I know this is a music blog, but I've been thinking of the Olympics a lot lately, considering they're coming up in PyeongChang next month. Alli and I are really big on the Olympics, but I realized I'd never seen the Rio mascots. So then I fell down a rabbit hole of Olympic mascots, and I've emerged to show you the best and the worst. TOP 5 WORST OLYMPIC MASCOTS5. Wenlock and Mandeville (Summer 2012, London)Listen, Wenlock and Mandeville are FINE. They're not THAT bad. They seem like goofy frat boys who you'd want to hang out with. They were marketed as being playful and fun, anyway. It's just their design that got them on this list. They're not cute, and definitely not cuddly, as they're made of scrap metal. Anyway, these things severely freaked me out as a kid when I watched the London games. 4. the Polar Bear, the Hare, and the Snow Leopard (Winter 2014, Sochi)The Sochi Olympics are well known for being a complete and total disaster, and their mascots are the same! These things are literally just furries. 3. Sam (Summer 1984, Los Angeles)I get it, we're in the United States, but that's really the best Los Angeles could do? Really? I'd understand DC, but... This thing isn't that ugly, it just looks kind of like a muppet and is probably the most stereotypical mascot out there. 2. Izzy (Summer 1996, Atlanta)This thing makes me glad I wasn't alive in 1996. 1. Athena and Phevros (Summer 2004, Athens)I'm Greek. I've been to Greece. I know a heck of a lot about my culture, and I know there were a million better options for a mascot. If they wanted to bridge the gap from the ancient to modern games, they could have at least chosen some sort of creature from Greek mythology stylized to look cute and cuddly, rather than these mozzarella-cheese-stick looking things. TOP 5 BEST OLYMPIC MASCOTS5. Roni (Winter 1980, Lake Placid)This realistic raccoon is on this list because I've met him personally. It looks like it came from hell because that's pretty much what Lake Placid is in the off season (there was a Can-Am 30-40 Hockey League convention at the hotel I was staying at. They partied like frat boys every night). Anyway, Roni is adorable and you can shut up. I wouldn't want to run into him on the slopes. 4. Powder, Copper, and Coal (Winter 2002, Salt Lake City)These friendly woodland creatures represent Salt Lake City's landscape and resources. They're also definitely on my list of the cutest mascots. The only downside is Copper looks a bit like Cobi (the horrifying fleshy dog thing from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, not the incredibly attractive blues-rock musician), which sadly deducts a few points. Anyway, these guys are adorable and I want a Cartoon Network show about them. 3. Vučko (Winter 1984, Sarajevo)I don't care what you have to say about Vučko, because I personally think he's adorable. He also looks sort of like the bear from the 'touchad my spaghet' meme, which makes him just that much better. Anyway, he's become sort of a mascot for the city of Sarajevo itself, which I find pretty cool because he's a pretty iconic character. Where can I find merch? 2. Vinicius and Tom (Summer 2016, Rio de Janeiro)I love these guys! They're adorable! Their only flaw is the Rio logo on their chests that subtracts from their art style, which is cute and colorful. I also love the color palette they were drawn in. Oh well. Not all mascots can be perfect, but these two come pretty close. 1. Miga, Sumi, and Quatchi (Winter 2010, Vancouver)I might be partial to these guys because they were quite literally half of my whole childhood (Mario and Sonic Vancouver 2010 represent!), but they are pretty much the ideal mascots for the Olympics. Playful, fun, and most of all, cute and cuddly. Please link me to plush versions of these mascots. It would be gladly appreciated. ConclusionOlympic mascots can be cute, creepy, or straight up ugly, but I think we should all appreciate the games they stand for. The PyeongChang 2018 games' mascots, Soohorang and Bandabi, are no exception.
Anyway, maybe you'll see some Olympics related content from Alli and I coming up soon. Hopefully we'll be as into skiing as we were with volleyball. See you guys soon!
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Before this article begins, I'd like to warn you: The ranking of these artists on this list DOES NOT define their music or career. It's simply how I thought of them as opening acts. I genuinely enjoy all of these artists, and this list is pretty much just one big shoutout anyway. So let's go. (By the way, although I did go to Panic/Weezer 2016, I didn't get to see Andrew McMahon because my dad was BUYING FREAKING FELAFEL AND WOULDN'T LET ME GO BACK TO SEE HIM. No hard feelings to my dad, though. But I heard from Alli that he was awesome.) 6. WeathersWeathers are extremely talented and charismatic, but my problem with them as an opening act is essentially just that they have TWO SONGS OUT. And I saw them with Saint Motel in October of 2016 and have been following them ever since. But still. Two. Songs. At this point, I don't even remember any of the other songs they played, which definitely isn't a good trait for an opening band. 5. Hippo CampusI saw Hippo Campus, along with Weathers, opening for Saint Motel in 2016. Yes, Alli and I saw them again in March of 2017 as a main act, but I'll get to that soon. I think they're much better as a main act, just because you won't get the whole Hippo Campus experience from a half-hour set! That's just my opinion, though, as everything on this blog is. 4. Active Bird CommunityActive Bird Community, I wish I could rank you higher on this list. I have nothing negative to say about you. Really. I'm not even sure why I put you guys at number 4. It might because you advertised a merch bundle, and then LEFT THE MERCH TABLE. AND TOOK ALL YOUR STUFF TOO. Are you guys still offering that bundle? Anyway, musically, Active Bird Community were awesome. They have a grunge vibe which is something that I've been missing for a while. These guys are awesome and I seriously suggest giving them a listen. If you are one of those people who think rock is dead, you obviously haven't listened to Active Bird Community. 3. The IntelligenceThe Intelligence were the first real opening band I ever got to see, which is probably half of why I love them so much. They also followed me back on Instagram, which obviously gets them extra points. AND we met them after the concert and my dad wants to be friends with them now. Also, their music is fun and quirky and you can jam out to it without thinking about it too much. That's the best thing music can make one feel. 2. BaioI know it's unfair to rank Baio this high, as he is a member of Vampire Weekend, arguably the third-biggest indie band of the 2000s (right next to the Strokes and Arctic Monkeys), but he was seriously THAT GOOD. And I met him after the Shins' set. So there's that. Like the Intelligence, Baio was fun, quirky, and mindless jam-able. And he was incredibly kind and humble when I met him. So yeah. As I said at 4:45 AM on November 5th, 2016, Chris Baio is a certified mans. 1. Magic City HippiesI went into the Hippo Campus gig not knowing or caring who the opening act was. But that all changed when Robby Hunter, Pat Howard, and John Coughlin walked out onstage and unleashed a rush of funk and Miami vibes that would stick with me forever. To this day, Magic City Hippies are one of my favorite bands. Magic City Hippies inspire me to have a life I would have never wanted otherwise, which is one in which I live in Florida. Magic City Hippies got me to appreciate Florida just a little bit more. This band literally changed how I see music. I appreciate funk, hip hop, and soul more than I ever would have without them. That's it. That's the article.As you know, w love talking to our readers here at Twilight Collective. So if you agree, disagree, or want to tell your own story about an opening band that you love, please comment! It takes, like, ten seconds, and we'd sincerely appreciate it.
By the way, check out our submission post on our Instagram, @twilightcollective. We think you'll like it. See you guys soon, when I hopefully will have written about Chris Baio and the Shins, finally. Or maybe I'll talk about Maximo Park when I can feel my left leg again. If you've ever been to a sports game, watched a car commercial, or listened to the radio, you've probably heard these songs. They're not all necessarily classics, but that doesn't mean they're not overplayed. But I won't stop loving them anyway. Evil - InterpolThis song solidified Interpol's ex-bassist Carlos Dengler as one of the best and most respected bassists of the 21st century, and frankly, of all time. It's not as overused as the other songs on this list, but usually if you ask the average casual music-listener their favorite Interpol song, they'll reply with Evil, which I can't really say is unjustified. Chelsea Dagger - The FratellisAgain, this song isn't nearly as overplayed as the other songs on this list, but boy, have I heard it at a lot of sporting events. From football to field hockey to dare I say it, baseball, this song has entered my ears while trying to understand way too many sports. Hate To Say I Told You So - The HivesI've heard this song in too many advertisements, from movies, to restaurants, to car companies. That doesn't deplete from its outright awesomeness. The Hives are the quintessential stereotypical rock band, so much they're almost even a parody of one. Reptilia - The StrokesI remember the night I first heard this song outside of my own iTunes library clearer than I remember my first day of high school. I was sitting in the living room, watching TV with my mom. My sister got home from gymnastics so she went to talk to my aunt, who dropped her off at home. And then it happened. From the television, I heard a familiar riff. It was Reptilia. This event wasn't the last time I heard Reptilia in a car commercial, though. I've heard it in even more recently. Although this song is definitely overused in advertising, it's still an icon of an era that's not too far in the past yet. Seven Nation Army - The White StripesEvery time I even see the name of this song I want to scream the lyrics and headbang like I did when I was in middle school. Between the bass, the riff, the vocals, and the percussion, this song is pretty much the perfect battle song. How many football games have I heard this song at? Too many, but also not enough. This one's going on the field hockey game day warmup playlist next year. Mr. Brightside - The KillersI was in the seventh grade the first time I heard this song, or rather, started seeing memes about it. You see, I came along too late into the era of 2000s rock. It was past the point where everyone loved them and knew their names, but not so late that they were selling out and claiming that 'rock and roll is dead.' But Mr. Brightside... Mr. Brightside felt timeless. It's obviously the most well-known Killers song, topping Somebody Told Me and Human by a few-thousand radio plays and blasts at family barbecues. And memes, of course. But there's a reason Mr. Brightside is as well known as it is: it's universal. As long as calling cabs, having smokes, taking drags, going to bed, having sick stomachs, and being rejected are around, Mr. Brightside will be too. So, yeah. That's my list.I know we have tons of albums to review and we're currently working on dividing them up between the different blog sections. Don't worry, they'll be here soon. We're just busy.
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About The AuthorLiah is a high school senior who plays guitar and loves the color yellow. She doesn't post much, but when she does, it's awesome. We promise.
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