WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student RadioAlt rock and grunge lover.
Pretty much from the middle of September until the middle of November, I have something going on every weekend. I have so many things I like to do in the Fall that I have to schedule it pretty far ahead of time. I thought it might be a good idea to share what I like to do in the Fall so that others might get some ideas.
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Every year on the first weekend of October, the Renaissance Festival circuit comes to Huntersville, NC. I go every year at least once. I am a sucker for an excuse to get all dressed up and do something fun with my outfit or hair or makeup.
For anyone who doesn’t know what the Renaissance Festival is, it is an event in which performers, vendors and artists come together to create a period experience. All employees are dressed in fun Renaissance inspired attire as are most of the patrons. Some people choose to do something different like characters from anime, “Star Wars,” video games and so on. There are all kinds of interesting and delicious and overpriced foods and so many awesome experiences and trinkets.
Every year, I have a list of shows I want to see, experiences I want to participate in, and foods I want to try.
CONTENT WARNING: This review, film and/or soundtrack contains themes of religion, race, sexuality, suicide and violence.
As I have mentioned before, I am not a huge fan of musicals. However, I have been persuaded to review this one. “Jesus Christ Superstar” is a dramatic rock opera about the life and journey of Jesus Christ before his death. While the film itself is about Jesus Christ, the film is not overly religious in tonality.
September: the official start of Fall. It’s that time again where I share my favorite songs for the month. I am quite proud of myself this month because I think I branched off of what I had been listening to the last couple of months.
Around the Fall time and transitioning into the Winter, I tend to move away from indie and low distortion/high reverb songs with the gentle or smooth vocals. I gravitate toward nu metal pretty religiously. Something about the colder, windier weather, the colors of the leaves changing, and the days getting shorter just calls for distortion and screaming for me.
That being said, I have curated another playlist for “DJ Dragonfly’s Favorites” and there is mostly nu metal. I have also included some grunge, of course, as well as some pop, rap, classic rock and so on. Some of these songs have explicit content, so fair warning to everyone.
Additionally, this time around I have a couple German songs. My regular readers would know that the middle of September until the first Sunday of October is Oktoberfest. Because of all the various playlists I have been making for personal use as well as sets on the radio, I have been listening to more German songs than usual.
I think the odd songs out in this playlist would probably be “The Largest” by BigXthaPlug, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga and “Walking On A Dream” by Empire Of The Sun. My friends have been playing “The Largest” and “Bad Romance” quite often lately for various reasons and so as a result, I have been listening to them more than usual. I have a soft spot for a couple of Empire Of The Sun songs and I guess that has bled through this month.
I hope everyone enjoys this month’s playlist.
— dj dragonfly
If anyone has ever heard of Oktoberfest, then they would know that it is a bier deal. Get it? Like a “big deal” but beer? Dirndl dresses, lederhosen, bretzels, and beer might be the most memorable parts of this holiday but they are certainly not the only important parts.
Oktoberfest originated in Munich (München), Germany in 1810. The holiday season came about in celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria. The festivities included a five day celebration with it coming to a close with a horse race in Thereseinwiese, a public space in one of the boroughs of Munich. In following years, the celebrations were combined with agricultural fairs. Thus the sale of food and drinks became commonplace. Later, the booths at the fairs became large beer halls where the mayor taps the first beer keg to start the festivities.
In 2025, the celebrations begin on Sept. 20 and end on Oct. 5, otherwise described as mid-September until the first Sunday of October. Traditionally speaking, celebrations would include parades with floats depicting the beer wagons and traditional Bavarian attire, games, rides, dancing and music.
The music is especially important to the holiday season. During this time, it is traditional to have lots of traditional folk music and “oompah” bands. Oompah refers to a genre of music that is onomatopoeic in nature with lots of brass and bass. Other genres include polkas, waltzes, sing-along anthems, and lots of folk songs.
Additionally, there is a specific miniature song that everyone in the German speaking community would recognize, namely “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” or simply “Ein Prosit.” This song directly translates to “A Toast to Comfort” or “A Toast.” The implication of this song is that when it comes on at random throughout the festivities, everyone is expected to stop what they are doing and sing along and have a drink.
— dj dragonfly
Some of the best movies have had the best soundtracks. Some of the worst movies have had the best soundtracks too. On the other side of it, there are many songs that I think didn’t have much of an impact and were generally good songs that were then used in a soundtrack. Once there is a visual, cinematic, and emotional context, the song changes completely.
Undoubtedly, many of my readers have likely seen the new “Superman” (2025) movie. I finally watched it the other night. Before I begin my spiel, I have to say I was delightfully surprised and felt a lot of kinship with some of the characters and an emotional connection to some of the scenes.
Content Warning: This album contains some explicit language.
It’s about time I did a review of a Dexter and The Moonrocks album.
I am willing to bet that many of my readers who love music and love playing music have thought about making music themselves. Some of you are likely to go the solo artist route but many likely have an interest in starting a band.
I know that when I was first musing on the idea, I was daunted by the task of finding members. So, I thought I’d make a guide for people who don’t fully know how to go about doing so.
The leaves are turning, the air is chilling and people are wearing sweaters again. Out with the flip-flops and in with the fuzzy socks, it’s time for Fall.
I love Fall. I love Fall so much I wish it could be Fall all the time. Sadly, that’s not possible here in the great NC. That being said, I have decided to make a playlist full of Fall favorites (not a Halloween playlist) to make the season just right. **Warning: This playlist may contain adult material.**
Summer is officially coming to a close. I can’t speak for everyone but thank goodness. As I have stated previously, Summer is by far not my favorite season. This Summer in particular wasn’t pleasant.
Nevertheless, August has come and gone. We are stepping into the colorful embrace of autumn and with that comes the monthly “DJ Dragonfly’s Favorites.”