crush, or teleport through adrenaline-filled obstacles.
August 2
Madden NFL 20 (PC, PS4, XBO)
Players can become the face of the franchise and control their own NFL superstar journey. It starts with the College Football Playoffs, going all the way to the Super Bowl. Have you got what it takes?
The Church in the Darkness (PC, PS4, XBO, NS)
Infiltrating a 1970s religious cult in the South American jungle takes stealth and deception. The story changes with the player’s choices. Investigating the cult is vital, so that there are no innocent casualties.
Dry Drowning (PC)
This noir-styled game is a visual novel that takes place in a futuristic dystopian universe called Nova Polemos. Players must find the truth hidden in the riddles, clues, and events before it is too late, by making moral choices. The problems players go against include a serial killer that gets its strength from the dark and a tormented detective with an assistant looking for redemption.
August 6
Silver Chains (PC)
Waking up in an abandoned England mansion after crashing his car, Parker tries to find a way out. To do that, the player must find out what happened and what secrets the house holds. But why does it look familiar?
DC Universe Online (NS)
Creating a superhero or villain to fight beside the characters of the DC Universe, players control their character’s origin story in an epic fight.
Hearthstone: Saviors of Uldum (PC)
Along with the League of Explorers, players help stop the Arch-Villain Rafaam and his minions from stealing Uldum’s ancient secrets.
Metal Wolf Chaos XD (PC, PS4, XBO)
It is President versus Vice-President in this battle. Becoming the 47th President of the United States, players fight to take back their country in iconic landscapes, including the Grand Canyon and the White House.
Age of Wonders: Planetfall (PC, PS4, XBO)
The planet is up for grabs in this strategy game. Make it count while building a colony and protecting it from mutated zombies, dinosaurs, and creatures.
August 7
The Forbidden Arts (PC, XBO, NS)
Phoenix goes to the counsel of a druid to get help with his visions, but the druid awakens a power of fire within him. Players go through many worlds and levels, fighting off bosses and enemies while learning spells and skills along the way.
Legends of Aria – Steam Early Access (PC)
In a world where bonds are made and broken, this massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) lets players write their own story. With no levels, players work on their abilities with practice and tests.
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure (PC)
Detective Don R. Ketype must get the mysterious evil tome, but before he can the librarian finds it and accidentally transforms his cat, Kitteh, into a walking, talking creature. Players travel around the world to deal with the creatures, voodoo, and other creations. “From Lovecraft Country to Transylvania, set off on a quest to get a very cynical cat to stop talking.”
August 8
Stone Story RPG – Steam Early Access (PC)
In a dark, ominous world, monsters plague the realm. To restore the light, players go on a quest to get the nine magic soul stones.
Necrobarista (PC)
“This is a story about death and coffee.” Going through the hipster coffee culture of Melbourne seems reasonable. The game features necromancy, robots, alchemical coffee, and Ned Kelly. The dead are coming back.
Steel Circus – Steam Early Access (PC)
It is the largest sporting event in the solar system, where heroes are celebrated. Set in 2350, factions come together to compete in a game of skill, tactics, and choices.
The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game (PC, PS4, XBO, NS)
To go against the dark forces of Sauron, players must build their decks as they go up against spiders, orcs, and more. Go on quests, collect weapons, and assemble a group of heroes to help and create your story.
Total War: Three Kingdoms – Eight Princes (PC)
Set 100 years after Three Kingdoms, there is a new generation fighting for the Jin dynasty’s future. Players can advance through different ranks like warlords to an imperial prince. The arrangement of Wealth, Spirit, Might, and Mind grant bonuses, events, and dilemmas based on character choices made. Will you help the emperor, or take over?
Subdivision Infinity DX (PC)
With over 30 missions all over the star system, players face bosses, prepare for battles, find relics, and explore. All this takes place with you in the cockpit of an intergalactic fighter, investigating why a mining facility goes radio silent.
August 13
Emberlight (PC)
“Every gift of power has its sacrifice; every ability has its cost.” As a Knight of the Ember Order, players can customize their character as they go through dungeons and quests. Gain strength by taking in powers of the enemies you kill, becoming faster and immortal without losing yourself in the process. Absorb, corrupt, repeat.
Friday the 13th: The Game Ultimate Slasher Edition (NS)
Based on the movie franchise, players can choose to be Jason Voorhees from the second through the ninth films or a camp counselor. This edition includes all the retail exclusive content and DLCs like new maps, new characters with customization, virtual cabin experience and more Jason kills.
Never Give Up (PC, NS)
This game is filled with dangerous traps designed to kill you, but players have no choice — it is the only way out.
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw (PC)
The big empty has lowlifes, pirates and more looking to make some money, problems, or both. Juno Markev is on the hunt for the person who killed her husband, and in the process she crashes her ship. With a new ship, players go back out there and try again.
August 14
The Great Perhaps (PC)
Returning to a destroyed earth, an astronaut finds a lantern that shows parts of another time in the past. As a hero trying to save the planet, players will face danger from both timelines.
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark (NS)
As the Arbiter Kyrie, an agent of the Immortal Council, players leads their troops — which they can customize — through battles as they guard the land.
August 15
Ion Fury – Official launch (PC)
Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison used to defuse bombs for a living. But ever since the cybernetic cult was let loose on Neo DC, Bombshell starts setting off explosions instead of defusing them. Players go through multiple levels, secret areas, and enemies everywhere. “Stop taking cover and start running and gunning.”
Hot Shot Burn – Steam Early Access (PC)
This space gladiator-style game will have players competing in the ultimate blood sport. The heroes to choose from are a space wrestler, moth assassin, and a furry alien, each with their own style and skill set.
Train Sim World 2020 (PC, PS4, XBO)
Ready for new trains, routes, features and more? Players will be able to change the scenes, see their performance, and expand their train collection in this simulator-styled game.
August 16
Zeus Begins (PC)
Zeus has to go across Greece to get to Olympus to fight his dad, Cronus. On the way, he will have to fight other mythical creatures. Zeus Begins is inspired by 80s arcade games.
August 20
Remnant: From the Ashes (PC, PS4, XBO)
In a chaotic world caused by an other-dimensional ancient evil, people are struggling to survive. The survivors have the ability to portal to realms and realities to find where the darkness came from. If they can find it, they can stop and rebuild. Players fight against monstrous creatures, enemies, and more to retake what was lost. Locations you can portal to are Earth, Yaesha, Rhom, and more.
Hunt: Showdown – Official launch (PC, XBO)
“Hunt together. Die alone.” As part of a bounty hunters group, also known as bloodlines, players are out to get the monsters that are roaming the Louisiana swamps. Your life is always on the line in this strategic game. But, if you die, your characters experience will transfer to a member of your bloodline. Remember to use the dark sight, which lets you see between the veil as it is time to start the hunt.
Rad (PC, PS4, XBO, NS)
In a post-apocalyptic world, humans have faced Armageddon, twice. As the teenage protagonist, players go into the radioactive wasteland called the Fallow. Along with your bat and new abilities you get for being exposed to toxins, the future of humanity is up to you.
Yu-Gi-Oh: Legacy of The Duelist (PS4, XBO, NS)
Duel against characters from past and present. Using their cards, players can challenge others online.
August 22
Oninaki (PC, PS4, NS)
This is a tale about life, death, and reincarnation, where a character possessed by four daemons performs different jobs and acquires skills and powers.
Black Desert (PS4)
Players can either slay monsters and gods, or perform life skills like fishing and cooking.
August 27
World of Warcraft: Classic (PC)
World of Warcraft is going back to the beginning and releasing the version from 2006, before the first expansion. So fighting will be a bit slower, and moving around will take more time as well — just like in the beginning.
Wreckfest (PS4, XBO)
It is a fight to the finish line in this full-contact racing game. Players can customize their rides to race, crash, and try to get to the finish line of the insane courses.
Control (PC, PS4, XBO)
Jesse Faden is about control, and as the new director of a New York secretive agency that does not change. Players take on the role of Jesse and complete quests, decode ciphers, and try to stop an unexplainable threat from taking over.
Crystar (PS4, PC)
Rei is fighting through Purgatory to save her sister. Players can pick and uncover the pasts of four characters while letting tears fall. Your tears are your strength.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey (PC)
Explore. Expand. Evolve. Set millions of years ago in Neogene period Africa, players go through human evolution. Choose skills to learn, eat, drink, sleep, and pass down your knowledge. The player’s story decides if you survive evolution.
Taste of Power – Official launch (PC)
In the Middle Ages, Europe, China, and the Middle East are trying to take over the continent. Players build troops and cities while thinking of strategies to defend their land.
Pagan Online – Official launch (PC)
“The Gods are gone.” With spells and weapons, players fight enemies of the darkness that has taken over. The game is based on Slavic myths and sagas. Players can also customize their heroes armor and weapons.
MXGP 2019 (PC)
This game features official riders, bikes, and teams. Players can build their tracks for the races.
August 28
Wanderlust (PC)
Ready to explore? This journey between worlds includes a dream world of a man who is addicted to illegal substances.
Headspun (PC, PS4, XBO, NS)
Theo Kavinsky wakes up from a five-week coma with no memory of how it happened. His subconscious and conscious voices in his head named Ted and Teddy help Theo figure out what happened. Of course, the voices do not always agree, but they must work together to help Theo recover.
August 30
Astral Chain (NS)
After a global disaster, a few survivors gather in the Megacity. Players must protect them from otherworldly invaders as part of a police task force.
Blair Witch (PC, XBO)
Inspired by the movie, this game is a brand new story filled with fear. Playing as a former police officer named Ellis, players join the search for a missing boy. During the search, Ellis must face the darkness.
The Dark Pictures Anthology – Man of Medan (PC, PS4, XBO)
This is the first in the Dark Pictures supernatural horror anthology, and it takes place on a ghost ship in the South Pacific.
The Ninja Saviors – Return of the Warriors (PS4, NS)
This is a reboot of the Super Nintendo 1990 game The Ninja Warriors Again. Included in the reboot are new graphics, characters, and a new soundtrack.
Root Letter: Last Answer (PS4, NS)
Players search for their pen pal Fumino Aya, who has been missing for fifteen years. Before going missing, Aya was involved in a murder, but did they do it? Past letters are used as clues to the truth.
Remothered: Tormented Fathers (NS)
Rosemary Reed goes to Richard Felton’s house looking for a missing girl named Celeste, and what happens after is a nightmare. The characters can go from human to monsters; nowhere is safe in this psychological thriller.
Re: Legend – Steam Early Access (PC)
On Vokka island with no memories, players raise a magical being called Magnus. While trying to get the lost memories back, players learn life skills, farm, and fight off dangers to survive.
Also being released in August sometime are:
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 – Winds of Magic (PC)
In this first expansion, there is a new enemy faction called Beastmen to go up against. Also included are five new weapons, levels, and game modes.
Pine (PC, NS)
Set in Albamare and looking for a new home, players become Hue and must trade, explore, and fight off smart creatures.
The Vale (PC)
This is an audio-based game for the visually impaired and sighted. Set in the middle ages, players are wardens of a castle outside the kingdom. They were placed there by an older brother who is now on the throne. The path that leads back to the castle is called the Vale, and it is full of secrets and dangers.
Which game are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
Blessed day, fans of The Handmaid’s Tale. The Hulu original series has been renewed for a fourth season.
Based on the Margaret Atwood novel, The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the United States, renamed Gilead, under a theocratic government run by men. The series primarily follows June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), a handmaid who must bear children for government officials and their wives who are unable to do so themselves. Throughout the show, June navigates her life as a handmaid and trying to take down Gilead from within.
The Handmaid’s Tale stars Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd and Joseph Fiennes. It was nominated for several Emmy awards in 2017 and 2018, including Outstanding Drama, and won several, including Outstanding Drama (2017), Outstanding Lead Actress (2017, Elisabeth Moss), and Outstanding Guest Actress (2018, Samira Wiley).
Back in June, it was announced that Netflix would be ending the beloved show after its fifth season. But today the streaming titan broke the news that they would be upping the episode count for the final season from the original 10 to 16, giving fans an additional 6 hours to enjoy.
#Lucifer Season 5 just got a HELL of a lot better — and bigger! We’ve added six more hours, for a grand total of 16 episodes! pic.twitter.com/HILzaacpsb
Lucifer fans have been a powerhouse in proving just how effective social media campaigning can be. It began with saving the show from its untimely Fox cancellation, to ensuring a season 5 and now lengthening what is sure to be a satisfying end to the story.
We know the writers are hard at work, and we can’t wait to see this epic final season!
With only a few days to go until the official start of GISH 2019, we here at Nerds and Beyond wanted to bring you some advice from some of the experienced Gish-ers on our staff. Here you can find how to prepare for the un-preparable, what to expect and how to not lose all your cool (fair warning, you will lose some.) Here are some of our tips and tricks for Gishing:
Suzette
First and foremost, the most important thing to remember when gearing up for GISH is to expect the unexpected. Be flexible and prepared to think outside the proverbial box. There will be many items that have you scratching your head and wondering what kind of deranged mind even thinks these things up, but that is the beauty of GISH. It lets you unearth new skills and talents that you would have never thought to try out. Last year, I discovered I could sculpt a pretty good likeness of Queen Elizabeth out of chocolate and that an air compressor can launch a wedding cake nearly 10 feet into the air. Remember, while learning new and different things about yourself that your team is the best source of encouragement and collaboration. Communication amongst team members is the most important skill to cultivate during GISH. It can be the difference between having the best experience of your life and just feeling overwhelmed and confused. Of course at some point during the hunt everyone will inevitably feel that way, but good communication will help to ease that confusion and build life long friendships in the process.
Image courtesy of staff writer Shannon
Michelle M.
When you first sign up for GISH, you think you are signing up for a fun scavenger hunt. What you don’t know is the hunt takes over your life for that week. It can be pretty overwhelming at first, looking at all the hundreds of items on the list at once, but the best way to tackle GISH is one small item at a time. Don’t let the insane tasks that are listed eat away at you. Do only what you think you can handle. Start small. Eventually you can work your way up to having an underwater business meeting, as I did a couple of years ago! Also, keep in mind that GISH is for a good cause and is all in good fun. Who knows, you might surprise yourself with your creativity!
Image courtesy of staff writer Shannon
Shannon
If you think you can’t do something, stop thinking about it and try (within reasonable safety and law limitations of course.) I have done GISH for a couple of years now and some of my favorite items were ones I never would have thought I’d have participated in or even attempted (such as putting a rainbow mohawk on my cat and doing a photoshoot, an underwater office meeting with a Misha mask on and an underwater art gallery.)
Last year, I was better about asking around for different resources to complete some of the items. There was an item to play a giant crane game using an actual crane, so I contacted a construction company to see if they could help. They replied that more information was needed so that they could “run this up the chain”. In the end, they were not able to help out because they had safety concerns, but the thought of this wacky request going up the chain of command humors me and I hope it brought at least a small chuckle to those that received the request. So, even though I wasn’t able to complete the item, I didn’t fail the mission of GISH which is bringing good to this world. There was nothing to lose to just ask.
Image courtesy of staff writer Natasha
I was able to get two other items completed by asking around– someone let us use their Cycle Studio while I was dressed as a nun and someone else from a cosplay group went to a jewelry store dressed as a Lord of The Rings character (fun fact, after agreeing to help our team, he also mentioned that he went to school with Rob Benedict!) The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy what you are doing. Yes, there will be times you curse Misha, but that’s part of the fun. And when the timer runs out on the week of being Misha and GISH’s tortured puppet, there will be relief that you can get some sleep again, but sadness will be there as well.
But wait, there’s more! Don’t forget to sign-up for HARSH (Human Analysis of Really Strange Happenings.) After the hunt this allows you to review other Gishers’ Item Submissions and choose the top five for the item you get to review. Participating in this helps select submissions for the Coffee Table Book and for the GISH Hall of Fame. HARSH (previously known as FEGVEP) has been one of my personal favorite things about GISH.
Image courtesy of staff writer Conny
Conny
I’ve done GISH every year for the past five years, three of those on a highly competitive level. So my advice is for those who really want to go for that winning or runner-up spot. I’ve been runner-up three times on two different teams and most teams on this level have the same or at least a similar approach to the hunt. Get together a team of diverse people with different talents. Being an “allrounder” can be a talent too, only so many artists have room on one team, so if you’re flexible, you’re golden. There are no general “rules” for competitive Gishing, but there are some definite points that are important.
One, quantity and quality are important if you want to go for a win/runner-up spot. Most teams in that cycle complete 95% or more of the list and most of those items are completed in high quality with something a little special in order to get those bonus points. Sometimes getting creative can get you points, sometimes it won’t get you any. Yes, they want that picture from space but maybe the picture you submitted where you’re crying with ice cream and a bottle of wine trying to call space companies will make the coffee table book.
Be aesthetically pleasing. Framing and backgrounds of your pictures are important! Take pictures from different angles in front of different backgrounds and for the love of everything, don’t film in portrait mode. Landscape is the (only) way to go.
Also, there is one point to clear up: No, none of the high-ranking teams pay to get their items done. At least none of the ones I know. It’s mostly about networking and finding the resources you need. My advice for people going fully competitive is: keep having fun with it! Most people don’t understand that being fully immersed into a competition can be a lot of fun. I remember seeing my teammates’ work and just being so inspired by their creativity and feeling the utter joy when we’ve accomplished a high-ranking item.
Image courtesy of staff writer Conny
I first learned about GISH right when I got into Supernatural. I started watching all the interviews and clips on YouTube, stumbled upon an interview with Misha Collins and saw the trailer for this little scavenger hunt. I didn’t expect it to change my life so much in the past couple of years. GISH makes you not only step out of your comfort zone, it throws you out of it, buries it and it’s never seen again. You learn about talents you never thought you had, you are surprised by the kindness and openness of those people around you. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as free, happy and creative as I did when I was doing GISH these past few years, because it’s one week of complete and utter distraction. I’m retiring from GISH with three medals, friends around the world and so many amazing memories. It’s truly an enrichment to my life and I don’t regret one second of it. Okay, maybe I regret getting heat stroke. Or the glitter. But if you’re doing GISH for the first time, please prepare for a magical experience. No matter what level you’re Gishing on, I know you’re going to have a blast!
Image courtesy of staff writer Natasha
Nat
If you’re a rural, small-town Gisher like myself, the hunt can seem impossible. My first year I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do any items because I didn’t have nearby stores that I could just run to if I needed random supplies and I certainly don’t have other Gishers in my town to help out. This is where getting help from friends, family and even strangers is key.
Each hunt, after the list is released, I head over to Facebook and just start listing off things I might need help with. Helpful tip: Local buy/sell groups are the way to go. Seriously, you’d be surprised with what people have lying around that they’d be more than happy to sell to you for cheap (and sometimes just give it for free.) My local buy/sell group is how I found most of the things I needed to complete tasks that I was sure I couldn’t do. I found a goat and a boat, work coveralls, tutus, volunteers to assist with items where a group of people is necessary and I even tracked down a local professional Stormtrooper cosplayer that I didn’t even know existed here!
Over the years, I’ve become a lot more comfortable with asking for weird things and most people around here just ask, “Is it that time of the year again?” when I post my list of things I need. In all honestly, people are eager to help as long as they get to eventually see the weird outcome of the item.
Nicole M.
My tips for GISH: enjoy this time to be a little weirder than you “normally” are, wait until after the week is over before you decide to throw random things out (you never know what you’ll need!) and take a breather every once in a while.
Image courtesy of staff writer Natasha
Anna
When someone asks me what to expect during the hunt, I usually just laugh (a little maniacally) and say “insanity”. My suggestion is: find one item that looks like fun to start with and just do it. Once you get that one item under your belt everything else becomes a lot less impossible or out of reach. Also ASK FOR HELP! Talk to your friends, family, coworkers, random strangers on the street and ask if they would be willing to help with items. You’ll be surprised by how many people are willing to do crazy things in the name of fun and absurdity.
Don’t expect to sleep much but try to get a couple hours daily. Drink lots of fluids. I recommend a daily primal scream of “Dammit Misha” just to release some of the frustration. And remember, if it’s not fun don’t do it, regroup and try a different item.
Image courtesy of staff writer Conny
There you have it! Nerds and Beyond’s 2019 GISH pregame. Stretch out now, stock your fridge and supplies, warn your friends and shake off whatever semblance of normalcy you’ve retaken since last year (just stow it away for a week, you’ll need it again once you’re done. Or will you…?) First timers get ready and veterans rejoice, GISH is here!
Supernatural started filming on July 18 with Jensen Ackles as the director, but they were actually filming the episode that would air as the fourth episode of the season. Now, filming has officially started on the premiere episode according to Co-Executive Producer Jim Michaels.
The premiere episode will be directed by John Showalter, who has directed many episodes of the longest running Sci-Fi series before. His episodes include “Game Night”, “Unhuman Nature”, “The Thing” and more.
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