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Zach Ghizzone wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it to the starting line for the 55-meter hurdles.
The Union Catholic senior had been dealing with a tight hamstring and a sore back that left his status up in the air.
Video: Zach Ghizzone of Union Catholic talks about his 55 hurdles win at the Meet of Champions.
"My coach (Mike McCabe) told me this week that he wasn't going to put me in the 4x400 and that he didn't want me to hurdle unless I was pain-free,'' said Ghizzone. "I didn't want to miss my last indoor Meet of Champs, so I told coach yesterday (Friday) after doing some hurdle drills that the hamstring was okay. I had to convince him to let me do it."
But Ghizzone wasn't content to just be in the race, he wanted to make his presence felt.
He did exactly that in dramatic fashion when he rallied from a poor start and caught all seven hurdlers who were ahead of him to finish first in a personal best 7.51 (No. 24 in the nation this season) as he edged Chase Tolliver of Oakcrest (7.54).
"I was dead last at the first hurdle," said Ghizzone. "But then by hurdle three, I was getting a little closer, and then up to the last hurdle I was right there, so I just put my head down and gave it all I had. I knew I got it. It's a pretty unbelievable feeling to go from not knowing if I could run to winning the Meet of Champions.''
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At the Harbor festival, some visitors got mini-consultations with a genealogist on site to learn about their own Italian ancestry. They also had an opportunity to view Renaissance drawings, as well as enjoy performances of musical selections from Puccini, Bizet and Delibes, and songs from the American Songbook Project.
Italian cooking and food seemed the hands-down winner with the crowd, however. More than 300 visitors lined up to watch Chef Vittorio Asoli of Trattoria Roman in Dongan Hills prepare homemade pasta with pancetta and sausage. Another crowd surrounded pastry Chef James Carozza of the Cake Chef, West Brighton, as he demonstrated how to make and fill cannoli. Fall harvest dishes from Chef Jennifer DePalma were also featured, along with recipes from Enoteca Maria in St. George, and samplings of Italian biscotti from The Cookie Jar in Meiers Corners.
The festival wound down with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the Harbor's Heritage Farm. Steve Augeri and his band followed the ceremony with a rock concert featuring a selection of Journey's hits.
Members of the Oscar-performing PS 22 Chorus joined him on stage for a rendition of the Journey hit "Don't Stop Believin.'"
Snug Harbor CEO Lynn Bodnar Kelly was pleased with the turn-out. "We tried to keep it priced right and offer something for everyone," she said.
She said the Harbor hopes to offer a harvest-themed celebration each year, focusing on a different culture. "We want to celebrate our heritage of rich and diverse cultures, around a common theme of the harvest."
Over at Casa Belvedere, Louis Calvelli, executive director of the Italian Cultural Foundation, which operates the site, was equally pleased with the turnout on the first day. "It looks like Festa Italiana has found the perfect home," he said.
The celebration is geared for all ages, said John Caltabiano, chairman of the event. "We have it all, from a meatball-eating contest for adventuresome adults to a bouncy attraction, slide, free carnival games and crafts for the kids," said Caltabiano, who anticipates another large crowd today.
On tap today is a cannoli-eating contest at 2 p.m., sponsored by Bella Baci Bakery, followed at 3:30 p.m. with a meatball-eating competition sponsored by Soriano's Pork Store, Great Kills. In addition, the potentially World's Largest Sing-Along of "That's Amore," conducted by entertainer Al Lambert, will take place at 3 p.m.
At Snug Harbor, Ernesto Castagna of New Springville, was spending the day with his daughter, Stephanie, 5, who sported a colorful Venetian carnival mask painted across her face. "For less than what it would cost to take her to a movie, we're here, she's having fun, she's outdoors and getting exercise. You can't beat it," Castagna said. "I've lived here all my life, and I believe we have to support our hometown first."

subset: commoncrawl


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Police have arrested a suspect in a 23-year-old rape case after a DNA sample from the rape exam taken in 1987 matched up with a Birmingham man in federal prison in Kentucky.
Birmingham police Cold Case Unit Detectives Jody Jacobs and Roy Bristow this week charged Derrick Merrell Eaton, 39, with rape in the decades-old attack. Eaton has been imprisoned on drug charges since 1994.
The attack happened in August 1987 when the victim, then 26 years old, was walking in the 5900 block of First Court North. A man wielding a knife grabbed her from behind, forced her behind a gas station and sexually assaulted her, Jacobs said. He also stole her purse.
The victim was shown a photo lineup and a live lineup at the time, but was unable to identify her assailant.
"All she knew was that he had a knife and she was focused on that," Jacobs said.
Investigators had few leads, and the case grew cold. Though state forensics officials eventually started collecting DNA samples from state inmates, if an investigating agency didn't have a suspect in a violent crime, the evidence couldn't be submitted to the crime labs.
In 2005, Jacobs and Bristow got permission to submit the rape kit from this case. In November, 2010, they received word that state investigators had found a match through the national DNA database.
They proceeded with their investigation against Eaton and obtained a warrant against him on Tuesday.
The victim has since moved away from Birmingham but was happy to get the news, Jacobs said.
"She was actually surprised that it came back up, but she is willing to prosecute," Jacobs said. "She had given up on it."
Jacobs said he hopes this sends a message to other victims, and attackers.
"For victims, all is not lost. We have more to work with now and that's why it's important to have a rape kit done," he said. "For the perpetrators, it should put in their minds that it's not over. The things they've done in the past will come back to haunt them."


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Home page Quick links
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town council
Catch up on personal tips, new thoughts and happenings around town from the mayor. It doesn't get any more insider than this.
For the monthly utility invoices from the Town of Norman Wells for water/sewer and garbage collection, and for the annual tax invoices, you can pay on-line if you are a CIBC customer.
For water/garbage:
PAYEE: Norman Wells Water/Sewer (enter your account number located at the top, right-hand corner of your bill; no dashes or hyphens!).
Regular Meetings of Council are the first Tuesday of each month in the Council Chambers.
Committee of the Whole (C.O.W.) meets the third Tuesday of each month in the Council Chambers.
This schedule can be viewed on the the calendar located on the Home page.
Requests to appear before Council as a delegation should be made to the Town Manager no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding a regularly scheduled Council meeting.
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December Special (one year fitness passes on sale from December 1 - 31): regular membership $225.00 + $11.25 gst = $236.25.


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Design & Craft
A designed object is at best the result of a close collaboration between the designer and the manufacturer. Good design needs good craft to make it beautiful reality. That is why all the *habitek products are made in Finland, a pre-condition we are not willing to compromise. Our manufacturing and supplying partners are both big and small operators, and they are located around the country, although all of them below the arctic circle so far!
Habitek designs combine industrially manufactured components to hand finished natural wood surfaces. To maintain the nice feel and high quality of our furniture, all the pieces are finished off and controlled by dedicated craftsmen in southern Finland.


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Did Ian McKellen Accidentally Out A Fellow "Hobbit" Actor?
It has come to our attention that during a press junket for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (the trilogy's first film) in 2012, gay
wizard rights activist Sir Ian McKellan may have accidentally outed a fellow cast member. Whoops!
The subtle slip came during an interview with Brash.de, a German website that asked several questions regarding McKellan's sexuality and the difference in being an out actor in 2001 (when the first Lord of the Rings film was released) and now.
McKellan reflected on the question by comparing the number of gay actors in each film as a sign of the times. In 2001, he was the only gay actor in the film franchise. Today, is among many in The Hobbit.
The following excerpt has been translated via Google translate, so we're prone to believe this may just be a technical error (any German speakers here?):
Brash: Still, there is hardly colleagues who follow your example, right?
Ian McKellen: I would say that has been done in this regard in the last ten years in the industry a lot. Just look only how many openly gay actors in the "Hobbit" with were: two of the dwarves, to Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Lee Pace. In "The Lord of the Rings" I was the only one next to it there was my make-up artist and one from the wardrobe team. That's only once a progress, right?
Two of the dwarves? That's strange, because only one of the 13 actors who play dwarves in this film is openly gay. According to a Lord of the Rings wiki, on-again, off-again gay Luke Evans plays a "man," Stephen Fry a "man," and not really out Lee Pace an "elf." The only openly gay actor playing a "dwarf" is Adam Brown.
So, who is the second gay dwarf that has gone unnamed? Which of the dwarves are drowning in gay rumors?
Could it be Richard Armitage? The English actor has long been the subject of gay rumors and has even been loosely linked with costar Lee Pace.
Maybe Graham McTavish? The Scottish actor has also been loosely (like, very loosely) linked with Richard Armitage.
Perhaps it's Dean O'Gorman? This Kiwi actor played gay once and although there's no evidence suggesting he's a hardcore 'mo, we wouldn't mind adding him to our roster.
Two Gay Dwarves????
How Exciting!
Sorta like Battlestar Galactica – trying to figure out the Final 5 Cylons!
Oh, I know! It was Nunya F. Bidness.
On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two gay dwarves and a partridge in a pear tree.
It's probably Armitage that McKellan is referring to.
@mydude: Yes, I concur
Did he also out Lee Pace? I can't find anything where he officially comes out – just a lot of questions and rumours.
how do you out someone who came out years ago in an Advocate article…oh yeah- he slithered back into the closet once the movie roles started getting bigger- dating women and the works! Luke Evans is a douchebag!
If he meant anyone, I'd be willing to bet it was LEE PACE.
I love seeing Stephen Fry in THE HOBBIT. His character is laughable, but Frye plays it straight ahead and makes him all the more laughable on a real level and a humorous one. Lee Pace and Luke Evans gay?… that would be awesome. Pace is an impressive actor (I own THE FALL on Blu-ray and the massive scale picture book) and both men are splendid to look at.
Fluent in German. He definitely says there are two. Could be any of the 13 now or the ones from the last trilogy. He didn't really specify.
Ian McKellen is one of my favorite actors. He can do no wrong in my eyes.
Eat Cake.
Why isn't he "accidently" outing ugly actors?….Arthur Laurents was right about bitter queens…
What I find most interesting is that in 2012, there was still a confirmation that Luke "I declare my love for being openly gay, then climb back into the closet" Evans was also confirmed gay bu McKellen
Mckellen rocks. I totally agree with you. My favorite role, however, isn't Gandalf or Magneto but James Whale in the movie Gods and Monsters. I know he was nominated that year but didn't win. He should have won for that one.
And once again Bale finds anything he possibly can to attack gays. Again, your agenda is sadly obvious.
I'm starting to hate this site. It seems like every other story is about outing someone. If someone is not out, is it not their business? Jeez, I mean, there are more pressing issues in our community. Or the world for that matter.
Dean O'Gorman has a girlfriend.
I can see being closeted if you're in a country that criminalizes being a gay human being, but in 2013 if you're from a country where you can get married as a gay person to another gay person then being in the closet after age 25 is damn absurd and don't expect others to play along with keeping the closet doors shut.
And now that it's 2014 and each year that passes and each nation that advances… it becomes all the more absurd.
@balehead: Ain't the appellation "Hobbit" indicative of an implicit 'ugliness'?
Too much jealous on this site once again….
Mckellum is getting senile maybe???….
Translation by native speaker:
There are still few colleagues that follow your example though?
Ian McKellen: I would say that a lot has happened in the past ten years in this industry. Look at how many openly gay actors are part of The Hobbit: two of the dwarves, plus Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Lee Pace. In The Lord Of The Rings was I still the only one, then there was my make-up artist and one person from the wardrobe department. That's progress, right?
So yes, it's two dwarves from the Hobbit movies.
But Lee Pace isn't Gay; he is thought to be bisexual & until it comes from his mouth it is a 'word of mouth' type thing.
Luke Evans confirmed himself gay saying that everyone knew but he also currently dates a woman, saying "He just fell for her/it just happened"
PS: Richard Armitage is straight so rule that out, close friends/ exes(Annabelle capper who is still inlove with RA)/ family have confirmed this- RA has even described as some of his happiest moments is when him & her lived together.
Men can have BFF's that are also men (Lee Pace/RA)
Until they come out themselves, it's not really anyone's business.
Well Graham McTavish is married so I'm going to say "no" on that one.
I'd love Dean O'Gorman to be gay but at the end of the day I have too much respect for him to go digging around! XD
Most of you are right about Richard Armatage,he is not gay at all.I grew up not far from him.We went to the same school.He was mostly into drama sports and girls,from what I remember.Of course I had a crush on him,and he didn't know I existed,I don't think.He went on to perdue his dreams and I went on to specialize in the medicine.I must say he filled out quite well.in school he was rather tall and thin.So I'm trying to say,don't listen to these bullshit rumers That man is defiantly not gay..
@Anna Renee: The man is 44 years old. You once knew him at school and had a crush on him and sound like you still do. How exactly does that make you more qualified to know him – now – as an adult man who has had many years to be gay, straight, bi or unlabelled, than say, Ian McKellen, who knows and works with him?
Gay does not = 'bullshit rumours' btw.


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Many Hollywood actors keep their fans at arm's length. Not Ian Petrella, who played little brother Randy Parker in the classic movie "A Christmas Story." Petrella, 36, has been living in A Christmas Story House in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood since June, and plans to stay through the holidays, shaking hands, sharing stories and admiring the leg lamp in the front window.
He and other actors from the movie will be special guests at the "A Christmas Story"Convention held at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel and A Christmas Story House and Museum Friday through Sunday, Nov. 28.
"Helping to keep this movie alive is why I came back," Petrella said.
"A Christmas Story" follows the trials and tribulations of 9-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. The movie is based on stories from Jean Shepherd's book "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash."
The Tremont house was used for movie exteriors only. The interiors were filmed on a soundstage near Toronto.
The firetruck that rescued Flick's tongue from a frozen flagpole makes its first appearance at this year's convention. Also new this year is the museum's expanded display of Ralphie's and Randy's clothing worn in the movie.
Petrella lives in Los Angeles and works as a graphic designer and freelance animator. He has nothing but happy memories to share of being 8 years old on the set of 'A Christmas Story."
"It was one of the best times of my entire life -- why would I want to turn it away?" Petrella said.


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GULFPORT, Mississippi - Day Three of the 66th annual Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo at Jones Park in the Gulfport Small Craft Harbor was infested by sharks.
At the weigh scales that is as seven sharks finished the day in the final hours with a combined weight of more than 1,000-pounds were entered in a span of one hour.
"It was a day of sharks," weighmaster Mark Wright said. "You can't get any better of a day then we had on Saturday.
"Simply put, it was an amazing."
To make the day more impressive, two of the sharks entered are considered man eaters in a 98.1-pound bull shark caught by Prentic Ferrill of Saucier and a 224-pound Tiger shark landed by four anglers from Ocean Springs.
The action began with Sheryl Clark of Kansas City, Mo., entering a 87.15-pound spinner shark, which is similar to a blacktip, to take over first place.
But Clark was bumped 30 minutes later by Ferrill and then the action really began to heat up.
The next three sharks included the 224-pound Tiger that was caught eight-miles south of Horn Island with Bryan Purvis, Frankie Adams, Pat Irwin and Gill Buchanan each fighting the fish that was caught in 57-feet of water while red snapper fishing.
Since four anglers fought the fish, it was not allowed to be considered for a pending state record that remains at 182-pounds.
"We were fishing for red snapper and were not using a steel leader," Buchanan said. "We were fishing over a wreck and didn't know what it was at first. But it didn't take long for us to determine that it wasn't a red snapper.
"We fought the fish for an hour and a half and shot it four times at the boat. We were amazed that it didn't bite through the mono leader."
The 115-inch Tiger shark, which was brought to the weigh scales by a fork lift, was followed by an 118-pound hammerhead.
With an hour left before the scales closed, the day ended with a pending state record spinner shark at 164.7-pounds that was caught by Ricky Mathews and his crew out of Biloxi.
The pending record, which will be certified later this month by the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources, will break the old mark of 159.4-pounds.
Of note, James Creech of D'Iberville established a rodeo record for pompano at 2.12-pounds and a pending two-pound ground mullet that's not an official rodeo category.
"The only word that I have to describe the day is phenomenal," Wright said. "We have never seen that many sharks of the quality in one day at the rodeo.
"We had two documented man eaters in the bull and Tiger and both were caught in fairly shallow water. Then we ended with a massive spinner shark. It just doesn't get an better."
Scales will be open today from noon to 4 p.m.


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The frugal life: Old men are rarely surprised but I am this time. A surprising number of people are interested in the subject of eating on a tight budget. Check out this e-mail from Kristy Smith, director of the Jackson County Department on Aging.
"When I taught family life education for Western Michigan University,
one of my assignments for the class was to have teams of students put
together a month's worth of menus based on particular budget. I also
assigned them to different stores: Meijer, D & W, Hardings, Aldi,
Save-A-Lot, Town & Country, Felpausch, a drive-thru party store and a
corner convenience store.
"It was eye-opening for the class to discover that having a set of
wheels amounted to being able to get to a more economical grocery store,
plus being able to carry home more items. For instance, you can't
capitalize on the Spartan stores 4/$1 canned vegetables if you have to
carry it back home on the bus. And then there's the lack of freezer
space, even if you could get to the big Meijer frozen foods sale. Oh,
and that little thing known as planning menus far enough ahead to ration
and/or maximize what you have purchased.
"I ended up feeling guiltily middle class because I had the luxury of
being able to allow milk to spill, produce to rot, bread to mold, and
the cereal cupboard to be raided by a teenager without it devastating my
household economy. Some people are already playing the game with four
fouls against them economically, which changes both your offense and
defense dramatically. To switch sports metaphors, no mulligans
"In Barbara Ehrenreich's book, 'Nickel & Dimed,'
she attempts to work at and live on minimum wage at different jobs
across the country (i.e. Wal-Mart, a cleaning service, a restaurant).
I read it the month after my divorce in 2004 and it scared the bejeezus
out of me. There but for the grace of God go all of us. I've got
two master's degrees, but that means little or nothing in today's
economy. I keep my waitressing resume up-to-date just in case.
"Even though I have a very good job now, I still keep a running total of
my household grocery expenses, which I strive to keep at $250 per month
for a family of three. I could spend more, but the more I don't spend,
the more I am able to save. Had I developed and adhered to a household
budget long before I needed to, I may not have needed to. As radio
financial peace guru Dave Ramsey is fond of saying, 'If you can live
like no one else will, then you eventually will live like no one else
"Let me end with this helpful hint, which I shared in a Toastmaster's
speech called 'Why Second-Hand is First-Rate:' When you shop at Aldi,
take a couple of empty laundry baskets with you so you don't have to
hunt for boxes in the store or cough up 5 cents for a paper bag."
Today's drivel: Speaking of Aldi, its reputation as a budget store was borne out by my Jackson Supermarket Survey in today's column in the Citizen Patriot. One thing I did not mention is I bought something in almost every store. All had good sales on something but I am two lazy to get into the habit of going to six stores for groceries.
What to expect tomorrow: Out of respect to Sparticus83, no mention of my butt. (Read his buttaphobic comment posted to yesterday's blog).


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St. Joseph's Annie Hill and Ascension Catholic's Zach Capello entered this fall with nearly polar opposite resumes.
Hill joined the Redstickers as a freshman in just her fourth year of cross country, while Capello was a returning two-time state champion with expectations as high as many any runner in the Baton Rouge area.
But both young athletes embarked on sensational seasons, to which they can now each add the title 2013 NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune All-Baton Rouge Area Runner of the Year.
"I was really happy with the season," Hill said. "I came into it not knowing what to expect because it was high school, a way bigger level, a longer race, and so I just ran the first race just how we had practiced all summer and talked about, and I just kept winning the races, so it was great."
Capello's father, Rocky Capello, helped lead the Bulldogs to a pair of state championships, with the boys claimed their third straight and the girls finally taking the last step forward from fifth in 2011 and second in 2012.
"This is the first year I coached the girls," Rocky Capello said. "I'd helped with 'em in the past, but this was my first time as head coach, and to me, it made it a lot easier, because the girls were able to see the boys grow up, and for them not being state championship and the boys to win three state championships, the girls started doing the same things as the boys, doing the same workouts and trying to follow what the boys were doing. It really helped them a lot."
The year was somewhat of an adjustment for Zach Capello, too, with the graduation of several area runners against whom he'd grown so used to competing.
"I had to develop relationships with those other top runners from Catholic and Episcopal that weren't really in that same position before," Zach Capello said. "It was really gratifying to be up there as one of those top runners. I used to look up to those guys when I was younger, so it's cool to be there now."
Another individual state championship and team state championship, paired with the fact that teammates Jesse Hood and Trey Capello, Zach's older brother, finished No. 2 and 3 in the state championship meet and the fact the Bulldogs' girls also won, all made this year particularly special to the Capello family.
"That was awesome," Zach Capello said. "I'd have to say that was my favorite part of the season, to be up there with all three of us. I've been on the podium a couple times before, and it's always fun clowning around with those guys, but the race there, for it to be Trey and Jesse, it was different."
Rocky Capello couldn't remember a better year in his coaching career.
"It was exciting," the coach said. "Going into the season, the girls were ranked farther down and were not favored, but the boys were heavily favored, but the boys got excited as the season progressed on and the girls got better and better. For me, this season was the most exciting year ever, and then at the same time, to have both of my sons finish in the top three at the state meet, it makes it even more special."
Hill meanwhile put herself squarely on the map of the state's top cross country runners and proceeded to win every race she ran until that state championship meet in Natchitoches.
"It was a lot of fun," St. Joseph's Coach Mark LaHaye said. "It was somewhat expected because I knew how good she was in middle school. As a seventh and eighth grader, I watched her run cross country and track, and we've had a really strong freshman class, so I'm really excited about that."
LaHaye, also in his first year in his own position, was immediately impressed by Hill's demeanor and work ethic.
"She had the perfect attitude about it," the coach explained. "The seniors were real supportive, and she interacted really well with the rest of the team so it was perfect … It was always a positive attitude, always a drive to win. Her exact words were that she refuses to lose. It was where she couldn't figure out why girls would come run a race and not try to win. It baffled her, so if you saw her at the end of the state meet, she was boo-hooing. She came out fourth. That's not bad for a freshman, but she fully expected to be on the podium. But I think she'll learn more from that one bad race than had she come out an easy second."
Hill finally fell short of first place in Natchitoches, finishing fourth behind veteran standouts Mia Meydrich of Dominican, Olivia Murphy of Mandeville and Kellie Webb of Barbe.
Still, a fantastic freshman year for the the young standout, and and ending that, while not what she considered ideal, could prove helpful as her career continues.
"I realized that I didn't really run the smartest race for that most important race, but I've gotten over that and realized I'm just going to go out and run smarter next year and that I will not win 'em all," Hill said. "I finally got that loss in and know how it feels so I'm hopefully not going to have to experience it again anytime soon."
Jerit Roser can be reached at email@example.com or 504.826.3405.


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Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (often referred to as ETIAW), was the first track to be announced as part of Coldplay's fifth album era and is the seventh track on the fifth Coldplay album, Mylo Xyloto, released on 24th October, 2011.
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall was made available digitally and on-air at 12pm (BST) on Friday 3rd June, except in the UK where it was released at midnight on June 4th.
It emerged that Chris Martin collaborated with I Go To Rio tunesmiths Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson - whose original song was sampled on the dance track. The duo have a writing credit on Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and Coldplay wrote on their website: "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall contains elements of I Go To Rio written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson."
Chris was inspired to write the song after watching the film Biutiful by Alejandro Gonzalez. In the film, there is a nightclub scene - during which a track is playing in the background, based on I Go To Rio by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson. As a result, Allen and Anderson are also credited as writers on Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall.
A statement[1] on Coldplay's official site read: Dear friends, we're about to play a bunch of summer festivals so it's as good a time as any to put out a new song. 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' will be available digitally on Friday 3rd June at 12pm (BST), except in the UK where it'll come out on the stroke of midnight between Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June. We'll also stream it here on Friday and give it a run out at Rock Im Park. Love Will.
The announcement followed a number of teaser clues posted on the band's Twitter and Facebook pages.
Chart Success
The song debuted at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, selling 85,000 copies in its first week. It also entered the UK singles chart on Sunday 12th June 2011 at number 6.
Music Video
Coldplay released the video online on Coldplay.com and via their YouTube videos channel, ColdplayVEVO[2] in the early hours of 29th June 2011. The video shows the band playing across various backdrops sprayed with colourful graffiti. The video was shot between June 14th and 15th June 2011.
It was filmed at Millennium Mills[3], close to London City Airport. Millennium Mills is a derelict turn of the century flour mill in West Silvertown on the south side of the Royal Victoria Dock in London. The mills also appear as the setting for a number of other music videos, including "Ask" by The Smiths (1986) filmed by Derek Jarman on the north side of Royal Victoria Dock, "Fluorescent Adolescent" by the Arctic Monkeys (2007) and "Take Back the City" by Snow Patrol (2008). As of 2011, the building remains derelict and is a destination for Urban Explorers who enter the site at high risk.
See also: Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall - Music Video
First reference
Further to the November 2010 Q article[4] revealing the inspiration behind Coldplay's fifth album being old school American graffiti and anti-Nazi movements, Chris Martin spoke to The Sun about some of the tracks within said album.
Aside from song titles beginning with the letter U, Chris revealed there are tracks slated for inclusion on the album including Hurts Like Heaven and Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, which will likely be the album closer. Describing the sound, Chris added that guitarist Jonny Buckland is coming into his own. He said: "'Hurts Like Heaven' is all Jonny. It only has two chords. The songs are group-y, its guitar-y. Johnny is coming out of his cocoon. We're just trying some risky things."
Chris said: "We're hungry and very fired up. In five years we'll be in our late 30s. You have to have your best work done by then. I'm trying to make sure there are three songs that start with the same letter. On the last album it was L. It might be U this time. One of them is Up With The Birds. It might be a duet, but we don't know who with yet."
First performance
Coldplay first performed Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall at a friends and family gig at The Forum, Kentish Town, London on 31st May 2011. They then continued to play it at the summer festival dates of 2011, beginning at Rock im Park Festival, Nürnberg, Germany.[5]
Recording at Glastonbury
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall continued to be played live at subsequent festivals of 2011, and an official recording was captured by the BBC at Glastonbury on 25th June 2011.
The Oracle on Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
June 6, 2011 - submitted by Bowen, United States of America
Q. Hey Oracle! I watched the live stream of Rock Am Ring on Saturday and loved all of it, the boys reminded me why they're my favorite band in the world. All the new songs are great. I know that someone has said that there will be "no video" for ETIAW. So I guess my question is two-fold. First, why not? And second, does this mean that it isn't the lead single from LP5 (or even will be on it)? Thanks Oracle, you rock! -B
The Oracle replies:
As you rightly notice there is no video - at the moment. That doesn't mean that whoever told you there'll be "no video" is correct. There MAY be a video. There may not. Oooh I'm annoying aren't I? It must appear that everything is shrouded in secrecy right now but it's not meant to be. I just want to clear up that no album track listing has been announced so whether ETIAW appears on the album remains to be seen and is not for me to speculate upon. Until the album is mastered and totally ready it would be pointless. ETIAW is a single. It's irrelevant whether it's a lead single or not as the album is still a while off. A single does not have relate to an album or appear on one, it can stand alone (as Christmas Lights did) but that doesn't mean that it will or won't. Ah sorry for being slightly cryptic guys, you know I couldn't say even if I knew (which I don't).
Coldplayer' ratings
Coldplaying received so many comments about the song in the ETIAW subforum[6], both good and bad, that it was almost impossible to keep up with them all. The polls, however, spoke for themselves. Almost 2400 votes were cast in 48 hours.
Coldplayer' reviews
Below are just a selection of Coldplayer' reviews:
Since it's been released, I've listened to Live 2003 a couple of times, Rock Am Ring live yesterday evening and ETIAW - in other words, I've listened to ETIAW probably more times than would be recommended, but I still love it! I don't think I'llever set my virtual foot in the negative ETIAW thread! Compared to some of the older songs, I think ETIAW stands proud in the Coldplay catalogue... To me there's real passion, and happiness for life that inspires this track, which makes it really enjoyable. I think the track could do without the bit that was sampled... But it goes well with the track, it doesn't remove anything from it. If Chris wrote ETIAW or was inspired to write after hearing the original song, it makes some sense to include the sampling. That said, I'd like to hear an official version without it. I'm watching the Rock am Ring concert again (it took me 6 hours to download!) and I'm definitely looking forward to Every Teardrop is a Waterfall!! [thanks WH25]
As a Coldplay fan, I find this single very disappointing. This is weak, way under Coldplay's full potential, so is Chris' singing. It's as if they only want to please the people who listen to hit radio and be number 1 in the hit lists. I was wrong at first by comparing ETIAW to gorgeous songs they made before, such as Spies, AROBTTH, Trouble and I Ran Away, songs that don't use (catchy) melody samples that aren't even their own (something they shouldn't need at all). I was afraid they would be going this "big band with big hits" way. While I, and many other fans that have been following them for a longer time, am a huge fan mainly because of their moody, stripped down and goosebumps-inducing sound and deep lyrics, and also blowing-away rock, things ETIAW definitely doesn't have. Now I realise that they can still do it, and ETIAW is just some kind of experiment and it proves that they can do whatever they want, although ETIAW could have been made by any commercial pop band. However that makes me afraid that people who are not fans will know Coldplay as a band that makes stadium-filling big songs, and they are missing out on the real Coldplay. [thanks Tryptophan]
ETIAW is incredible live! There is so much energy in the performance, and they all really seem to love the song. Chris kept smiling and even Guy (who I always find looks very serious on stage!) seemed really into it. It makes it an even better performance when the band is excited about what they are playing! While it may not be a musical masterpiece, it is still far better than half the crap out there. It is an uplifting tune with good lyrics, a catchy melody, and some lovely instrumental bits. It's going to be fantastic for the festivals this summer as it is fun and easy to dance and sing along to. I think that Coldplay wanted to have some fun with this song, and they have definitely achieved that goal. [thanks Technicolor Sparks]
There is something positive about ETIAW for me. I won't have to waste $.99 on the song. [thanks the_gloaming09]
My first listen was about a 6-7. Didn't really know what to think about it. Then I found out about the sampling. Listened a few more times. Kind of grew on me. It sounds like Glass of Water and A Spell A Rebel Yell mixed together. I enjoy the song immensely. Very joyous and well constructed. But I do hope that LP5 will take on a different tone. When I heard the teaser for the chorus bassline, with the Radiohead-esque electronic sound, I was pumped. I'm just hoping for a slightly darker, more serious sound in LP5. A return to form, if you will. [thanks Squish92]
You guys thought Coldplaying's reaction was intense, did you see what happened when Taiwan's Parliament heard the song? [thanks matts05]
It is truly a very different and a bit too mainstream sound... I gues there's nothing wrong with the band wanting to reach a different and bigger crowd. I personally don't love it, and think is only a very fun summery dancin song, easily forgettable... but I think there's nothing to be afraid about 'cause all the hard-root fans trully know Coldplay and know that we'll still have them back...meaning we will hear the regular coldplay sound in the future. So, let them have their moment, it's O.K. we haven't lost them. Lyrics, for example, sound tipically deep and meaningful. Kudos for the band, keep up the great work. [thanks starearendil]
"So you can hurt, hurt me bad but still I'll raise the flag" LOVE this lyric. Also in the beginning it mentions escaping into your favorite song. Who hasn't done that? I know people have been trashing the lyrics but I think they are beautiful. I think people are stuck on this idea that since it is the new single and it's been awhile since the last Coldplay release it needs to be a monumental, groundbreaking masterpiece. It's a good solid song. And whats so wrong with it making people happy? That's a good thing, the world needs more happiness. [thanks monkeeypantz]
I really dislike the song... First I was like...it's nothing special but it might work. But now, it's one of my least favorite Coldplay songs...Probably next to that old song No more keeping my feet on the ground...Which I can't stand. Anyway... Having heard the other songs on YouTube I really hope that Every Tear won't be on the album...Or if it is, that it will be a bonus track... Or at least NOT a single. Too lame for the leading single IMO. And yes, it disappoints me that they used the sample very much so! [thanks Strawberry Swinger]
I'm one of the fans who really likes ETIAW. Everyone is definitely allowed his or her opinion, and I can understand why fans who were waiting for the next "Yellow" are disappointed. However, spare some thought for the marketing aspects behind the single's release. The single is meant to get people - some of whom may never have listened to Coldplay before - interested in the festival shows and in LP5. So the song had to be accessible to the casual listener, and the band went the danceable route to make it so. No, it's not "Warning Sign" but it's not crap, either. I have to smile a little and wonder, if media such as this had been around in 1967, we'd have had Beatles fans dissing "Sgt. Pepper" and longing for the times when we had lyrics such as "beep beep and beep beep yeah!" And seeing the videos from last night makes me even more eager for the album! [thanks JillyBlue]
I think the song is the sound of four people playing very tightly together and is actually a magnificent celebration song. If it is indeed the last song on the album, what a great way to end what could still be a rather intimate affair (we have heard only ONE song!). Also, in understanding Chris' statement about making a final push to be the biggest band in the world, I think they have succeeded in making an organic sounding, yet large, pop song along the lines of U2. Love the energy, and am completely intrigued by their promotion (or lack thereof) for the album. Bands get tired of their tour/record cycle and want to switch up their sound and their strategy. They have redesigned everything, from stage, to clothes, to sound, and haven't spoken one word about it like in previous campaigns. They dont need to repeat themselves or build hype after months of magazines and reporters living with them at the studio in building to the album release. They will simply let the music speak for itself. When a band the size of Coldplay say they want an album to come out with less fan fair, it's hard to imagine how, but somehow, in typical Coldplay style, they have achieved just that. A large affair without any fan fair! Kanye tried this promotion style with his last album and in some respects it failed, the gamble didn't work out with regards to album sales. But Google Coldplay and see how many sites are making the story up for the band. They haven't had to do interviews with anyone and yet EVERY music source is writing long articles about the new single and forthcoming album. They are already getting all the promotion they need. It will be interesting to see if this works out for Coldplay. I hope it does. Good job boys. Haters gon hate! [thanks joshtimo]
It sounds so forced. they're trying so hard to make this ridiculous dance epic summer singalong that will make everyone happy, but they tried to hard to do that instead of just making music the natural way it feels like they have the past four albums. this is so much more processed / commercialized sounding. I love the album Viva, along with all their other albums, and the song Viva was my least favorite on that album, it was popppish but at leassst it was original! That song sounds so much better now!!! [thanks Eh Steve!]
I think the reason why I am so disappointed with it is because I was expecting it be something it wasn't. I first was thinking it could be something along the lines of acoustic, because as you said matts05, Chris has said the new album would be along the lines of intimate, and acoustic. The next thing I was thinking the song might be was a "punkish" song. I just got that kinda feel from the Artwork for the song, and the pictures of the band in the new clothes. But instead we got a dance song.. I guess I was just too hyped from all the little teasers the band put out weeks prior. I applaud the band for going down a new path. I tend to enjoy things that are new, and fresh. Thats why I loved VLV so much. It was a new sound, to a familiar structure of songs the band are well known for. I always loved Coldplay for singing about big things in life. Talking about the good, the bad, and the mysterious. This song talks about dancing the night away.. (Hmmm). I think this song will always be known for one of their biggest mistakes, like it or not. This song is just not my cup of tea. [thanks The Joker]
I am baffled as well. I like it. Is it The Scientist? No. Is it Clocks? No. But it's really, really catchy, and that's what Chris is best at, giving us songs to hum and sing along with. No, he doesn't write Arcade Fire type lyrics. But give him a break. Will it be on the album? We don't know, but I think Coldplay fans saying they're going to give up the band completely if it's on the album is a bit shortsighted. It's ONE SONG, people. Enjoy it, dance to it, exercise to it, listen while you're driving (Chris writes great driving songs). It's really not that bad. We're still Coldplay fans, after all. [thanks kittybitty]
I don't totally dislike the song. That said, what a real fan does in my opinion is trusting the guys, that does not mean welcoming whatever they release as if it was gold even when it's not that good, but thinking that if they wrote that song they had their reasons, be trying sth different, having a festival tune, or whatever, they had sth to express. I really can't understand those who question their skills in such a dramatic way for ONE song that they don't like, especially because the other new songs show the guys are still great. [thanks Steph589]
At first I was incredibly skeptical, maybe because I had built up the return to an unimaginable level, so I voted it a 6, maybe a low 7. After repeated listening, each time raising the volume just a tad bit louder, I would give it a solid 9. It's not a Yellow or CLocks...yet. I disliked Violet Hill when it first came out, but after listening to it in the context of the entire album, I fell in love with it, so maybe that's how it will become with this song. Also, Coldplay stated a while back that the album would be about Spray Paint Art...and Nazis. I actually listened to this song, picturing war refugees in Germany during WW2, and their expressions toward the war ending, and being able to sing and dance again. Their teardrops were a waterfall, but they were free, and thus joyous and hopeful. It's not the Coldplay I'm accustomed to, but I do like it, and with each listen I like it more and more. [thanks danmets21]
I'm also no big fan of this song. So happy that the other new songs played at the festivals are way better than this one. I would also agree that it is the most flat song Coldplay ever made....I think Coldplay just did this track to jump onto the dance trend in popular music and as a seller for the new album. It does not even come close to Viva la vida, although I always considered this to be one of their worse songs. ETIAW starts in the beginning with this awful sample which I always associate with Verona Feldbusch (German fans will understand). Afterwards the verses always repeat this "stolen" melody, the vocals are not interesting, it is overproduced etc.. Yeah, live it functions a bit better but that does not change the fact that it will be on the studio album and sound very cheesy. The only things I appreciate about this song are the drums at the end and that it will be the final track on the album so I don't have to skip! [thanks Sparks22]
Media reviews
"Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall": B+ (Boston Herald)
Chris Martin does it again. He gives force to wimp music, beauty to base pop and the world another Coldplay anthem. The first bit of new music from Coldplay's as-yet-untitled fifth album, an expected fall release, continues the band's journey away from its dark, mopey Radiohead roots and toward the bright, modern universalism of U2. It also, oddly (and apparently intentionally) lifts the hook from Peter Allen's "I Go to Rio." Basically, the boys are joyous. And so is this stadium-rock track. "I turn the music up, I got my records on, I shut the world outside until the lights come on," Martin sings over buoyant synths, ringing guitar and big drums. You can feel the love and hear the band's next chart-topper all at once. [7]
"Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" is as sappy as its name suggests, and that's great" (The Atlantic)
Chris Martin has a cold. Just listen to the guy. His vowels are long and thickly exhaled. His consonants are swallowed. That soft, nasal chest voice breaks every few words into an apologetic, crackling falsetto. There is a kind of permanent head cold in Martin's voice and outlook, which might explain why he writes so much about feeling sorry for himself and finding cures. I was lost, I was lost oh yeah, but everything's not lost, and I will try to fix you and also, stars. That is every Coldplay song in a sentence. Or, it used to be. Four years ago, the band teamed up with superproducer Brian Eno to make a record, Viva La Vida, that forced Martin and his bandmates to shrug off their mopiness. Sighing syths were replaced by rougher reverb, and symbol-crashing choruses gave way to primal thumps. The critics had a point: You can smear mud on sentimentalist sap, but you're still dealing with sentimental sap. Even so, Eno convinced the group to drop the in-the-gutter-looking-at-the-stars motif and act like a rock band.
And today, the gang is back. Coldplay's latest single, the dreadfully named "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall," begins undreadfully. An angelic synth swell lays the foundation for a jangly electric piano riff that sounds like what you would get if Animal Collective remixed Peter Allen's 1976 song "I Go to Rio" (thanks to Village Voice for the sharp eyes on the song credit, which lists Allen as a co-writer). Then everything gets very Coldplay. Martin's voice, throaty and self-assured, kicks off a talk-sing verse. A guitar line takes the bluegrassy twiddle-diddle from the band's "Strawberry Swing" and adds a few extra diddles. The monosyllabic thump of the kickdrum that dominated Viva La Vida comes back with clubby untz. There is a battle-hymn quality to the melody, a marching insistence that gamely sets up a chorus written to be sung and heard in a rock hall.
Must we talk about the lyrics? It will not surprise you to learn that a song titled "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" does not hold up well to textual analysis. As darkness is to Conrad, light is to Martin: He is pathologically incapable of writing two stanzas without multiple references to lights, stars, skies, or other bright shiny things guiding him, always, "home." In the first two verses of "Every Teardrop," we get two lights, one heaven, and one morning (Coldplay bingo!). There are "cathedrals in my heart," and "every siren is a symphony," and it's all pretty horrible if you stop and think about it. But the point is, don't stop and think about it. Martin's words are more like percussion than prose, marking time, filling space, distinguishing verses and choruses. Listening to Coldplay for the lyrics is like reading a book for the page numbers. Insist on doing so and you're missing the real work. Everything that Coldplay does is big. Even the "small" songs are stadium anthems. But the crux of Coldplay's talent--yes, talent--is subtler than the music sounds. It is, very simply, melody. Or better yet, finding the balance between predictability and surprise that characterizes most successful melodies. Hundreds of bands play wistful choruses over the same four chords and don't get much further than the garage or local bar. Most of them fail because their melodies are crap.
Chris Martin might be a soggy trunk of sap, but he is genetically incapable of writing abstruse melodies. They draw clear lines. They take a shape. They pose a question, and they give a satisfying answer. They open the chord and resolve the fleeting dissonance, and it's all done deftly enough that the hook comes into focus just as it's ending. Is this song any good? It's a Coldplay song--a carefully orchestrated, melodically solid, hands-to-the-sky, all-around rousing rock anthem about, literally, crying. Does that make any sense? Of course not. Is that description abhorrent to you? Me, too. Which is why I'm carefully monitoring the volume on my earphones to make sure nobody hears me hitting the repeat button again, and again, and again. [8]
Coldplay take inspiration from Australian songwriter on comeback track (NME)
Coldplay's long awaited comeback single 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall', which you can hear by scrolling down and clicking at the bottom of the page, takes a sample from Australian 1970s songwriter Peter Allen's single 'I Go To Rio', the band have confirmed.
The track, which you can hear below, was released in 1976 on Allen's fourth album 'Taught By Experts' and has since been covered by a number of high profile artists, including Peggy Lee. Allen, who died in 1992, enjoyed a successful music career in the 1970s and 1980s, releasing over ten solo albums. He has also seen his songs covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield and Olivia Newton-John. Coldplay have credited Allen as a songwriter on the list of writers for 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' on their official website Coldplay.com, possibly as an extra precaution after they were sued by Joe Satriani in December 2008 over claims they plagiarized his 2004 track 'If I Could Fly' for their 2008 single 'Viva La Vida'. The case was settled out of court. [9]
New Coldplay! And It's AMAZING!!!!!!!! (Perez Hilton)
Wow. Wow. Wow. Chris and the boys really hit it out of the park! Not just a homerun but a grand slam! After a bit of a break in between albums, their brand new single is such a powerful, instant, undeniable, huge, global hit. It feels sooooo good on the ears! We can't stop listening!!!! Coldplay at its best!!! [10]
New Song: Coldplay, 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' (MTV)
Modern rock behemoths Coldplay just previewed the first single off their upcoming Brian Eno-produced fifth studio album, and it's every bit as soaring as we've come to expect from the band. It begins with an airy riff taken from the 1976 song "I Go To Rio" by Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen, and spins it into something uniquely inspirational. Eno's influence shows, as do echoes of U2 and solo-era Sting. The lyrics are intimate, describing the singer's inner state as he listens to music and contemplates life: "I turn the music up, I've got my records on, I shut the world outside until the lights come on," Chris Martin sings, meditatively. But as the song picks up, with grand orchestration and a recurring, triumphant guitar lick, you get the sense you're being let in on something much more universal as he croons "every tear is a waterfall."
We're not totally sure what Martin could have to cry about (with multiple accolades, beautiful children and a movie star wife, his life seems pretty good), but I guess we all feel bummed sometimes. In any case, "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" has major summer smash potential, so teary waterfalls, be gone, Coldplay! [11]
Coldplay's New Single is Streaming, And So Are Chris Martin's Tears (The L Magazine)
Sometimes things with stupid names are not as bad as they seem. Sometimes things with stupid names are great, despite their stupid names. And one should never judge a book, a song or a person by its stupid name because that would be narrow-minded and callous, right? Wrong. Well, wrong for today. Coldplay's new single, "Every Tear is a Waterfall" is streaming from their website, and it is precisely as shmaltzy and terrible as it sounds.
The lyrics speak for themselves. From them, and what we can gather, this is how it came about: Chris Martin was sitting in his darkened apartment, listening to his records and crying. Then he decided to write a song about the experience. And that is how "Every Tear is a Waterfall" happened. How did this happen? How can this have passed through the hands of the band, the record label, the industry execs without someone going, "Uh, what?" And who decided this was good? Because if it was wifey and (apparently) now-country-singer Gwyneth Paltrow, that would be cause for real tears.
Coldplay has had some good songs with artistic integrity. They have. And great, transformative, era-making music has come out of musicians' "blue" periods (i.e. Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, the list goes on). This is not one of those. Words fail. Listen for yourself. [12]
Coldplay in 'not actually rubbish new song shocker' (Holy Moly)
It's all gone a bit rave-tastic. Well, a bit. It's been a day for musical surprises, first Kaiser Chiefs released an album that you have to build yourself. Then we found out that Christina Aguilera and Adam Lambert were recording a duet* and then Coldplay released a new single, just like that. And we didn't hate it. It's not going to change the world, but once you've cleared the vomit from your mouth that arose when you read the title: Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, you have to admit, this is a pomposity free, pleasantly spangly tune. Could do without the bits where he goes "ooh!" though. There's no need for the bits where he goes "ooh!". It's crying out for a banging Tony Lamezma remix, isn't it? [13]
Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall, Guys: The Wisdom of Coldplay (Riverfront Times)
There's a strange interview lurking somewhere in the unpopulated regions of the Internet in which Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher calls Coldplay singer Chris Martin a "plant pot." It's a weird thing to say for more than one obvious reason: What actually is a plant pot? Should Chris be offended? Would he even care? How many people actually listen to Liam's insults? Does any of this make sense?
The answers, after considerable deliberation, are as follows: I'm guessing just a pot for a plant, probably not, probably not, few and no. The last answer is the most important because it also applies to pretty much the entirety of the pot plant's band's new song, the tongue-out-of-cheek "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall." Fortune cookie title aside, the song is the current zenith of two years of fans and skeptics waiting to hear what comes after Viva La Vida, which was produced by Brian Eno and significantly altered the band's aesthetic and its crossover success. The aggressively low-pressure jam was released to Americans -- the band's fellow Brits have to wait another day -- early this morning and, let's be real, it's groundbreaking. The early rise was worth it for the moments of stunning lyrical clarity, found in pure, Shakespearean lines such as, "I'd rather be a comma than a full stop" (Who wouldn't?) and, "Maybe I'm the gap between the two trapezes" (Woah).The best part of that last one is that it functions as a rhyme with "knees."
The single clocks in at exactly four minutes, which means you can listen to it fifteen times per hour, depending upon your speed at clicking "Play" and your knowledge of the Repeat option. At the very least, you have a minimum of fourteen chances an hour, and you probably should be doing that for at least three hours today in order to truly plumb the plant pot's depth. As you listen to the song, we recommend making predictions for the full album, debating Chris Martin's expression in the new press photos and considering the literal and figurative implications of every teardrop actually being a freakin' waterfall. Shit gets deep. [14]
First song off their upcoming album finds the band in full-on uplift mode (MTV)
"You probably didn't need that second cup of coffee Friday (June 3) morning if you heard Coldplay's caffeinated new single, "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall." It premiered while most of us here in the States were just waking up and is certainly the kind of tune that can jump-start a day. Vaguely trance-y, slightly meditative and most definitely sunny, "Teardrop" is basically four minutes of pure, unadulterated uplift. Beginning with shimmering synth stokes, building steam on guitars both strummed and bent skyward and kicking into high gear on a thumping, four-on-the-floor house beat, it is a song in a state of constant build, growing more massive with each passing second. It's a single more eye-opening than a snoot-full of arabica. Frontman Chris Martin matches the wide-screen sonics with his lilting vocals, hitting the (many) "woah-oh-ohs" with aplomb and delivering refrains ("I turn the music up/ I got my records on") with a wiry persistence. The latter only adds to the song's dreamlike feel; the lines almost seem like a contemplative prayer, their repetition like layers in an ever-growing mantra that eventually leads to some sort of higher consciousness. The funny thing is, those lyrics -- which are all about finding solace in music and strength in self -- are also incredibly insular, and when paired with the unapologetically over-the-top music, they create a rather interesting dichotomy: This is, one can assume, a deeply personal song that Martin wrote for ... everybody in the entire world.
Then again, that's seemingly the only way Coldplay do things, and "Teardrop" is certainly a worthy addition to their inspirational songbook. It also seems to fit the theme of their still-untitled new album, which Martin described as being "about life, the good stuff, the bad stuff, everything." And really, how can you sum up their brand-new single any better than that? So if I'm being a tad too professorial in my assessment of "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall," you'll have to forgive me ... I guess I really miss that second cup of coffee." [15]
Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall (Rolling Stone)
Chris Martin says Coldplay's upcoming album is influenced by old-school New York graffiti, and in a recent photo the bandmates are dressed in neon chillwear like they just walked off the set of Breakin' 3: A Brit-Pop Odyssey. But the first single doesn't go for the sound of early hip-hop so much as its sense of year-zero possibility. Over a rave-tinged keyboard melody, leavened by producer Brian Eno's rainforest-of-the-soul ambience, Martin sings of kids dancing until morning and heaven inside his headphones. When the drums kick in fully, it moves like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by way of the Velvets' "Sunday Morning," a flag-waving ode to change-as-inspiration: "I'd rather be a comma than a full stop," Martin sings. Coming from a guy whose critics take him for a human exclamation point, it's a welcome sentiment. 3.5/5. [16]
Coldplay, 'Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall' – Song Review (Popcrush)
Coldplay's brand new single 'Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall' is as big as its title suggests. It is not a ballad, but an uplifting, room-filling Brit pop song laced with the band's rock 'n' roll edge. While Coldplay have endured plenty of Radiohead comparisons throughout their career, they've turned the corner here, going for stadium-sized hooks a la U2 with this bold, bright, guitar-driven new song that is steered by Martin's inimitable voice. Thanks to its massive size and scope, the four-minute monster more than makes up for all the time fans had to wait for new music from the band.
At about the three-minute mark, 'Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall' balloons with layered harmonies and faster guitar work. It's as though vocalist (and Gwyneth Paltrow baby daddy) Chris Martin wrote the song with the express intent of performing in a stadium or at the Olympics. (Ahem — the 2012 Olympics will be held in London, so…) When Martin sings, "I turn the music / I got my records on / I shut the world outside until the lights come on / Maybe the streets alright / Maybe the trees are gone / I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song," he pulls us into his world, where everything around you fades into the background while you focus on what you hear in your headphones. Speaking of which, you will pick up all the nuances of sound via a pair of earbuds. The song doesn't fade out, either. It ends on a percussive note. You'll want to listen to it over and over again. It's a gorgeous mix of Coldplay's knack for pretty melodies mixed with some escalating guitar work, despite not being nearly as polished as the band's previous pop songs. The song comes in like a lion and goes out like one, too! 4/5 stars. [17]
The Singles Bar: Coldplay, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Popdust)
It's pretty simple, actually—if you like Coldplay, you'll like this song. (And if not, what are you doing jumping to listen to a Coldplay song the day it gets released, anyway?) It's got that big, stadium filling drum-and-guitar sound, a fantastically evocative synth intro (which reminds of Alice Deejay's "Better Off Alone" to our ears, but then again, so does everything) and a crowd-pleasing, hands-in-the-air lyric about the almighty power of music ("I turn the music up / I got my records on / I shut the world outside / Until the music's gone"). It gets bigger and more anthemic as it goes for its four-minute running time, and then suddenly it's over. It's thrills are far from unpredictable, but after the band's two-year absence, you might be surprised as to how welcome they are nonetheless. Truth told, the compact swell of "Every Teardrop" doesn't even sound so much like a comeback single as it does a concert opener, something to announce the band's presence before delving into the real hits. But if so, we can't wait for the rest of the gig—over a decade after their mainstream breakthrough, and with endless imitators in their wake, it's as true now as ever that nobody does Coldplay as well as Coldplay themselves. POPDUST SAYS: 3.5/5 [18]
Music Review: Coldplay - "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" Single
Coldplay has released a new single which will be on their upcoming, as yet untitled fifth studio album. "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" still retains their signature pop-rock sound, but yet is refreshingly new-and old at the same time, with electronic elements and Coldplay-esque production style (Brian Eno and Rik Simpson return as the production team). The song begins with the rave-like synthesizer riff, over a swimming pad. Chris Martin then comes in with rousing lyrics: "I turn the music up, I got my records on/I shut the world outside until the lights come on." The words certainly make me want to get out under the sun and just party the day away. Cue the electric guitar intro riff, which is not too impressive. But I'll let that slide. The pounding kick drums give "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" its anthemic quality. Each beat of the drum calls listeners to pump their fists in the air in unison to the rhythm of the song. The lyrics are not poetic or deep in any sense of the word, but yet are able to reach into the very soul of the listener. The repetitive synth lines and guitar strumming and "dance-rock" beat isn't the most complicated. But it is the simplicity of the song and perhaps Chris Martin's stretched "oohs" that resonate so much with me. I'm not really a huge fan of Coldplay, but this song makes me excited to hear what it has to offer in their upcoming album.[19]
Stereoboard: Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Single Review)
The extent to which you appreciate the vibrant new Coldplay single can perhaps be gauged by objectivity. The band's latest tunes, showcased at Rock AM Ring this week, have been received in 'rapturous' fashion according to one of their roadies. Meanwhile, you won't have to search too hard on social networks to find the naysayers: "this one is ripping off so-and-so..."; "they want to be U2..." so on, so forth. Somewhat predictably then, the truth is that the ironically named 'Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall' is somewhere in the middle. Coldplay are far from bland, and whether you loved or hated Viva la Vida (and it's needlessly long title), you had to admire their willingness to progress as a group. However, whichever way you look at it, this latest single is further proof that although Martin and co certainly don't lack fear in regards to experimentation, their song writing can leave something to be desired. Lyrically, there's some very clumsy stuff here, "Don't want to see another generation drop/I'd rather be a comma than a full stop" being a particular culprit. The main melodic idea, mainly synth-based, is also a little uninteresting (even grating), but it does give Jonny Buckland a chance to shine with his underrated skills on the guitar. Once Chris Martin's repetitive vocals disappear into the mix around halfway through, the track begins to pick up momentum, before its frustratingly abrupt finish. Some bands are well suited to this proclaimed role of 'stadium kings'; just look at where Muse are. Coldplay are arguably even bigger, having played arenas across the world themselves for a good part of a decade, and there is no doubt that the anthemic nature of this track is very deliberate. 'Every Teardrop...' is far too linear to be considered alongside pop classics 'Yellow' and the Buckley-esque 'Shiver' (I still consider the latter to be their best song). Maybe it would be unfair to say that Coldplay have regressed, especially as this is the poorest of the new songs. But hey, let's be objective: Coldplay are not the new U2, and they're certainly not the new Radiohead, but they can definitely do better than this. [20]
Coldplay's "Waterfall" Explores New Rhythmic Territory
Here's the standard critical take on Coldplay's new track, their first hint at their upcoming fifth album: Think really hard about every line, every word, every implication of every lyric and note. Prattle on about the transparent silliness of its lyrics, its lightweight, bouncy tune, its needless final measures–is drummer Will Champion just out to show us he can bang sticks on drumheads? And those lyrics–ugh! More clichés, more rhymes thrown carelessly together, more disjointed phrases stacked one on the other, a towering mess of poetic amateurism! Following this method, though, seems to miss the forest of Coldplay's intent for the trees of their method. Let me explain. "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" is somewhat of a trap for Coldplay's ever-present critics: the song bears its faults and shallowness so proudly that to bemoan them turns the joke on you. This is breezy, beautiful stuff, from the pulsing opening riff to the obligatory "ohhh ohhhs" of the final chorus. Chris Martin surely knows how to write things more weighty than this, yet he went the summer party route. No doubt his band's busy festival season partly inspired that, but there's something else going on here. It's a thumbing of the nose at snobbery; a gutsy move, a kind of musical Light Brigade. Being a spectator never sounded so lovely. So what actually IS happening on this song? Well, those hoping for another "Speed of Sound" are in for disappointment. I regret to inform you, this is not a masterpiece. There's plenty of fun to be had here, though, especially in the rhythm section where Mr. Martin has apparently handed over some of the creative duties to bassist Guy Berryman and Champion. The martial stomp of "Waterfall" continues in the theme of Viva la Vida's "Lovers in Japan", a delightful number quite similar to this newest single. This is a song to power your summer misadventures, particularly those accomplished on the open road. If you're looking for pearls of sage wisdom, look elsewhere.[21]


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ALBERTON — A 54-year-old O'Leary man had his licence suspended for seven days after being stopped by West Prince RCMP Saturday night.
RCMP stopped the vehicle on Main Street, O'Leary and determined the driver showed signs of impairment. The man provided a breath sample over the legal limit and his licence was suspended immediately.
A few hours later, West Prince RCMP stopped a 65-year-old man from Palmer Road. After failing a road-side screening test, the man was brought to the detachment where he failed the breath test.
He will appear in Summerside Provincial Court in February to answer impaired driving charges.


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BYRON TOWNSHIP -- The Chemical Bank 5K will be dedicated to Sydney Potjer, a 6-year-old Byron Center girl with spinal muscular atrophy who died in May.
The annual race, which begins at 8:30 a.m. July 30 at Chemical Bank, 2445 84th St. SW, will help the Potjer family raise money for the "Sydney Potjer Never Ever Ever Give Up" fund started at Byron Center Christian School to assist children with special needs.
To register: https://chemicalbankmi.com/cb/5kRace.htm. To join a group in Sydney's memory, write "Sydney Potjer" on the registration form and get a discounted race-entry price of $15. Purple Sydney T-shirts are $10.


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Saints running back Pierre Thomas (back, wrist) and defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy (hamstring) both will be inactive for today's game against the Carolina Panthers.
The Saints' other inactive players: cornerback Michael Lehan, guard Jamar Nesbit, defensive end Rob Ninkovich, receiver David Patten, tight end Jeremy Shockey (ankle) and Joey Harrington (as the third quarterback).
The Saints signed running back Lynell Hamilton to the active roster and released defensive end Tearrius George.


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DODGE CITY, Iowa -- Ring up another victory for the Grand Rapids Community College football team.
Freshman running back Korey Ringer rushed for more than 100 yards and scored three touchdowns to propel the 10th-ranked Raiders past Iowa Central 28-14 on Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
Ringer ran for 103 yards on 24 carries and the Raiders improved to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the Midwest Conference.
"We ran the ball well today, and Korey really found some open space and made a lot of good cuts," Raiders coach Tony Annese said. "He's an elusive running back, and a good kid, so I'm glad that he did so well.
"When you go this far and escape with a win in this league — you have to be pleased. We haven't come here very often and won so I'm happy that we did."
The Raiders led 7-0 in the first quarter after capitalizing on an Iowa Central turnover. Richard Haley scored from 3-yards out.
Then, Ringer capped off a long drive with a 6-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.
Ringer scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run in the final minute of the first half and the Raiders led 21-0 at halftime.
Less than a minute into the second half, Iowa Central's Darrelyn Dunn sprinted 76 yards for the score to trim the deficit to 21-7.
GRCC answered early in the fourth quarter after its special teams came up with a key play.
A blocked punt gave the Raiders the ball deep in Tritons' territory. Ringer scored from 3 yards out to make it 28-7.
GRCC's defense forced three turnovers -- two interceptions and a fumble -- and allowed 200 yards of total offense.
"Our defense really controlled the game for the most part," Annese said. "With the exception of that one long run, they contained them pretty effectively."
The Raiders had 335 of total offense, including 50 carries for 200 yards on the ground.
James Stallons and Terrance Moore rotated quarterback duties throughout the game. Stallons completed 12-of-19 passes for 135 yards.


text:
VSAR in negotiations for a new home
© Jennifer Hoegg
VSAR spokesman Fred Bond
The planned shutdown of the Waterville airport shouldn't affect operations of Valley Search and Rescue.
Spokesperson Fred Bond said the VSAR, which has been headquartered at the airport facility since the 1970s, has been looking to re-locate for some time and is currently negotiating for a new space to call home.
"We are not too worried (about the closure)," said Bond, who confirmed the organization wasn't consulted by the county before it made its recent decision to close the airport to allow for potential expansion of the nearby Michelin plant.
Bond said VSAR is seeking a new location that will better suit its needs.
- Read more special articles:
- UPDATED: Video - Will Michelin expand onto Waterville airport land?
- Public meeting held on possible Waterville Airport sale
- Waterville airport flying off
- UPDATED: Province, Kings County want to move Waterville airport
"Currently, our vehicles are stored out of doors and we want a place where they can be under cover. This will be better for our equipment and lead to a faster response times," for volunteers, added Bond.
He declined to identify the location under consideration, but indicated it will be "a little bit further away," from Cambridge.
Bond said the move could happen as early as the end of 2014, but would most likely take place in 2015.


text:
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- A woman suffered minor injuries after jumping out of a moving car this afternoon, police said.
A 25-year-old woman was in a car with her boyfriend traveling on Governors Drive when she decided to jump out of the car near the McDonald's west of Huntsville Hospital, police said.
The woman was riding in a black Impala and during an argument with her boyfriend, jumped out of the car around 2:30 p.m., police said. The speed of the vehicle wasn't immediately known.
While her identity has not been released, police say she only suffered minor injuries.


text:
FRANKLIN TWP. — One person was killed in a fiery crash in which a vehicle was trapped beneath a jackknifed tractor-trailer at the intersection of Weymouth and Main roads Wednesday night at 8:38 p.m.
Early responders to the crash reported falling wires and flames engulfing both the vehicle and tractor-trailer. The driver of the truck was able to flee the vehicle, according to officials on the scene, but police said the driver of the SUV was trapped and died inside the smaller vehicle.
The trailer was empty, said police.
Sources indicated at least one home in the area of the accident was evacuated due to the intensity of the heat in the area of the crash.
Power was also knocked out at least in the area surrounding the crash site.
Neither driver's name has been released by police, pending notification of relatives.
Forest Grove Fire Co., Franklin Township Ambulance, Underwood-Memorial Hospital paramedics, Gloucester County's Office of the Fire Marshal, Hazardous Materials Team, and Medical Examiner's Office, Vineland, Newfield, Landisville and Malaga fire companies. Franklin and Monroe township fire police and the New Jersey State Police Vehicle Inspection and Fatal Crash units responded.


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Skip to comments.Gold nears record high as some investors seek cover
Posted on 05/02/2010 6:35:20 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
Rather quietly, gold once again has been playing its classic role of a haven in times of rising uncertainty.
Near-term gold futures in New York jumped $11.70 to $1,180.10 an ounce on Friday, the metals highest level of 2010. The price now is within 3.2% of the all-time closing high of $1,217.40 reached on Dec. 3.
The SPDR Gold Trust exchange-traded fund, designed to track bullions market price, is up 7.5% year to date to $115.36 a share, beating the 7.1% return of the Standard & Poors 500 index (including dividends), after the S&P index lost 2.5% this week.
Silver and platinum also have rallied sharply since early February, to $18.61 and $1,745 an ounce on Friday, respectively.
Some investors and traders clearly are turning to precious metals as a hedge against Europes government-debt crisis. Gold has gained 3.3% just in the last six trading sessions, after Greece formally requested the financial bailout offered by the rest of Europe and by the International Monetary Fund.
Well, maybe not 100%. The growing damage to the reputation of Goldman Sachs Group, Wall Streets preeminent investment bank, also may be driving some investors to seek a hedge against the possibility that Goldmans woes could lead to a new chapter in the financial crisis that began in 2007.
Reports on Friday said Goldman has become the target of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department, driving the banks shares down 9.4% for the day -- and wiping out more than $8 billion of the firms market capitalization.
But as a buffer against calamity, gold hasnt been foolproof since the Great Recession began. In the financial-system meltdown of September-to-November 2008 the price dived from $909 to $705 over seven weeks as investors sold anything they could to raise cash.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
But I thought we are in a big fat recovery???!!
Gold served well in that capacity, providing funds for those who were otherwise losing their shirts. For most their average cost basis for the gold was less than their forced sale prices.
Interesting as my broker bought some SPDR stock early last week for my portfolio.
Last ones in, first ones to lose.
When the democrats really rev up their currency printing presses in Enemy Occupied Washington, Gold will reach $1300 an ounce easily.
Yes, I see you've posted a gold story after our earlier exchange. There are plenty of reasons to invest in gold, including those mentioned here. Another one is that the technicals all look good at this time, IMHO.
As a matter of principle, I wouldn't advise anyone to go out on a limb and invest money they might need to pay the bills. But this seems to me a good time to put at least some money into it.
And people might want to consider putting some into physical gold, if you're worried that Obama has a bad habit of grabbing other people's property. Worse than FDR, who set the example.
It is all in the timing of the purchase and sale, eh? For those who held after 2008, it has paid off handsomely. Current price being $1177.00 an oz.
That makes the November 2008 price at $705 a very real bargain.
Gold is not traditionally a buy and sell commodity, but a solid asset that can be a hedge against inflation, turmoil during a currency crisis and a safe net during strife, war and national and international calamity. Many would suggest we are in that triumvirate of conditions now...
My shtf investments are not accessible by the gov.
It seems they all are on the periodic chart.
You're probably a lot mor in tune with technicals than I am but I also like silver. I have for about the lat year.
I've been accumulating silver bullion in small amounts each month. I plan on holding it for quite a while - I'm thinking at least 5 years.
At this point, I'm trying to decide whether to continue doing my monthly purchase - or sit back for a while and see if it peaks in the next six months or so.
I wish I had ignored everyone that told me gold was a terrible investment when it was $480 an ounce.
I think the Hunt brothers kind of distorted the price of silver the last time around, and then got shafted by the Boyz at Comex, with the help of their political friends. But most people think that silver will move faster than gold when it gets going, and it may well do so now.
I do hold a few silver stocks, including SLV, PAAS, HL, EXK, and GPRLF. The gold:silver ratio currently favors gold, which probably means that at some point silver should do better as it catches up and goes past. But you may have to be nimbler.
No argument, in any case.
Sorry, I meant SLW.
"I wish I had ignored everyone that told me gold was a terrible investment when it was $480 an ounce."
Hehehehehe. I still have some I bought at $35.00 an ounce. I have it for "just in case".
Any thoughts on whether possession of gold will be made illegal again, as I believe was done during the last "great" democratic regime of FDR?
When it comes to metals, I'll split the difference with them.
I'll give them my lead and copper, and keep the gold and silver.
Fair, no?
Bailing out Greece was like bailing out Otis the Drunk. Fiat currency is already in the grave but no one wants to admit it, which makes the scramble to save the Eurozone a veritable laugh riot.
In January 1980 gold hit a record 850 US dollars an ounce.
In 2010 dollars that would be 2184.48 in 2009 dollars.
Looks like some folks may have a ways to go to break even....
Sounds fair to me!
I have some gold and my average buy price is around $600. That includes a bit at $280 or so.
Bought gold when it was in the high $300.00 low $400.00 range. Not a bad investment, except I should have bought a lot more at that price level. :o)
Goldbug Ping
FWIW, I myself will be lightening up just short of $1200 gold. I KNOW it ain't gonna go straight to new highs, and except for the Goldman Sachs stumble, it's been on a rampage for over a month. Time for a little "consolidation" IMO.
Mail me to get on or off the Free Republic Goldbug Ping List.
Gold has been moving within the range of $1070 and $1170 for last several months. Probably by the end of this year, $1,200 could become the new normal around which its price fluctuate.
Reports are trickling in the the Justice Department is looking into possible criminal activity and price fixing in the silver market by the large bullion banks...
I saw an article at zerohedge on that, but decided not to post it. They've jumped the gun a couple of times on other things, and even the "money" DoJ quote there was IMO little more than "we'll get back to you" boilerplate.
And even if they do get serious, I have no doubt whatsoever that we would first see another 40% drop in silver a la summer 2008 as a deliberate and coordinated effort with JPM et al to close out their short positions.
Thanks to jiggyboy for starting a gold ping list, very interesting.
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Imagine a knoll overlooking the rolling terrain of farm fields and adjacent woodlots. Notice a chapel sitting on that knoll — a spot it has occupied for nearly 140 years.
Realize that the reason the chapel is there has its roots in a religious tradition and incident that date to the 1300s in central Europe. Mix in the 1870s life experience and contributions of an immigrant from that part of the world.
Fast forward to any July 4 and what happens that day at that chapel — the celebration of a Catholic Mass for crowds of 200 or more followed by a potluck meal provided by area residents.
That's the background for a religious story and tradition that have their origins in the 14th century and that are alive and well in the rural area of west central Manitowoc County.
That inspiration and devotion are most evident today in the annual Mass celebrated on the Fourth of July at the Lax Chapel that overlooks farmland and woods in the very rural town of Eaton about three miles southwest of St. Nazianz, which has a rich religious history of its own.
Sitting just off Lax Chapel Road, between Manitowoc County highways C and X, the chapel is a "thank you" from 19th century immigrant Frank Lax, who constructed it on his farm to keep a promise he made to the Blessed Virgin Mary shortly after recovering from a serious illness while he was pioneering to establish a home and farm for his family.
Lax, who arrived in the United States in 1871, credited his near miraculous recovery to intercession by "Our Lady of Loucim," who was revered in his native Bohemia following incidents there in the mid-1300s. Loucim is a village in Bohemia near the border with Bavaria (part of Germany) in central Europe.
Before he came to the United States, Lax venerated the Virgin Mary at a shrine in Loucim that was drawing thousands of visitors per year. Called the New Church of the Sacred Blood (Neukirche Heiligenblut in the local German language), this shrine was created in the wake of the persecution of Catholics in the area during the 1300s.
That persecution was led by John Huss, whose followers also threatened to destroy the shrine that contained a wooden statute of Our Lady of Loucim, which depicted the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus.
According to the historical account, the village priest directed the parishioners to move the statute to a protective niche in a large linden tree in a nearby forest. However, Etibor Krcma, who was one of Huss's followers, learned about the hiding of statute.
When Krcma tried to cut off the Blessed Virgin's head with his sword, blood immediately flowed from the gash he had made in her face. Krcma tried to sink the statue in a nearby pond, but it continued to resurface with the blood still flowing.
After the statue had been returned to the spot where it had been hidden, Krcma saw it there with blood still covering the face. He quickly asked for forgiveness, repented and dedicated the remainder of his life to being the sacristan at the village church.
Our Lady of Loucim appeared in the United States in the form of a replica of the original 21/2-foot statue Frank Lax placed in the chapel he had begun to build in 1875. It is not known how he acquired the statue that stands above the altar in the chapel today. Its distinguishing feature is the placement of a sword across Our Lady's face.
In the succeeding years, Lax Chapel became an attraction to visitors who offered their prayers to the Blessed Virgin. Masses were also celebrated frequently in the chapel, including on or around the July 2 feast of the Visitation, which also honors the Blessed Virgin Mary.
By the early 1900s, Lax's son, also named Frank, enlarged the chapel in order to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. After that project was completed in 1910, the Lax family expended extra effort to keep the chapel open at most times.
This continued after the second Frank Lax died in 1934. Today, his grandson Jim, who lives on the adjacent fourth-generation farm where a small herd of beef cattle grazes, and his brother (another Frank), who lives several miles away, maintain the tradition by hosting an annual Fourth of July Mass and by having the chapel open on weekends during part of the year or by appointment.
The interior of the chapel is adorned with statues, plaques with the Stations of the Cross and religious illustrations with wording in German. A lace hanging profiles the structure of the chapel.
For this year's Fourth of July mass, attendees began to arrive an hour before the 10 a.m. service. By the start of the Mass, more than 100 vehicles were parked along Lax Chapel Road and over 200 people of all ages had gathered.
It was a quiet, sun-filled, pleasant morning on which birds could be heard chirping in a nearby woods. Beef cattle grazing in a pasture a few hundred feet away stopped for a few minutes to peer at the commotion taking place around the chapel. The sweet smell of hay drying in the adjacent field drifted across grounds as the annual celebration was held.
The Mass was celebrated by Salvatorian Father Patrick Nelson, who is the pastor of St. Gregory Parish at St. Nazianz. A co-celebrant was Father Hiermonk Maximos of Holy Resurrection Monastery, a Byzantine Catholic community affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. HRM established a community in St. Nazianz nearly three years ago.
With its 13 pews that can seat a maximum of four persons each, the chapel can accommodate only a portion of the crowd for the annual Fourth of July Mass. But most attendees are content to occupy the benches that surround the chapel for the occasion or to use their own chairs. Some people sit in the farm field outside the wooden rail fence that surrounds the chapel.
For the Mass, the chapel's pump organ is moved to the outside lawn next to one of the chapel's six windows. The organ was played by St. Gregory parish member Jane Schaller, who noted she's been doing so for 30 years at the Fourth of July mass.
A choir from St. Gregory parish assembled around the organ to lead the songs. Large boxes of hymnals were brought to the chapel for the Mass, and loudspeakers were set outside. This year's choices of Marian devotion hymns included "Immaculate Mary," "O Most Holy One," and "Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above."
At several points during the Mass, Father Nelson held a microphone into the window to catch the music from the organ and the singing of the choir. Electric power for the occasion was provided from a portable generator that was set up about 100 yards away at the edge of the hayfield.
In his homily, Father Nelson talked about peace, freedom, liberty and justice, describing how they are essential to democracy, community, parish, nation and the world. In tune with that spirit, St. Gregory parishioners treated the Fourth of July visitors with a potluck meal that included cheese, watermelon, beverages and a huge array of desserts this year.
A recent development indicated the Our Lady of Loucim tradition that covers more than 600 years is still vibrant — the presentation of a second replica of the statue to the St. Nazianz Historical Society, for which Schaller serves as the secretary and treasurer.
An 87-year-old Wauwatosa resident, Lee Thompson, donated the replica that had been in his family for more than 140 years. That 16-inch replica, made of linden tree wood, was brought to Wisconsin by his great, great grandparents, who emigrated from Bavaria in about 1870.
The best available information indicates this statue was carved by a member of the Weber family, who were wood carvers at Neukirchen. If so, it was carved either by Jacok Weber, who lived from 1786 to 1856, or his son Georg, who lived from 1823 to 1899.
Thompson kept the statue with him, often stored in the attic in a Sears Roebuck box, as he moved 20 times during a 43-year career with the company. He learned about the replica statue at the Lax Chapel by reading a newspaper article in 1984.
The replica statue Thompson donated is kept at the historical society for 364 days a year. It was on the altar at the Lax Chapel for the annual Mass on July 4.
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