Category Archives: Entertainment

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Why gaming is dying

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By: Manny Ochoa-Reeve

In my opinion, gaming has been really boring lately. I used to wake up and be excited to play a game, but not anymore. There’s really no games to play, except for the big franchises like Call of Duty or “Fortnite” that have let us down. I think what we need is a huge game that will change the community.

Right now, you can see random trends of games going from very popular to nobody playing anymore. Games like “Split Gate”, “Fall Guys”, “Multi Versus” are all examples of games that everybody was playing but now nobody is playing. These games usually get popular from TikTok or big YouTubers. They are fun until your friends stop playing and the attention on social media goes down.

Another reason I think gaming is dying is because the big franchises are just not really trying to make their new games exciting. For example, Call of Duty now is just remaking games like “Modern Warfare”, “Warzone”, the Black Ops games, etc. All of these games are just recycled content. Back in the day, all had different content with new and exciting changes.

Probably, the biggest reason individual games are doing worse is because the big companies don’t really listen to their community. Take “Fortnite” for example. They come out with new updates almost every week; you would think the game would be really fun with that attention. The truth is, the community really hates these updates and misses the old content. The updates truly aren’t that bad until they add something that gives certain players an advantage over everybody else.

I asked some students here at Highland why they think the gaming industry is dying. One student said companies are trying to get easy money instead of investing more time into building better quality games, for example EA games have been going downhill for that reason. One student said that all the games are too similar to each other now. I completely agree with these statements. It seems like big companies are making the same games, slightly different for money.

In my opinion, the reason why gaming is dying is that companies are focused on the money. The games that are produced lately really aren’t fun because they are clones. There are also games that are known as pay to win, which means paying money gives you an advantage in the game. These types of games are perfect examples of why gaming is dying.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ review/analysis

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By: Kaylen Fuentes

*Warning: This article contains spoilers*

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ is a 2004 film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry. The film follows a couple, Joel and Clementine (played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) who go their separate ways and each undergo a medical procedure to have the other person erased from their memories forever.

In the story, it unfolds for the watchers as it unfolds for Joel, which is one of the reasons I found the timeline of this movie to be interesting.

The movie begins in modern time after Joel’s memory has already been erased, and then we supposedly meet Clementine for the first time. Then we are introduced to the old storyline of Clementine being the first to want to get her memory erased and Joel doing the same out of revenge. We then learn they have met before and they become aware that they had their memories erased, and we see the entirety of their relationship in reverse order leading up to them dodging and hiding to avoid the erasing from completing. But ultimately it ends in a breakup when Joel realizes that they can’t stop their memories from being erased, so they have to cherish the moments they already have. 

By the end of the movie everything makes sense. The full circle that was made throughout becomes more apparent to the watchers. I think that having the story being shown to us in such a different order, compared to other films, makes our comprehension of Joel and Clementine’s relationship distorted just as it is to Joel in the beginning of the movie.

My understanding of this film is that Joel and Clementine’s relationship is a circular narrative. Joel and Clementine are two people who are destined to continue meeting and to continue to fall apart, which is something they both know and have both accepted.

However, just because they are meant to fall apart does not mean they aren’t destined to continue this loop, because I believe they are. Their relationship is predestination, not in the way that they are soulmates and will always be together, but in the way that no matter how hard they try they cannot truly forget one another, and meeting over and over is their version of fate.

My overall thoughts on ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’. I think this was a refreshing movie to watch especially now, because of how many movies of the same plot, storyline and predictable ending already exist. I really enjoyed watching this film and can’t wait to watch more movies written by Charlie Kaufman because I’ve heard he has a lot of movies like ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’.

I would like to rewatch this movie after a while to see if iI have a new understanding of it, but for now I can confidently say that I recommend this movie to anyone looking for something happy and sad all at the same time.

I rate this movie 5/5 stars and you can rent it on Prime Video.

Entertainment

Kit Connor

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By: Abisola Dosunmu

On the 31st of October, the 18-year-old English actor Kit Connor went on Twitter and posted after a long hiatus. But it wasn’t what people were expecting. 

“Back for a minute,” Kit tweeted. “I’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.”

So how did we get here? 

Before this, Kit has repeatedly stated in a Tweet and an interview that he didn’t feel like defining his sexuality to strangers on the internet. “I mean, for me, I just feel like I’m perfectly confident and comfortable in my sexuality, but I’m not too big on labels and things like that.”  Kit stated. “I’m not massive about that. And I don’t feel like I need to label myself, especially not publicly.”

But for the past several months since the hit Netflix show, ‘Heartstopper’ had been released, (based on a bestselling comic book by Alice Oseman) some fans have accused Kit of “queerbaiting,” after he was photographed holding hands with ‘A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow’ co-star Maia Reficco, in Paris. Given that Kit plays the character Nick Nelson, a bisexual rugby player in the show, some fans equate that to saying that since Kit plays a queer character, he of course has to be queer. If he shows any sign of possibly being heterosexual, then that’s “queerbaiting,” and some fans are allowed to treat him how they feel fit. 

The actual definition of “queerbaiting” is: A marketing technique for fiction and entertainment in which creators hint at, but then do not depict, same-sex romance or other LGBTQ+ representation.

You cannot accuse an actual person of “queerbaiting,” or demand to know their sexuality and then act as if it belongs to you/or they owe you it. That’s how I’m sad to say, some of the ‘Heartstopper’ fans acted towards Kit Connor. Since Connor had not publicly defined his sexuality until now, some fans think he’s “queerbaiting.”

What’s particularly ironic about all this is that in the show, Kit’s character, Nick, is shown figuring out. and struggling with. his sexual identity and eventually showing the message of how you don’t owe anybody a coming out statement. I think saying that some of the fans who watched it completely missed the point of the show is pretty fair.

After Kit’s tweet, many people have poured in the comment section to show their anger of Kit being forced to come out against his will. Among the fans of the show and comics, there were celebrities as well, including Luke Evans and Connor’s co-star Joe Locke, and the author of the book the show was based on, Alice Oseman, joining in to show their support of Kit on Twitter.

What do you think? Should tabloids and everyone that watches a show be entitled to an actor’s sexuality? Or should actors be treated like actual human beings and be allowed privacy? 

For More information, please visit: 

Tech/Games

JOYSTiCK Holiday Special – Can you beat ‘Minecraft Story Mode’ without experiencing permanent PTSD?

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By: Daniel Kendle

Happy holidays!

While writing for JOYSTiCK, I’ve always enjoyed playing and reviewing games (good thing too; if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here). However, I thought it would be nice to take a break and do something a little… dumb. But fun!

Now, lately I’ve been writing a lot of ‘Minecraft’ related articles. My last one was on ‘Minecraft Dungeons,’ a charming spin-off title, and the one before that I’m unable to pronounce without dry-heaving. And lucky for me, THAT’S the one we’re going back to today!

Gaming challenges are always fun to check out. Whether it be minimalist challenges, pacifist runs, “not using ____” play through, you name it. All very fun and interesting ideas to spice up a game you’ve already played.

So what if we did that? How about we begin an annual holiday special dedicated towards doing a gaming challenge? How about we ask the following question:

“CAN YOU BEAT ‘MINECRAFT STORY MODE’ WITHOUT EXPERIENCING PERMANENT PTSD?”

This might be one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life. And while it may seem daunting, I am prepared for the journey ahead. Will I survive? Will I defeat this arch-enemy of a game, never having to play it ever again? Will I sustain lethal brain damage by the end of this? (If you’ve read my review of this game, you’ll probably know the answer to that last one). Whatever may be the result of this alien idea I’ve come up with, I am ready. More accurately, I am ready…

…for war.

CHAPTER ONE: A DESCENT INTO HYSTERIA

Friday, December 2nd. 3:14 PM. I get out of my parent’s car, walking up the side steps to our large brick house. Unlatching the white gate, I make my way towards the locked door, waiting for my mother to open up. The weekend seems calm, peaceful, like I can relax.

It’s wrong.

After throwing my backpack into my cubby and unpacking my lunch, I look back at my bag and see the bulge of my iPhone and AirPods in the outermost pocket. A grim waft of hydrated air rolls my neck as I skulk over to the pack, unzipping the pouch. Picking up my phone, I do a face scan and unlock it to see my homepage, the black-and-red icon for Netflix just above my browser. I click on it, and tap my account with the rhinoceros on it. Looking at the picture, I remember it from a BBC documentary, which gives a bit of solace whilst dread creeps through my heart.

I head on up, sandwich in one hand, phone in the other. Lazily slouching down onto my parent’s bed, I flick through movies and shows, looking for the object I so desperately want to leave.

‘Stranger Things’? No.

‘MANIFEST’? Nah.

‘Don’t Look Up’? Not today.

Then, I see it. Its icon has an animal with a vague green shape, eyes square, face contorted into a silent scream. Cuboidal head, prism body, logo for Netflix Interactive viewable in the corner. A backdrop of a navy tint surrounds the abnormal creature, once part of a respectable piece of media, now a husk of decrepit life. I click, wanting to run, wanting to hide, but I know better.

“Daniel, you’re 14, practically an adult by now.’“The voice in my empty head says. “You’re at the age when smoking a cig wouldn’t kill you (probably), and yet here you are, frightened by ‘Minecraft Story Mode’ of all things. Press play, let’s get this over with.“

The voice in my head compels me; I watch the small preview shown on the game’s UI. It shows key moments from throughout the series, like a man watching a tape of his life before execution. Shuddering, the writhing animation is of a quality compared only to a horror movie, a work of fright. My hand is shaking, I can’t eat anymore. Hunger is drained while head is full – full of terror at the thought of going back to this. But I need to do this, for Ms. Lingofelt, for all the kids in Newspaper/Journalism, and for all the readers of JOYSTiCK. For those who are tired of hearing about this game, for those who love seeing my suffering.

I press play.

CHAPTER TWO: SIGNS OF DYSFUNCTION

My muscles contract. I recoil from a pose of curling fear, unraveling my arms and legs from my chest. The gentle tune plays during the opening, a misleading rope that could send me down a rabbit hole of misery.

“Well, this isn’t so bad. The music’s nice, the animations haven’t started yet, the actual ‘story’ hasn’t begun, maybe this won’t be so bad?“

And then the narrator starts talking.
Never mind.
Moving along, I hear the game’s introductory question, an old joke spiraling around Reddit a while back.

“Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized zombies, or 10 zombie-sized chickens?”

My flight-or-flight response kicks in. How foolish of me to go back to this game, I remind myself. Why couldn’t I have reviewed something normally, like… ‘Tetris?’ Such a sad sight; a man ensnared within his own creation, a moth fluttering towards a flame.

After forcefully answering the question at hand, the dialogue continues for a while longer, and I pause the video to recollect myself. Rubbing my temple I look out the icy-white window, snow pelting down against the frosted glass. I sigh, knowing that I don’t have anything better to take care of. No homework, no chores, no nothing. Normally this’d be a sign of joy, but I couldn’t help but wish I had work to keep me busy. Unfortunately, this IS homework, technically. I press the triangle again, and settle back down into the sheets.

…..

For the next good chunk of the game, this is how it plays. After maybe an hour of watching, I pause to take a break, a relief from the twisted storm I’ve caught myself in. I eat, I sleep, I go on walks, all to take my mind off the pain I’ve endured from this nightmarish experience. My sanity is numb; I can’t feel my fingers, with a creeping chill forming worse each time I subject myself to this creature of a product.

Once I reach the end of episode 2, I feel… better. I feel refreshed, like I can overcome this iron grip latched onto my soul. What the other 2 episodes will be like, I can’t tell.

CHAPTER THREE: THE BOY’S BREAKING POINT

Chapter 3 starts like the other 2 had before: me crying for about an hour. After retracting my tears and going through a couple hundred tissues, I sat down for the long stretch. I can smell victory, and it smells good (probably).

Lo and behold, the penultimate video starts without a hitch. 2 hours ago I would’ve been terrified of this image, this ancient, primal threat. But thou must see that I have dramatically matured since then! Yes dad, I AM self-sufficient! I can experience trauma, too!

While sitting through the opening narration crawl once again, I get the ping! of a text.

“It’s time for your daily French lesson. Take 5 minutes now to complete it. -Duolingo.”

This is a pretty standard Duolingo alert; since it’s an app for learning languages, these aren’t uncommon. However, in my glory-dizzy saga, it instead looked like this:

“Human child, you shall never be able to vanquish the ‘Minecraft Story Mode’ demon. Come now, let us continue the blood-letting ritual. Your soul is not fit for the realm of humanity; passing your spirit into our hands shall let the Elder Ones rejuvenate their aching bones. -???”

I know deep down that my mind is playing vengeful tricks on me, and I can’t blame it. In reality, my brain’s the one subjected to this torment, not me. I am merely a vessel, a carapace, my pink thoughts an alloy. It’s trying to make me go back to my old ways of thinking, but I won’t let it.

I won’t let it.
I-I won’t let it. No.
No, no, no. No, I won’t.
I-I won’t-t! No!

CHAPTER FOUR: NO MORE STORY MODE

THATS. IT. NO MORE.

No more ‘Minecraft’ reviews. No more slandering ‘Minecraft Story Mode.’ No more thinking that I’ve gotten past the treachery that has infected this serial.

When I started JOYSTiCK, I was excited to be able to review video games for school purposes. But now, 6 issues later, half have somehow featured the same game. And I need a break. I need to return to my roots, I need to review other games.

I made this jokey episode not to delve into the actual question at hand, but to just make a funny spin-off article for the holidays. But the menace of ‘Minecraft Story Mode’ still lingers. It’s not really even fun to criticize this game anymore; I’ve done it so many times. It’s time I move on in life, to new horizons, to new experiences.

Episode 6 (this one doesn’t count) will come in 2023. I hope to see you then!

Movies/TV/Theaters

Review of ‘Wednesday’

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By: Stephanie Caballero Benitez

*Warning this review may contain spoilers.

The new Netflix series ‘Wednesday’ came out November 23, and since then has done really well. Lots of people have watched the show and many have enjoyed it. 

What is ‘Wednesday’ about?

In ‘Wednesday’, we follow the story of the teenager Wednesday. As it’s known from ‘The Addams Family’ Wednesday isn’t an ordinary girl, her entire family isn’t.

The first scene we see on episode one is Wednesday throwing piranhas into a pool to get revenge on some bullies for her brother Pugsley. This incident causes the expulsion of Wednesday, which leads to her getting transferred to Nevermore. Nevermore is an academy that welcomes outcasts, freaks, and monsters. Wednesday is to temporarily live in Nevermore.

While at Nevermore, Wednesday experiences things that make her interested in staying at the school. Someone attempts to murder her and she runs into a monster that is killing people near the forests of Nevermore. Wednesday stays in this school trying to solve who the monster is, by staying, Wednesday finds out secrets about her family and ancestors.

I personally enjoyed this show very much as I am a fan of ‘The Addams Family’. Wednesday was portrayed by Jenna Ortega very well and I definitely think that the role was made for her. I also really enjoyed how Tim Burton added the song “La llorona” onto a scene with Wednesday, since it seems that some don’t know ‘The Addams Family’ is a LatinX family.

Another thing that I liked about the film was the people that surrounded Wednesday, some were very different from her, especially her roommate Enid and the sheriff’s son Tyler. 

Other people had different opinions on the show. Some didn’t like how Wednesday and her family were portrayed. They believe that instead of a no affection family, and a Wednesday that talks bad about her mother, it should’ve been a very loving and accepting family just like the original show ‘The Addams family’. Some people feel as if the monster was really fake looking, cartoony looking, overall just out of place. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the storyline and development of this show and hope for a season 2. I would give ‘Wednesday’ a 9/10. You can watch the show on Netflix.

Travel/Food

Enchilada recipe review

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By: Gabe Kleiber

Today we will be reviewing an enchilada recipe from Skinnytaste:

This has nothing to do with the food itself, I enjoyed eating with the skillet on the table. My family doesn’t usually eat like that, but it was nice because everyone could have the exact portions they wanted. It was also right in front of you and the leftovers were extremely easy to store. Because everyone plates right on the table from the same dish, in a weird way, it makes you feel closer as a family. Anyway, onto the food.

As with a lot of homestyle meals similar to this one, not much is super vibrant flavor wise. That isn’t to say this wasn’t good though. The tortillas, chicken, beans and cheese make up a very big portion of the dish but only really shine when combined with enchilada sauce. This is the most memorable and unique part of the dish, and everything else takes a supporting role. If you want to add more depth to it, cilantro and/or jalapeños are a great way to add freshness and spice. I really recommend doing this because the little things are what make a dish complete.

This dish was not the most extravagant flavor wise. Everything was at the very least decent, but nothing really made an impact that made me dying to make it again anytime soon. However, it was pretty easy, quick, filling, and pretty tasty. It is probably best for a busy day, or a day you just don’t feel like cooking a lot, but still want to make a good meal for your family to enjoy together. 6.5/10

Books/Art

A review of ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’

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By: McKenzie Welch

‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a young adult fiction novel written by Stephen Chbosky that is set up in the form of multiple letters being sent to an anonymous recipient. It covers the course of Charlie’s life through his freshman year of high school, with Charlie being the author of the many handwritten notes.

Charlie has lived as a loner for most of his life. He has never really had friends, but he’s always been okay with that because he’s never had the experience of having a loving community of people around him, besides his family.

The novel explored issues between family members as well. It was clear that other members of the family were struggling, and the novel displayed how relationships can form tension when there is a lack
of communication. This can be relatable to real life, as there are often times when people feel as though others are not understanding them, which can place stress on the connection they have.

My favorite part about the novel was that it explored how friends, and the ability to be yourself around these people, impact an individual’s quality of life. Charlie met a group of people who, although they were two to three years older, accepted him exactly for who he was. This was something that Charlie had never experienced before, but learning how to be a friend to others was an adventure that helped him learn and grow as a person, and he also got to discover more about himself and his personality.

Although many of these topics seem heartwarming, in reality the topics that this novel deals with are heavy at times. There are situations that make it difficult for other characters to smile, but everyone helps each other through it all.

All in all, I give this book 5/5 stars. I felt as though writing the novel in the form of letters was something new and unexpected, and it kept the book captivating for me. I also really enjoyed that it explored both the positives and negatives of growing up, as life isn’t always perfect.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something to read that is more applicable to real life. However, I strongly suggest that anyone planning to read this novel reads the trigger warnings first, as many of the events that happen are heavy and at times difficult to get through.

Travel/Food

Duluth’s “Bentleyville” — A tour of lights

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By: Ann McMullen

In 2001, Nathan Bentley began decorating his house in Esko, MN, for Christmas, making it more extravagant each year. This became quite an attraction in the small town, and drew enough people that it was able to move to Duluth’s Festival Park in 2009.

Since then, this display of Christmas lights has only grown. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are invested in new decorations each year.

Bentleyville’s total attendance reached 330,000 people in 2018, and has likely only increased since then. Still, it is exclusively a walking tour, so you’ll feel the cold Minnesota weather the whole time and get a true “winter wonderland” experience. If you’re lucky, it might even snow during your visit!

A tall cone lit to look like a Christmas tree, which must be at least a hundred feet tall, is Bentleyville’s most long-standing, iconic, and unchanged display. An “#OnlyinMN” sign stands at the base of it, making the tree a popular place to take fun, touristy photos.

Bentleyville remains free to visit, and even provides free cookies and hot chocolate as of last time I was there, but a $10 fee is required to use their parking lots. They also accept donations of non-perishable food and toys to give to people in need.

The attraction is open from 5-9pm on weeknights, and 5-10pm on weekends, and will close for the season on December 26th. If you can’t make it this year, Bentleyville generally opens about a week prior to Thanksgiving annually.

I do enjoy Bentleyville, and think it’s definitely worth a stop if you end up in Duluth over the holidays. That being said, I wouldn’t schedule a trip there for the sole reason of seeing the light show – but I’m sure some holiday enthusiasts might.

The official Bentleyville website can be found at:

Travel/Food

Recipe: Gingerdoodle sandwich cookies

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By: Julia Sikorski Roehsne

With the month of December comes the many winter holidays, and with the holidays comes baking—cakes, pies, breads, and cookies. Especially cookies.

Some of the most commonly consumed are sugar cookies, gingerbread, peanut butter blossoms, and jam thumbprint cookies. These are all well and good, but sometimes there might be a desire to try something new.

Therefore, I present a vegan, gluten-free twist on the classics: gingerbread snickerdoodle sandwich cookies. This recipe yields 24 cookies, or 12 sandwiches.

Gingerdoodle ingredients

  • –  3⁄4 cup (1 1⁄2 sticks) vegan butter
  • –  1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
  • –  1⁄2 cup brown sugar
  • –  1 tsp vanilla extract
  • –  1⁄4 cup molasses
  • –  1⁄4 cup applesauce
  • –  2 1⁄4 cups almond flour
  • –  1 tsp baking soda
  • –  2 tsp baking powder
  • –  2 tsp ground ginger
  • –  1 1⁄2 tsp cream of tartar
  • –  1 tsp cinnamon
  • –  1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
  • –  1⁄2 tsp salt

Gingerdoodle sugar coating ingredients

  • –  1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
  • –  1 tsp cinnamon

Buttercream frosting ingredients

  • –  1⁄2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter
  • –  2 cups powdered sugar
  • –  1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
  • –  2 tbsp almond milk
  • –  1⁄2 tsp cinnamon

Start by making the dough for the gingerdoodle cookies. To begin, mix the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl until the ingredients are fully combined. The butter should be soft, either at room temperature or partially melted. You can use an electric mixer or stir the ingredients by hand.

Next, add the vanilla extract, molasses, and applesauce to the same mixing bowl. These should also be electrically or manually stirred until fully combined.

In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients—almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt.

Stir the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients until fully combined. This is your gingerdoodle dough.

Cover the mixing bowl containing the dough tightly with plastic wrap or some other form of secure covering and place it in the refrigerator. The dough will need to chill for at least 30 minutes, so in the meantime, prepare the sugar coating for the cookies.

Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Stir the two until they’re combined. Depending on exactly how much dough you have, or how many cookies you plan to bake, the amounts of sugar and cinnamon can be adjusted.

As you prepare the sugar coating, preheat the oven to 350°F. As well, line a large baking sheet (or sheets) with parchment paper, making sure that there isn’t excess paper hanging over the edges.

After the 30 minutes have passed, remove the dough from the fridge. Shape it into balls of 1 to 2 tbsp, or however large you would like the cookies to be; be aware that they can spread a great deal when baked.

Roll each dough ball thoroughly in the sugar coating mixture before placing them on the baking sheet a minimum of 2 inches apart.

When the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet with dough balls in. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are fully cooked. I would advise checking on them several minutes before you think they will be done.

While the cookies bake, or when you have a spare moment, prepare the buttercream frosting. Soften the butter without melting it completely and add it to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, slowly beat the butter on low until it’s fluffy.

Add in roughly half of the powdered sugar and continue mixing on low until combined. Add in the vanilla extract, almond milk, and cinnamon, followed by the remaining half of the powdered sugar. Continue mixing on low until all the ingredients are combined. You can add additional small amounts of almond milk or powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your preferred consistency.

Remove the cookies from the oven when they have finished baking. You’ll want to allow them to cool completely on the sheet before handling to avoid breaking them.

Image taken from: Image taken from: https://12tomatoes.com/gingerdoodle-sandwich-cookies/

Once the cookies have cooled, spread the buttercream frosting on half of them at your desired level of thickness. Place the remaining unfrosted cookies on top of the frosted ones to form sandwiches. An example image is shown to the side.

Though best enjoyed fresh, these gingerdoodle sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. If there is leftover dough or frosting, both can be stored in the freezer for about 3 months.

Happy baking! Recipe adapted from:

Music/Concerts

Review of The Garden’s recent Minneapolis concert

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By: Ann McMullen

On November 19th, art-punk band The Garden performed at Minneapolis’ First Avenue. As they’re probably my favorite group that is actively releasing music, and First Ave is easily my favorite music venue in the Twin Cities, I had to go.

The Garden consists of twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, who have been making music as The Garden since 2011. Based in Orange County, the duo’s music is quite experimental, using very abstract elements from punk and other alternative genres. They really have no two songs that sound alike. The twins also have a mild obsession with jesters, and a fan base I’ve heard countless internet horror stories about…all things that would make for an interesting show, in one way or another!

Their Fall 2022 U.S. tour was to promote their newest album: ‘Horse***t on Route 66’. Because of this, I feared they would focus too much on their new songs and neglect the old ones, but thankfully, the setlist contained a great mixture of their latest releases and older fan favorites.

To my surprise, the new songs were some of my favorite to see live. I was impressed by how much of the crowd could already sing them word for word. And, to my knowledge, no one threw up or injured themselves or did something else crazy in the pit, which I was a bit worried about because it’s something I’ve heard has happened at tons of Garden shows.

The concert was everything I expected. Both twins had intricate makeup and outfits to match the theme of the new album. They kept the entire set exciting with a great live sound and phenomenal stage presence. Even the opener, Machine Girl, was great. I was relatively unfamiliar with them before the concert, but their performance was wonderful, so I have since checked more of their music out.

Seeing The Garden was definitely worth the small price I paid for a ticket. I enjoy (no pun intended) their music even more after this show, and can’t wait to see the twins perform live again.