When the Jim Beam Main Stage lights up at Royal Oak’s annual Arts, Beats & Eats festival on Sunday, Aug. 31, audiences will get a taste of Downriver pride and country-rock energy as Taylor Tucky kicks off the day’s lineup at 4 p.m.

The band, long a staple of the southeastern Michigan music scene, will take the stage ahead of national country stars Joe Nichols and Randy Houser — an honor that underscores just how far the group has come since its early days.

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Taylor Tucky was formed in 2012, born out of a desire among seasoned musicians to keep performing together without the constraints of competing projects. Guitarist and vocalist Chris Wietzke explained that the band’s origins came from necessity as much as inspiration.

“Taylor Tucky is actually our second entity,” Wietzke said. “We have another entity called Sinjon Smith, and we’re all professional players. We wanted to work as much as possible, but the singer for that entity didn’t want to work as much. Rather than everybody finding separate projects and running into calendar conflicts, we decided to form a new entity with the same players and a new singer.”

At the time, country music was riding high in the pop realm, making it an ideal lane for the group’s blend of rock roots and country flavor. Their name, however, came from something much closer to home.

“The name actually came from the original singer, who lived in Taylor,” Wietzke said. “His family was part of the Taylor-Tucky migration. When the auto industry started building plants here, a lot of people moved up from Kentucky to work in them and settled in Taylor. That’s where the term came from.”

Though some considered the phrase derogatory, the band embraced it as a badge of identity.

“It was a hard choice to use that name,” Wietzke said. “But, it’s cool to be a redneck. We went with it. We figured we were cutting edge with it. We’ve even played for the city of Taylor, and while some of the older folks weren’t too happy about the name, that’s when we knew we had a good one.”

Today, Taylor Tucky features a lineup of talented musicians from across the region. Bassist David Connors migrated from Cleveland, while drummer Lonnell Lewis and guitarist Marc Davis bring their own distinct energy. A key recent addition is vocalist Ryan O’Neill, who joined earlier this year after longtime frontman Perry Joe Zaremba retired.

“Our new singer, Ryan O’Neill, is a fantastic talent,” Wietzke said. “He’s got a strong career ahead of him, and we’re very lucky to have him.”

Musically, the band draws on both rock and country traditions.

“We’re rockers at heart,” Wietzke said. “Back then, if you were a rocker and you wanted to be a recording artist, you went to Nashville because that’s where country was changing from the twangy ’80s and ’90s sound into more rock-based music. That’s our heart and soul, too. But we made sure when we released our album that we included country elements like steel guitar, violin, and banjo, so it would still be recognized as country.”

The band’s 2019 debut album, “Where There’s Smoke,” highlights this fusion, with tracks like “I Bleed Country” alongside a cover of Heart’s “Straight On.” The title track has garnered more than 75,000 streams, and the album’s presence on the TouchTunes jukebox network has given the band a national reach.

“Being on TouchTunes was a big deal for us,” Wietzke said. “Typically, you have to be a major album seller to get on that network. We just got lucky that one of the administrators loved our music. Now, if you’re at a bar with TouchTunes, you can fire up some Taylor Tucky right from your phone. That’s pretty cool.”

Audiences at Arts, Beats & Eats can expect a mix of originals and crowd-pleasing covers.

“We do a mixture of both,” Wietzke said. “We’ll play songs from our first album, some new material we’ve released, and some popular covers. The reason behind that is covers are where the money’s at. We all have mortgages and families, so we’re not going back on the road full time. But we love writing and performing original music. We’d love recognition, maybe a Detroit Music Award, or for another artist to record our songs. But the main reason is we just love to entertain people.”

The group has been a fixture at Arts, Beats & Eats for several years, but this marks their first time on the national stage lineup. Their set will run about 30 minutes, giving them the chance to deliver a high-energy performance to a fresh crowd.

“We’ve been a staple at Arts, Beats & Eats for four or five years,” Wietzke said. “We were lucky to be presented with the national stage this year. We’re the low man on the totem pole, so we get a half-hour set — about eight or nine songs. But we’re going to make sure it’s all high energy. We want to kick off Sunday with a bang.”

Even with a busy summer — 21 shows in August alone — the band still cherishes the chance to perform at large-scale festivals. Among their favorite memories is a show in West Virginia for the World Scouts Gathering, where they played for an international crowd of 30,000 youth.

“It was awesome,” Wietzke said. “There were kids from Finland, Norway, Germany, and they all knew the words to our songs. Singing along with us, it was really cool.”

With another album in the works and an ever-growing fanbase, Taylor Tucky is proof that Downriver grit and Nashville polish can coexist. As they take the Jim Beam Main Stage on Aug. 31, they’ll be bringing both to Royal Oak, along with a sound that’s all their own.

Taylor Tucky performs at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31 on the Jim Beam Main Stage at Arts, Beats & Eats in Royal Oak. For more information, visit artsbeatseats.com. Follow the band on Instagram at @taylor_tucky.

Michigan Lottery takes over as Arts, Beats and Eats title sponsor

About Taylor Tucky

Taylor Tucky is a five-member country band rooted in Taylor, Downriver’s largest city. The group blends rock energy with modern country sounds. Formed in 2012, the group includes Chris Wietzke (guitar, vocals), David Connors (bass, vocals), Lonnell Lewis (drums), Marc Davis (lead guitar), and new frontman Ryan O’Neill. The 2019 debut album “Where There’s Smoke” features fan favorites like “I Bleed Country” and is available on Spotify, Apple Music and on the TouchTunes jukebox network nationwide. Known for high-energy live shows, Taylor Tucky has opened for Kane Brown, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, and more, earning recognition as one of Michigan’s top country acts.

By JESSICA DAMIANO

If you’d love to grow fruit trees but think you don’t have the space, think again. You don’t need an orchard or even a large backyard to enjoy garden-picked fruit.

Instead, use a method perfected by Louis XIV’s gardeners back in the 1600s at Versailles, when cold, windy winters, not a lack of space, inspired them to train trees to grow flat against walls. Their goal was to use the masonry as a windbreak and insulator, but the method they called “espalier” also made excellent use of a tiny footprint.

The trees’ form maximized their exposure to sunlight, and also enabled the trees to withstand chilly temperatures better than their untrained cousins. Surprisingly, perhaps, they also produced more fruit.

Which trees are good for espalier?

Most trees with long, flexible branches, such as apple, cherry, fig, peach, pear, plum and quince lend themselves nicely to the espalier method. Even ornamental trees like magnolia, firethorn and witch hazel are good candidates.

The name “espalier” comes from French, indicating something to lean a shoulder against, as the trees lean on their supports.

But the 17th century French didn’t invent espalier; it is believed to have been practiced in the Middle Ages and even as far back as ancient Egypt. The Versailles gardeners, however, gave the method a name — and fame.

How it works

Training an espalier tree requires equal parts pruning and patience. You remove undesired branches and coax the remainder to grow sideways by affixing them to walls or fencing with wires or frames until they submit to the process and adapt to the pattern.

Trees will send up shape-spoiling shoots that will continually need to be clipped, but the desired branches will take longer to establish.

To accelerate growth, apply a dose of high-nitrogen fertilizer (look for a ratio of 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 on the package label) three times per season — in mid spring, early summer and late summer.

Don’t expect flowers or fruit during this stage, which can take several years. The point of the fertilizer is to force the trees to direct most of their energy on growth, not production.

When the tree has achieved the shape and size you desire, switch to a fertilizer specifically formulated for fruit trees and cut down the frequency to just one application per year, in spring, following the dosage recommended on the package. (If growing a non-fruiting tree, seek out a product intended for the species).

The method, however, can lead to increased pest and disease problems, as growing a tree pressed against a wall will restrict air flow around it. So be sure to monitor trees closely, and address issues quickly if they arise.

All that TLC will pay off with a beautiful, living garden sculpture –- and a great story to tell as you await your juicy harvest.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.

Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor wasn’t kidding as he chanted “Nothing can stop me now” near the start of the band’s concert Friday night, Aug. 22 at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.

But the next part of that chorus phrase — “’cause I don’t care anymore” — was belied by a 95-minute show that was, indeed, a non-stop (and passionate) onslaught of meticulously crafted sensory assault, from the sonics to the ingenious visuals. It was a near-perfect kind of expression, one that played right to the expectations of fans who knew the group to be a consistently provocative live act but also accessible to any of the 15,000 at Little Caesars who may not have been as well-acquainted.

Those virtues were certainly to be expected, of course; when you have a group led by two EGO (Emmy, Grammy and Oscar) Award winners in Reznor and Atticus Ross, you’ll inevitably get something more clever than a basic rock band playing on a stage.

Nine Inch Nails’ first appearance in the metro area since a two-night stand in 2018 at Detroit’s Fox Theatre was decidedly that, blending the immersive qualities of vintage Pink Floyd with the artsy, almost avant garde physicality of David Byrne, with or without Talking Heads. The high concept even began with an opening 55 minutes from German EDM stalwart Boys Noize (celebrating his 42nd birthday on Friday), who performed from the rear of the arena floor and to the backs of those sitting in front of him — and well away from the general admission area beyond them. It seemed odd but was effective when he finished and a second later a black-clad Reznor appeared at a keyboard on a small square stage at the center of the arena, playing a hushed solo rendition of 2005’s “Right Where It Belongs” — back in the set for the first time in 16 years — and then joined by Ross, guitarist Robin Finck and and Alessandro Cortini during “Ruiner.”

After “Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now),” the three walked to the main stage while drummer Josh Freese, returning after 17 years away from the band, played a drum solo with his larger-than-life image projected onto a sheer scrim in front. The next segment — which featured industrial-strength deliveries of “Wish,” “March of the Pigs” and “Gave Up” was a visual treat as well, with images of the quintet, including close-ups from a camera-toting crew member who roamed the stage throughout — soaring across the scrim and rear screens.

Best of that bunch was a percolating “Copy of A,” during which multiple Reznors, full and in silhouette, jetted above the band.

Reznor and Ross then returned to the satellite stage, joined by Boys Noize for a remix-style renditions of “Vessel,” “Closer,” “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” from his year’s “Tron: Ares” film soundtrack and “Come Back Haunted.” Boys Noize finished the latter as Reznor and Ross then journeyed back to the rest of the band for a closing barrage — sans scrim but still dramatically lit as the troupe pounded through “Mr. Self Destruct,” “Less Than” and “The Perfect Drug.” The group paid tribute to late friends collaborators David Lynch (“The Perfect Drug” from his 1997 film “Lost Highway”) and David Bowie (“I’m Afraid of Americans,” also from 1997), with Finck shredding at the end of the latter, with nods to Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.”

Hit singles “The Hand That Feeds” and “Head Like a Hole” were simply massive and mosh-worthy, setting up the gentle bleakness of “Hurt,” which Reznor and Finck began as a duo before the rest of the band built it into an elegant paean to angst.

In one of his very few comments to the crowd, Reznor thanked fans “for sticking with us…we really appreciate it.” The feeling was clearly mutual, and he can rest assured that they’ll continue to be there, still relishing what they saw on Friday and anticipating even more extravagant concert adventures to come.

Kim Knor, 86, is coming to Ray Township in pursuit of a longtime goal.

The Cadillac, Michigan native  is traveling around the United States in an effort to reach 1,000 tandem skydives by the end of 2026. Knor plans to add to her tally this weekend at the Midwest Freefall event in Ray.

Knor’s interest in skydiving was sparked when she was a child by stories her uncle told about his experience in the U.S. Navy Air Corps during World War II.

When she was 20 years old, Knor forged her parents’ signature to take her first tandem skydive.

She was so exhilarated by the experience, she was inspired to sell all her possessions and buy a one-way plane ticket so she could travel as a parachute enthusiast. Knor went on to become a member of the first U.S. Women’s Parachute Team.

After a 37-year hiatus from jumping, she took up the sport again in 2003.

Now, Knor is on a journey to earn her official USPA Gold Wings for 1,000 tandem skydives.

Knor will be jumping at the Midwest Freefall in Ray on Aug. 22 between 4-6 p.m. and Aug. 23 between 2-5 p.m. Midwest Freefall is located at 62912 Kunstman Road in Ray.

The white-washed Moorish-style oceanfront villas at Maui’s Fairmont Kea Lani are perched just above Polo Beach, a beautiful arc-shaped cove in south Maui’s Wailea resort region. There are 37 of these deluxe abodes, each wrapped in magenta-hued bougainvillea and framed by flowering plumeria trees. It’s a dreamy scene, like a seaside utopian neighborhood that doesn’t feel quite real.

In fact, these island villas are a real life fantasy, worthy of an over-the-top romantic splurge with someone special, an unforgettable trip with the kids, a special escape with friends, or a once-in-a-lifetime large family gathering. And the Fairmont is just one of a select few five-star luxury resorts in Hawaii that offer a variety of amenity-packed oceanfront villas and bungalows just steps from the sea, sand and shore.

Step inside these two, three and four-bedroom villas and you enter sanctuaries of tastefully designed rooms adorned with island-themed art, supremely comfy sofas and beds crafted from tropical wood, luxurious showers and tubs, big screen TVs, and the latest kitchen appliances. The villa’s oceanside lanais, some equipped with their own plunge pool, are perfect perches to grill it up, connect with nature, enjoy island breezes, and, of course, and to soak in spectacular Pacific Ocean sunsets. Better yet, in winter months, many of these villas are ideal for watching Hawaii’s spectacular annual gray whale migration just offshore, with binoculars included at some.

Ready for an over-the-top Hawaiian oceanfront villa or bungalow splurge? A tropical retreat without equal? Here are some of my top choices at Hawaii’s leading resorts plus a few recommendation for villas and bungalows outside the resorts that offer much of the luxury, escape and easy access to the beach as those found in the resorts.

Maui

While you won’t find bungalows suspended over ocean water like those in Tahiti, Fiji or the Maldives, south Maui’s Wailea region offers a sumptuous collection of two, three and four-bedroom oceanfront villas at three resorts: the Fairmont Kea Lani, Andaz Maui and Wailea Beach resorts.

The Fairmont Kea Lani has 30 two-story villas to supplement their luxurious 413 one-bedroom suites. Each villa spans 1,800-2,200 square feet. Twenty-one are oceanfront while the other 16 are ocean view.

The Kea Lani’s two and and three-bedroom villas are just feet from the ocean and the swaying palms of Polo Beach. Units include fully equipped kitchens with dining areas,  master bedrooms featuring spacious en-suites, marble-lined bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and walk-in showers. Private courtyards with plunge pools are ideal for sipping mai tais, taking in the sunsets over the Pacific or barbecuing for the family.

Guests are welcomed to the villa experience with a delightful basket filled with tropical fruit, Hawaiian jams, freshly baked banana bread, cream, milk, butter and snacks. Chilled waters and tropical juices are refreshed in the villas daily. Better yet, villa guests enjoy an expansive, complimentary buffet breakfast daily at Kea Lani Restaurant. Details: fairmont-kea-lani.com/stay/villas

The Wailea Beach Resort (Marriott) has four new oceanfront villas with one- to four-bedroom configurations to complement their exquisite Sundeck rooms, some of which provide immediate access to the shore. The villas feature gourmet kitchens equipped with state of the art appliances, along with dining seating for four adjacent to the island counter, allowing for private chef demonstrations or entertaining guests. Spa-like bathrooms include a standalone soaking tub and spacious showers. Details: waileabeachresort.com

Andaz Maui’s contemporary, residential-style villas offer two-, three- and four-bedroom configurations and draw their inspiration from the island’s natural beauty. The premier Makai oceanfront villas are just steps away from Mōkapu Beach while the Hema and ‘Ilikai villas are perched at the top and sides of the main resort allowing for quintessential ocean views.

Each includes a full kitchen with high-end Bosch and Miele appliances, private laundry room, marble floors and modern furnishings that truly elevate the villa experience. The private lanais feature custom-made outdoor lounges, dining tables, chairs, and Viking grills. Select villas offer a private plunge pool or hot tub. Details: villasatandazmaui.com

On West Maui’s Ka’anapali shore, the Royal Lahaina Bungalows offers several oceanfront bungalows. Although more modest than other Maui luxury resorts, you’ll still find easy beach access and comfortable, well-appointed bungalows such as the 1,200-foot Royal Beach House Suite, which sleeps 6 and has a private lanai, pool, hot tub, and gated beach access. Details: royallahaina.com

Oahu

On Oahu’s famed North Shore, the Ritz Carlton, Oahu, Turtle Bay’s Ocean Bungalows offer luxurious North Shore escapes right on the ocean. Some 42 waterfront bungalows are set alongside the resort and offer a blend of indulgence and serenity. Each includes access to the exclusive Club Lounge (a private space in the main resort), dedicated concierge service, premium all-day food and beverage offerings, and complementary included resort activities. Details: www.turtlebayresort.com

The Big Island

The Four Seasons Hualalai has three oceanfront villas, the Hawaii Loa Presidental Villa, Makaloa Villa and Ho’onanea Villa, each with private pools and spacious balconies or terraces. Details: fourseasons.com/hualalai

Just steps from the beach, the Mauna Lani’s Residence collection offers villas with two master suites and 2.5 bathrooms. Tailored to large parties, these expansive private homes sleep up to six. Begin your morning with a stroll up the coast, then return to your private pool for a soak and sunset session before dinner reservations at one of five distinct dining outlets in the resort. Details: aubergeresorts.com/maunalani/vacation-homes/residences

Beyond the resorts

Looking for villas and bungalows outside the resorts? Hawaii abounds in luxury beachfront villas, bungalows and condominium-style accommodations, some with privileges at nearby resorts.

Oahu: Ke Iki Beach Bungalows on the famed North Shore. Located on one of the top beaches on Oahu’s North Shore, these bungalows offer simplicity, sunsets and solace. Check out the  complimentary yoga classes held beneath two 100-year-old monkey pod trees.Details: keikibeach.com

The Big Island: A wide variety of spectacular private oceanfront and oceanview villas in the Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Hualalai and Kohala Coast resort regions. Details: bigislandvillas.com

Kauai: The ground level, two-bedroom condominium suites at Hanalei Colony Resort offer sweeping views of Hanalei Bay and Kauai’s lush mountains and are set in traditional low-rise plantation-style buildings. The sand is just steps away. Details: hcr.com

Kauai: The lawn level condos at Whaler’s Cove in Poipu, offer unique, sweeping views interrupted only by swaying coconut palms. The resort’s curved oceanfront architecture makes it feel like you are on a cruise ship, hovering above a panoramic ocean view. Details: whalerscoveresort.com

Maui: Wailea Elua Village on Maui’s south Shore has luxurious on-three bedroom oceanfront condos among their collection. Oceanfront units are just steps from pristine Ulua Beach and the Wailea resort’s wonderful shoreline walking path. Details: coraltreeresidencecollection.com/wailea-elua-village

Maui: Kapalua Bay Villas has deluxe one and two-bedroom villas perched on sunny, secluded Kapaula Bay, far from the hoi polloi. Details: hawaiivacationcondos.outrigger.com/hawaii/maui/the-kapalua-villas-maui

By Alan Behr, Tribune News Service

The sun drifted teasingly toward the Norwegian Sea, an amber ball suspended as if from a string. It touched down gently on a low peninsula as the Richard With turned to starboard. The finger of land threatened to obstruct the view from those of us standing on a high deck astern, but we checked by our watches: For the second time on our cruise north along Norway’s western coast, we had viewed the sun at midnight. Nods and words of agreement rose in Norwegian, English and other languages.

Here was another bonus for having taken this trip not long after the summer solstice. My primary purpose was to sail the fjords — the long, glacier-formed inlets that jut into Norway’s expansive western coastline. Along the route north, the fjords shelter harbor towns over which verdant mountains rise like castle walls. In front of many, a modest lighthouse stands sentry.

You can tour the fjords by road, but for me, that would be like visiting Paris by helicopter; the point of Paris is to walk it and to feel it, and the point of the fjord communities is to steam into them and to come to know them by sea and by land.

I had boarded my ship, the MS Richard With of the Hurtigruten line, in Bergen, an old trading city with a famous harbor-front row of historic, wood-framed merchant houses. I had wisely allowed myself an overnight at a new and luxurious hotel, the Skostredet, to better manage jet lag and also to treat myself to a funicular ride up the nearby Mount Floyen for dinner at the gourmet Floirestauranten. There, I had checked my backpack for my essentials: a 1961 Leica 280mm telephoto lens retrofitted to a contemporary Leica M11 digital camera; binoculars from the same German source; and a very particular flag, carefully unwrapped around its pole.

By dinnertime the next day, I was aboard my ship and was underway.

Two years earlier, in Oslo, I had struggled to find things that were uniquely Norwegian, so cosmopolitan and diverse had the nation’s capital become. Hurtigruten’s six-night Northern Express would now give me the chance to see Norway among Norwegians. That is in good part because, like others in the line’s fleet, the Richard With is a cruise ship with all the amenities and comforts that the idea of cruising implies, but it is also a ferry, taking locals to ports of call up and down the coastline. At mealtimes, and on shore excursions, I had the chance to get to meet couples and families who were just passing through, to and from homes nearby. All the while, however, I kept secret my purpose for having chosen this northbound route and why the flag furled inside my backpack was part of my visit.

Excursions by bus helped me understand the experience of living and working by the sea, and it was good to walk into towns and along the countryside through which the fjords pushed seawater so imposingly inland. But the biggest thrill came when a group of us donned protective suits in the port of Bode and boarded a flotilla of rigid inflatable boats. Our captain and guide was a solid, agreeable young woman who looked to have lived and worked before the mast since childhood. She steered us up the Salstraumen, a small strait that quickly led us into one of the world’s strongest tidal currents.

Our boat pitched and rocked, our motor seeming at times to wrestle with the strait for control of our destiny as we poured in at high speed under a gray dome of unmoving cloud. We slowed to a swimmer’s pace, and around us seagulls climbed and then dove onto broad whirlpools — the maelstroms — famous vortices of such mythical strength that writers from Edgar Allen Poe to Jules Verne promised that to sail as close to any as we did was to risk being sucked into the depths. Our faces and goggles were now sprayed with water; it was a rugged, yet somehow ethereal thrill — rather as if consciousness had intruded itself upon a darkening dream just enough to offer peace.

Not long after, aboard the Richard With, we celebrated our crossing of the Arctic Circle. When my father had crossed the equator in service with the United States Army in World War II, he had been subjected to an elaborate (and rather rude) initiation ceremony — and got a certificate that I still have. Here was I, decades later, welcomed into my own geographic rite of passage by our ship’s captain, who poured ladles of ice down my back to the cheers of fellow passengers. And I got a certificate. That evening, we welcomed the midnight sun.

71°10’21”N: Our largest excursion group of the trip arrived at the North Cape, the northernmost point on the European continental landmass. A pedestal-mounted skeletal globe marks the spot. I took turns with a father-son team from Poland, snapping each other’s pictures beside the landmark.

We returned to the Richard With and steamed eastward through the Barents Sea. Nearly 1,000 feet below us lay the mangled wreck of the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst — sunk by the Royal Navy on Boxing Day (Dec. 26), 1943. Our final meal aboard ship was dinner, served to me quietly by my waiter as I enjoyed my final view of the sea from my table just below prow-facing picture windows.

We disembarking passengers left early the next morning, along with our luggage, for Kirkenes, population 3,400. The town, which lies on Norway’s short eastern border with Russia, is supported by two notable sources of trade: tourism and espionage. It enjoys an international reputation as a quiet and inviting den of spies, with Russian agents trying to keep an eye on NATO, and with the West appropriately returning the favor.

During the Second World War, when Norway was occupied by the Germans, the Soviet Union bombed the town often; appropriately, the first stop on our tour was the large, dark and cold bunker that could house a good portion of the population during raids.

Then we came at last to the border crossing with Russia. The fjords had topped my European bucket list for years along with one other destination: St. Petersburg.

Scruples now prevent me from visiting what had been Leningrad and that, for all I know, will soon be called Putingrad, so this could well be as close as I will ever get. To remind myself and anyone else who cared to notice why I would not cross the border, from my backpack I withdrew and gently unfurled the flag I had so carefully packed: the blue and yellow national banner of Ukraine. I gave it a good wave in case any Russian border guard was looking and then, with the help of another passenger, planted it in the ground just below the last meters of Norwegian territory.

I spent the night in the Snowhotel, an ice hotel of the kind where you literally can sleep in a large igloo. And, I chose a conventional, comfortable cabin instead, heated to room temperature. After helping to feed the hotel’s resident reindeer, I then flew back to Oslo.

There, I returned to the Munch Museum, where the works of Norway’s famously gloomy (and brilliant) artist Edvard Munch, are on permanent display. On this occasion, however, there was a large temporary exhibition on the themes of illness, injury and death — which is about as an appropriate Munch experience as a curator can offer.

It all seemed to fit, oddly enough. From the fjords, with their majesty, maelstroms, reindeer and tales (and numerous statues) of trolls, to the modern interruption of good daily life brought on by Russia’s merciless war, to the brooding, humanizing power of great Nordic art. I had finally done what I had set out to do two years before: I had seen and at last got an authentic understanding of this austere and yet graceful nation

If you go

At sea: Hurtigruten. The line operates the MS Richard With and similar ships, all to a fine standard. +1-888-969-8297; www.hurtigruten.com/en-us/; reservations@hurtigruten.com. Tip: Book as many shore excursions as you have time to enjoy.

In Bergen: Skostredet Hotel.  Domkirkegaten 6, 5017 Bergen, Norway; +47-55-30-40-50; booking@skostredethotel.no.

In Kirkenes: Snowhotel Kirkenes. Sandnesdalen 14, 9910 Bjørnevatn Tromsog Finnmark, Norway; +47-78-97-05-40; info@snowhotelkirkenes.com

Caution: Beware that third-party reservation services have tarted themselves up to look like they offer the official sites of these and other Norwegian hotels; they are not, and they may charge excessive additional fees.

©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

SAN DIEGO — Sometimes, all it takes is a few sharp notes to create an era-defining guitar riff. Joey Santiago, lead guitarist for the Pixies, knows this well: his angular, melodic playing has defined some of the Promethean alt-rock band’s most memorable songs, from “Where Is My Mind” to “Monkey Gone to Heaven.”

Though frontman Charles Thompson (known on stage as Black Francis and Frank Black) is considered the Pixies’ creative powerhouse, Santiago has been a steady and vital ingredient to the band’s consistent success. Santiago and Black, once college roommates, founded the band nearly 40 years ago in Massachusetts (the Pixies’ 1993 to 2004 hiatus notwithstanding). Drummer David Lovering — a career magician on the side — has been with the band since the beginning. Original bassist and background-singer Kim Deal left in 2013 due to reported creative discord, finding success with The Breeders and in her solo career. Paz Lenchantin followed in her footsteps, playing for over a decade before being replaced by Emma Richardson just last year.

Even with that changing roster of bassists, the Pixies have not appeared to lose their musical footing. In 2024, they released a fresh batch of spooky surf-rock tunes on “The Night the Zombies Came,” sonically fitting in with their extensive discography. They have been touring regularly since their 2004 reunion, they are now on tour with the Austin-bred rock band Spoon and singer-songwriter Fazerdaze from New Zealand, including a show in San Diego on Aug. 27.

Santiago recently answered questions in a phone interview. His answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What does touring actually look like for you these days? Do you have any spots that you like to hit when you’re in San Diego?

A: We’re in the bus together. It’s actually the preferred way to do it. You know, after the show, we leave around one or two in the morning and we wake up in the next city, right? It’s like time travel. As for San Diego, my son goes to San Diego State University. He’s going to be a junior, and I’m going to be helping him move in. He’s actually going to go to the San Diego show, because he’s right there.

Q: You have two kids, correct? What kind of music are they into?

A: They’re more into rock, now, especially my son. He’s gravitating towards playing the guitar more. And my daughter’s kind of the same thing.

Q: Have you been trying to teach him, or did he kind of pick it up on his own?

A: I’ve taught him a little bit. I didn’t think I had much to teach him. But it’s funny — I do know more more theory than I thought I did.

Q: With touring, emotionally speaking, is it just kind of like another day at the office? Are there coping mechanisms you need to use?

A: At the end of the day, you’ve got to take yourself out of the equation. There are people coming in. I was reminded of that with my kids — they gave me some perspective. You know, people plan for this, these tickets were on sale for a while, they got babysitters, or their friends are coming in, and people are making a night of it. Those thought processes help.

Q: How’s it been playing with the with Emma Richardson? She joined you guys last year and played on your newest album. Does it feel solid?

A: Yeah, that’s what I was going to say, that she’s solid. She’s always on it. You know, her harmonies are right on the button, everything about her. She’s a joy to be around.

Q: Has it been a coincidence so far that the Pixies have really only had female bassists, or is that something that you guys sought out? Does it play to that nostalgia factor?

A: Well, we originally wanted a female bass player. From then on, the female backing vocals were recorded. So it just makes sense to always have that element.

Q: The Pixies seem to have some newer, younger fans that are joining the masses. Your opening riff of “Where is My Mind” kind of caught fire on social media, on TikTok —  tens of thousands of videos have used that sound. I’m curious about what you think of that as an artist. Do you think it’s cool that people are getting into you that way? Or is it kind of isolating that song from you guys, or cheapening it?

A: No. I think it’s cool that people I know think it’s cool, if that makes sense. Directly, if I saw it, that’s just the way it is. It is what it is.

Q: The Pixies have often been cited as one of the most influential rock bands of all time. You guys are credited with pioneering the whole quiet, loud, quiet dynamic. Do you think that that’s an accurate credit?

A: Yeah. I mean, that is very nice to hear. It really is. But you know, at the same time, we got influenced by other artists too. So it’s nice to be part of that vocabulary. If our band spurs other people to start a band, then kudos.

Q: Who were your influences? Did you have an ideal trajectory or ideal sound when you and Frank Black first started playing together in college?

A: Just different. We just wanted to be just different and interesting, really. What we listened to probably didn’t translate to what we sound like. For me and (Charles) too, it’s, you know, The Beatles’ “White Album.” You know, that classic stuff. Later on we got into the more alternative stuff. But our DNA, my DNA, is with that kind of genre.

Q: You had writing credits on a couple of the songs off the Pixies’ newest album — “Hypnotised” and “I Hear You Mary.” Do you see yourself doing more songwriting in the future?

A: I mean, the music thing, I just did that. I just presented it to the producer, and he liked it — I’m sure Charles liked it too — but I do that kind of stuff at home anyway. I never really presented it, because Charles just wanted to be the main songwriter at the time, which is fair enough, I guess. But lyric wise, I’m shocked that he asked me to do that.

Q: Are you guys working on new music actively?

A: Yes. We’ve worked out some demos and some maybe-keeper backing tracks, and we’ve worked out some recordings already that we’re going to want to finish up.

Q: And you’re sticking to that signature Pixies sound, or shaking it up?

A: We’ll see. That is a good question, and I do want to explore. But it’s all still going to end up sounding like the Pixies.

By Meredith Deeds, The Minnesota Star Tribune

MINNEAPOLIS — Long before becoming a global Instagram sensation, the spritz had humble, effervescent roots in the northern regions of Italy, where locals mastered the art of turning a simple drink into a ritual that embodies la dolce vita.

At its core, the spritz cocktail has become synonymous with effortless elegance and sociable sipping; a celebration of balance, where bitter and sweet flavors meet the playfulness of bubbles. Traditionally, a spritz combines a bitter liqueur, a splash of sparkling wine, soda water and plenty of ice, often garnished with a slice of citrus.

In recent years, the spritz has experienced a renaissance. The Aperol Spritz has dominated cocktail menus and social media feeds, becoming a “drink of the summer” not just in Italian cities, but in cities around the world. Its popularity has been fueled by clever marketing, the drink’s versatility and the growing appetite for lower-alcohol cocktails.

Bartenders and home enthusiasts alike have embraced the spritz. It’s easy to make and easy to drink. What’s not to love?

The spritz can vary by region or bartender, but the modern classic — most famously the Aperol Spritz — follows a simple 3-2-1 ratio: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts bitter apéritif (like Aperol, Campari or Select) and 1 part soda water.

While the formula is deceptively simple, it disguises a world of creativity.

Tea time

Jake Jarecki, the bar manager at Pink Ivy Kitchen & Bar in Hopkins, Minnesota, puts that creative spark to work by always including a spritz on the restaurant’s cocktail menu.

This summer, it’s the Earl Grey Duck Spritz, a name inspired by the Minnesota version of the popular children’s game. The drink itself, though, is not child’s play.

“Whenever I’m developing a spritz for the restaurant, I start out with a really good, well-balanced cocktail,” says Jarecki. In this case, that cocktail includes tea-infused vodka, honey syrup and a splash of lemon juice. “Then I turn it into a spritz by adding bubbles.”

In almost every spritz, those bubbles are a combination of soda water and prosecco, a nod to the cocktail’s Italian roots. And it’s usually the bubbles that make the drink refreshing and light, but that’s not always the case.

The dark side

At Red Rabbit, you’ll find the Midnight Spritz on the extensive spritz menu, and it takes a decidedly darker turn thanks to Italy’s wide varieties of amaro — and beverage director Ian Lowther.

Amaro is a bittersweet Italian herbal liqueur known for its complex, often bitter, and slightly sweet flavor profile. It’s typically made with a blend of botanicals, including herbs, roots, spices and citrus peels. Each brand of amaro (like Aperol and Campari) has its own recipe, resulting in a wide range of flavors and colors.

“In Italy, amaro can be anywhere from very light to very dark in color and flavor, and Italians drink with the sun,” Lowther said. “The darker the sky, the darker the spirit.”

Welcome to the Midnight Spritz.

Red Rabbit’s dark, sexy cocktail starts as most do, with amaro. In this case it’s Cynar, which is made with a blend of herbs and plants. But the artichoke ( Cynara scolymus ) is the most prominent and gives the liqueur its name. Lavender syrup and a little lemon is added, and the drink is topped off with the sparkling red wine Lambrusco instead of prosecco. The result is darker than most spritz cocktails, but still delightfully refreshing, even when the sun is shining.

Combining classics

While the Aperol spritz may be the most popular classic Italian effervescent drink, the negroni might be its most iconic cocktail.

Known for its bitter and sophisticated flavor profile, negronis are typically made with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, and it makes the perfect base for a spritz. That’s why Robb Jones, bar director at ie – Italian Eatery by Travail, includes a Negroni Sbagliato — negroni with bubbles — on the spritz menu. (Jones also owns Meteor bar in Minneapolis.)

“Balance is key to any cocktail, and our negroni is a beautiful balance between alcohol, acidity, sweetness and bitterness,” says Jones, who finds bitterness to be one of the most important elements to consider when developing a cocktail. “Without bitterness, every other flavor would be one note. The bitterness pushes the other flavors forward.”

Going spirit-free

The term “spritz” can be applied to a wide variety of beverages, and not all have alcohol. At Diane’s Place in Minneapolis, you’ll find a nonalcoholic rhubarb spritz (called Rhuby Tuesday) on the menu. And it happened organically, as many things do for chef-owner Diane Moua.

When Moua was the lucky recipient of several cases of rhubarb, delivered by her father from his small family farm, she immediately turned that bounty into a spiced rhubarb compote to use in one of her memorable pastries.

To use the compote in baking, Moua had to drain off the excess liquid, which created a flavorful syrup. Not one to let something so tasty go waste, Moua gave the rhubarb syrup to bar manager Sarah Atkinson, who turned it into a sophisticated version of an Italian soda by mixing it with a little lime juice and soda water.

So why turn it into a spritz? “We’re all a little dehydrated in the summer,” Atkinson says, “and all you really need for a good spritz is a sunny day, a little bit of ice cold bubbles, and maybe a patio.”

Which is why, more than any other drink, a good spritz tastes like the essence of summer. A spritz offers more than refreshment — it invites a pause, a moment of connection and a taste of la dolce vita, whether you’re enjoying a late afternoon aperitivo in Rome or at a backyard patio with these DIY recipes for Earl Grey Duck Spritz, Midnight Spritz, Negroni Sbagliato and Rhuby Tuesday Spritz.

Pink Ivy’s Earl Grey Duck Spritz

Makes 1 cocktail.

While this fun and inventive cocktail from Jake Jarecki at Pink Ivy takes a couple of steps to make, they are both ultra quick and easy and well worth the effort.

• 6 to 8 blueberries
• 3 tbsp. (1.5 oz.) Earl Grey vodka (see recipe)
• 2 tbsp. (1 oz.) honey syrup (see recipe)
• 1 ½ tbsp. (.75 oz.) lemon juice
• 4 tbsp. (2 oz.) prosecco
• Soda water
• Lemon slice, for garnish

Directions

Muddle the blueberries in a cocktail shaker. Add the vodka, honey syrup and lemon juice and several ice cubes and shake for 10 seconds. Pour into a wine glass. Add more ice, pour in the prosecco and top with soda water. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Earl Grey Vodka

Makes 1 liter.

Feel free to cut this recipe for tea-infused vodka in half, but keep in mind that any leftovers could change your Arnold Palmer game forever!

• 1 liter vodka
• 8 bags Earl Grey tea

Directions

Pour vodka into a pitcher. Add tea bags and steep for 20 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.

Honey Syrup

Makes 1 cup.

• ½ c. honey
• ½ c. hot water

Directions

In a measuring cup, stir together the honey and hot water until well combined. Cool.

Red Rabbit’s Midnight Spritz

Makes 1 cocktail.

Looking for a unique spritz that incorporates a dark, full-flavored amaro? This drink recipe from Ian Lowther of Red Rabbit has you covered with a spritz that’s as lovely to look at as it is to drink. Cynar is an Italian apéritif and is widely available.

• 4 tsp. (.66 oz.) lavender syrup (see recipe)
• 4 tsp. (.66 oz.) lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. (1 oz.) Cynar
• ½ c. (4 oz.) Lambrusco
• 3 tbsp. (1 ½ oz.) soda water
• Lemon wheel, for garnish

Directions

Mix the lavender syrup, lemon juice and Cynar together in a wine glass, add ice. Top with Lambrusco and soda water. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Lavender Syrup

Makes about 2 ¼ cups.

• 1 c. water
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 tbsp. dried lavender flowers

Directions

Bring water to a boil and add sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in lavender flowers. Chill in refrigerator overnight. Strain out lavender flowers and store syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.

IE’s Negroni Sbagliato

Makes 1 cocktail.

For a spritz that couldn’t be easier or more refreshing, look no further than Italian Eatery’s version of this classic cocktail from Robb Jones.

• 1 tbsp. (.5 oz.) Campari
• 1 tbsp. (.5 oz.) London dry gin
• 2 tbsp. (1 oz.) Italian sweet vermouth
• Prosecco
• Soda water
• Orange peel

Directions

Pour the Campari, gin and vermouth into an ice-filled wine glass. Top with prosecco and soda water, to taste. Squeeze a 1-inch strip of orange peel over the glass and drop into the cocktail as garnish.

Diane’s Place Rhuby Tuesday Spritz

Makes 1 cocktail.

You won’t miss the alcohol in the light and fruity NA spritz from Sarah Atkinson of Diane’s Place.

• 1.5 oz rhubarb syrup (see below)
• 0.75 lime juice
• Soda water

Directions

Mix the rhubarb syrup and lime juice together in a wine glass. Add ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a spoonful of the cooked rhubarb (from the syrup) or a slice of lime.

Rhubarb Syrup

Makes about 1 cup.

Diane’s Place uses the leftover syrup from making their rhubarb compote. It has cinnamon, ginger, coriander, vanilla and orange zest in the mix. Feel free to add any or all of these ingredients to the pot while you’re cooking your syrup. Or experiment with your own favorite flavors.

• 4 c. chopped rhubarb
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. water

Directions

Combine rhubarb, sugar and water together in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the rhubarb through the strainer until most of the liquid is in the bowl. Press the solids a little with the back of a spoon to extract more syrup.

If desired, save the cooked rhubarb to use for baking or as a garnish for the drink. Store syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Black Keys fans got their fix of the band on Thursday night, Aug. 21, at the Pine Knob Music Theatre — more than nine months after they initially expected.

The Akron-formed, now Nashville-based duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney planned to end its 2024 tour last November at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena. The trek was canceled over logistical issues that led to an acrimonious split with the group’s management, leaving the Keys to retreat, make a new album (“No Rain, No Flowers”) and, basically, get back on the horse.

And on Thursday Auerbach and Carney — one of rock’s most consistently exciting live acts during the past 25 or so years — seemed no worse for the wear.

Following a 55-minute opening set by Austin, Texas guitar hero Gary Clark Jr. — whose ferocious playing cut through a 55-minute set mired by a muddy sound mix — the Keys came out nodding to the band’s Midwestern roots. While video screens bore the logo for the fictional WTBK public access station out of Akron, the warm-up tape paid homage to another famous Rubber Capitol export (Devo) and then to its northern neighbor’s rock heritage with a bit of Bob Seger’s “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man.” Guitarist Auerbach and drummer Carney — with a tiger rug sitting in front of his kit — then played as a duo in front of a red curtain, reaching back to the raw, bluesy garage glory of its earliest albums with a medley of “Thickfreakness,” “The Breaks” and “I’ll Be Your Man.”

As they tore into “Your Touch,” the curtain parted to reveal another five musicians, mixed mostly for sonic texture over much of the hour-and-45-minute show. The 23-song set shot both wide and deep into the group’s career, sampling from 10 of its 13 albums over the course of the show. Four came from “No Rain…” — including the live debut of the track “Down to Nothing” — but, disappointingly, none from last year’s fine “Ohio Players.”

The 8,000 or so fans were nevertheless pleased with what they got, and by the Keys’ return in general. The group’s own excitement could be heard in the adrenalized tempos of many of the songs, while Auerbach was his usual six-string madman self, ripping through hot solos on every song and stretching out in particular on “I Got Mine,” “Everlasting Light,” “A Little Too High” and “Man on a Mission.” Auerbach also made room for special guest “Little” Barrie Cadogan from England, who stepped out on “Lo/Hi,” “Weight of Love,” “Too Afraid to Love You” and “Next Girl” and dueled with Auerbach towards the end of “Heavy Soul.”

Keyboardist Ray Jacildo took the occasional spotlight spot as well, including a synthesizer solos on “Psychotic Girl” and a cover of Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again.”

The night included the Keys’ key hits — “Gold on the Ceiling,” “Wild Child,” “Howlin’ For You,” “Fever” — while Auerbach noted that 2010’s “Tighten Up” “couldn’t have happened without Motown.” “Thank you for that.” For the encore, meanwhile, a characteristically epic “Little Black Submarines,” which Auerbach started solo, preceded a hip-wiggling “Lonely Boy.” “Thanks for hanging out with us,” Auerbach told the crowd, promising to “see you next time.”

And most at Pine Knob on Thursday would say that can’t come too soon.

Sure, the idea that Taylor Swift could perform at the Super Bowl in February 2026 mostly exists as speculation being pushed by her most ardent fans.

But this theory still received some serious consideration from entertainment industry experts Monday. During Monday’s episode of the industry podcast “The Town,” host Matthew Belloni and Bloomberg entertainment editor Lucas Shaw explained why it’s plausible that the pop mega-star could perform for the Halftime Show at Super Bowl LX, which takes place Feb. 8, 2026 at the San Francisco 49ers Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

“I just feel like, if you’re her and you’re coming off the biggest (world) tour ever, the only way to top that is do the Super Bowl, which is the biggest stage in the world,” Shaw said. While there’s “buzz” that Swift could soon announce that she’s doing a Las Vegas residency, specifically at The Sphere, Shaw said he could see her more likely doing the Super Bowl.

“The Sphere would make a little bit of sense because if you’re coming off this big tour, like it’s hard to top it,” Shaw said. However, he also said: “I just feel like the Super Bowl is a little more in line with where her life is at the moment than The Sphere.”

And, where is Swift’s life at right now? Well, she’s dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. And, for her first ever podcast appearance, she chose to appear on his football-themed “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with brother Jason Kelce. During the show, she talked about quickly becoming an NFL fan as soon as she began dating Kelce ahead of the 2023 season.

“Oh my god, I fell in love with it,” Swift said. “I became obsessed with it.”

For the most part, the NFL has become enamored of her — except for a segment of male NFL fans who resent so much attention being paid to her.

Her relationship with Kelce is associated with the “Taylor Swift effect”: a documented surge in sponsorships, ratings and female viewership across all demographics on the days she has attended games. Ahead of Super Bowl in 2024, when Kelce’s Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell agreed that Swift’s interest in the NFL had encouraged young women to watch the sport. “I think that’s great for us.”

With that, it’s easy to see why the NFL would be eager to sign up Swift for a halftime performance — ahead of Metallica. The San Francisco-band would be very excited to perform at the Super Bowl in 2026, according to drummer Lars Ulrich. He recently told Howard Stern that doing the show in the Bay Area would be “a dream come true” and a “right fit.” However, Ulrich admitted: “We haven’t been approached” and “ultimately it’s not our decision.”

It’s not known when the NFL will announce its next halftime performer; the league announced Kendrick Lamar for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show last September, People reported. 

Some Swift fans seem to believe that Super Bowl LX is a done deal, according to the theory they concocted after listening to the hints — or “Easter eggs” — they believe she dropped on “New Heights,” according to Shaw.

“All of the craziest Swifties out there have noted two things,” Shaw began. “One is that the 49ers mascot is Sourdough Sam and, two, that this is the 60th Super Bowl.”

But how did Sourdough Sam, an 1840s gold miner figure, even come up out of what Swift said on “New Heights?”

After the superstar announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” she revealed that she had developed a new “obsession” since ending her Eras Tour at the end of 2024. She said she had started baking bread and that sourdough has “taken over my life in a huge way.” She admitted to thinking about bread “60% of the time now.”

Fans have suggested that her mention of “60%” could be a nod to Super Bowl LX, the 60th such NFL event, according to People. They also observed that her New Heights appearance began with her thanking Jason Kelce for “screaming for, like, 47 seconds,” as he enthusiastically listed her accomplishments to welcome her to the show.

Swifties have since wondered if the number 47 “could be a connection” to the singer’s 47th stop on her Eras Tour. That stop in July 2023 was at Levi’s Stadium, according to People.

On “The Town” podcast, producer Craig Horlbeck said that a Swift Halftime Show in 2026 makes sense because this could be Kelce’s last year playing professional football before he retires.

But Belloni asked: “What if he’s not there?” Belloni was referring to the possibility that the Chiefs won’t make it to the Super Bowl in 2026 (they were handily defeated 40-22 in the 2025 Super Bowl).  “Really, you’re prepared to make the prediction (that the Chiefs will be there)?” Belloni asked.

Horlback replied: “I mean, me saying the Chiefs are going to make the Super Bowl is not the craziest prediction.” But Belloni laughed: “Like, that’s a lot to bet on. You got to decide these things early on. And if they have a crushing loss in the AFC championship, what does she, cancel?”

By Noreen Kompanik, TravelPulse

It is widely believed that Mark Twain said “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

There’s just something special about sailing. The open water, sunshine on your face, the wind in your hair and a total sense of freedom, relaxation and centering, a perfect antidote to the stresses of living in today’s modern world.

Whether you decide to be part of a crew manning the sails or just along for the ride, we are so fortunate to have so many incredible destinations here in the U.S. to sail, whether it be a tranquil lake or riding the ocean waves.

Newport, R.I.

Often referred to as the “sailing capital of the world,” Newport offers a deep maritime history, ideal sailing conditions and an important role in international competitive sailing. The coastal town hosted the America’s Cup from 1930 to 1983 and continues to attract sailors from around the globe to its annual sailing events.

Newport has been a longtime training hub for Olympic and professional sailors, and there’s nothing like moving under the impressive Newport Bridge, the longest suspension span in New England.

Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis, Md.

Sailing in Annapolis is a major part of the city’s identity, other than being the location of the United States Naval Academy, where future naval officers are trained in the art. Located where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay, the area offers easy access to both open water and protected coves, making it a sailor’s haven.

The bay’s deep navigable waters make it ideal for recreational and competitive sailing, and the destination hosts numerous sailing and regatta events and boat shows throughout the year.

Charleston, S.C.

This southern belle consistently ranks as one of the top places in the U.S. for sailing, offering incredibly picturesque views. With its historic charm, great sailing conditions and a vibrant maritime culture, it’s only natural that sailors want to be out on the water.

Charleston has some top-notch marinas and yacht clubs, sailing schools and charters, and the College of Charleston sailing team is nationally ranked. My favorite time to sail is at day’s end with an impressive combination of historic skyline, calm harbor waters and glowing sunsets over the Charleston Peninsula, creating an unforgettable experience.

Florida Keys, Fla.

The Florida Keys are home to the only barrier coral reef in North America and the third largest in the world, and sailing here is a tropical dream. The Keys’ multihued waters, warm trade winds and laid-back island culture make for a paradise without having to venture further into the Caribbean with a passport.

Stretching over 129 miles from Key Largo to Key West, the island chain with more than 800 keys offers countless places to sail, anchor, dock and explore. Constant trade winds, shallow warm waters (especially on the Gulf side) and easy access to snorkeling, diving and fishing right off the boat make the Florida Keys a popular sailing destination.

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Known for its mild weather, rich maritime history, picturesque coastline and vibrant sailing community, Santa Barbara is a haven for sailors of all levels. Affectionately known as “The American Riviera,” this jewel of the California coast’s mild winds, calm seas and near-constant sunshine makes for picture-perfect sailing conditions.

Those into competitive sailing can join in the adventure on Wet Wednesday races at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club, a beloved tradition in the sailing community. The region also hosts several regattas and sailing festivals throughout the year.

Finger Lakes, N.Y.

This region consists of 11 glacial lakes and one Great Lake (Ontario), making it a superb destination for the sailing fan. Visitors can choose from a number of sailing companies or use private charters such as Sail True Love out of Watkins Glen and Sail Seneca from Geneva.

The lakes are long and narrow, creating consistent and moderate wind channels that funnel down the length of the lake, making for reliable sailing conditions. Many of the Finger Lakes are deep and clear, good for keelboats, helping to avoid hazards like submerged rocks or sudden shoals. And it’s hard to beat the views, with waters surrounded by hills, vineyards and charming small towns.

San Diego, Calif.

America’s finest city, as it’s often called, is home to almost year-round picture-perfect weather, reliable winds and a stunningly picturesque and protected sheltered bay with easy access to the open Pacific.

San Diego has a long naval and maritime history, which means sailors will not only get great views of the city, Embarcadero and Coronado Island from the water, but also a myriad of U.S. Navy ships. It’s also a great chance to view gray whales, blue whales, dolphins and a slew of various seabirds.

With its vibrant racing and cruising community and notable yacht clubs, this Southern California gem is a true sailor’s city.

San Juan Islands, Wash.

Located in the Pacific Northwest, the San Juan Islands, with more than 170 islands and reefs, are a hidden gem for sailors seeking peaceful tranquility while surrounded by stunning landscapes and quiet coves. Yet they are still considered one of the top sailing destinations in the region.

Situated in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the islands offer calmer seas, less wind and rain than the outer coast, ensuring smoother, safer sailing. Sailors regularly spot seals, sea lions, porpoises, bald eagles and orcas, especially around San Juan Island.

San Francisco, Calif.

An individual sail might be a challenge here unless you’re a skilled sailor or racer, due to the bay’s strong winds and currents. However, there are plenty of opportunities to get out on the water by a guided catamaran.

Seeing the City by the Bay skyline via water is a rewarding experience, as is sailing beneath one of the world’s most recognizable bridges and past the haunting site of the abandoned Alcatraz Island. You’ll encounter calm waters turning gusty, choppy and tide-driven, but it’s all part of the fun. The city hosts world-class regattas including the America’s Cup and SailGP events.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Sailing the cerulean waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands provides an exhilarating, authentic Caribbean experience without needing a passport. It’s best to hire a boat captain for the day or take a catamaran sail, as you would need a passport to enter British Virgin Island waters.

The three islands making up the U.S. Virgin Island chain are only a few miles apart, making for easy navigation and line-of-sight sailing. Warm water temperatures and steady trade winds make for nearly perfect sail conditions, and the crystalline waters with their colorful, stunning coral reefs and tropical fish make for amazing snorkeling or diving conditions.

©2025 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The Cortez family piled out of their car and stretched their legs. Finally, after an hour and a half drive from their Long Beach home, they had made it to Little Tokyo — specifically, to One Piece Cafe.

“I was just sitting in the car like, ‘I’m going to be at the One Piece Cafe,’” said Cammy Cortez, who was introduced to the popular manga and anime franchise by her older brother and now runs a “One Piece” fan account on X. “It’s going to be a good day.”

Timed to the Los Angeles Anime Convention, the largest exposition dedicated to Japanese pop culture in North America, the new permanent restaurant is the second official location of One Piece Cafe, in collaboration with Toei Animation, from Andy Nguyen, a serial entrepreneur behind several themed restaurants. The first One Piece Cafe opened in Las Vegas in May 2024.

“One Piece” follows the adventures of protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of becoming the Pirate King, and his band of Straw Hat Pirates as they seek the “One Piece” treasure. Fans of the anime have flocked to the Little Tokyo storefront, eager to try Japanese dishes inspired by “One Piece” characters like Sanji’s “Diable Jambe” Chicken Katsu Sando, with 24-hour brined chicken served on sweet honey milk bread, and Zoro’s Onigiri, in honor of the character’s love of rice and a nod to his precision as a swordsman.

The interior dons a nautical theme, with walls that mimic the wooden deck of a pirate ship and characters depicted inside portholes. Branded merchandise includes Luffy’s signature straw hat, themed key chains and even a “Wanted” license plate. Drinks, ranging from slushies to matcha horchata, come in collectible cups.

“It’s not [like] just they slapped the name ‘One Piece’ onto a random restaurant,” said customer Imelda Cardenas. “They really did it justice with the interior and the menu, and the merch they sell inside is really great too.”

Initially premiering in 1999, the “One Piece” anime has 1,136 episodes and counting, with ardent fans deeply immersed in the lore. The manga, by creator Eiichiro Oda, is the bestselling manga of all time. New audiences were also introduced to the franchise in 2023, when Netflix released a massively successful live-action rendition of the anime.

“If you’re a fan of ‘One Piece,’ then you think it’s the best anime of all time,” explained Karime Benmbarek, who came with his older brother Yassine from Northridge to experience the Little Tokyo restaurant. “Even if you’re just a chill fan, you still feel the love through the community.”

Restaurants themed around Japanese pop culture have recently gained footholds in L.A., with Gudetama Cafe and Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe — both within the Sanrio universe — opening in 2024. Local excitement for “One Piece,” however, seems to be approaching the mainstream. In June, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted a One Piece Night, featuring a limited edition “One Piece” card drawn by Oda. The Los Angeles Lakers collaborated with “One Piece” for their February matchup against the Clippers; exclusive merch from the match now resells for up to $250.

“‘One Piece’ has a pretty big community, and especially with the Lakers and Dodgers collaborating with One Piece, L.A. is bringing anime into their culture as well,” said Yassine, who immediately alerted his younger brother after seeing a TikTok about the restaurant opening. The brothers bond over watching the show and, lured by the chicken katsu sandwich in particular, quickly made a plan to visit in person.

Karime, who tried the chicken katsu sandwich and curry, said, “I’d definitely come back — if my brother can take me.”

As anime, manga and other elements of Japanese pop culture have become mainstream, the understanding of Little Tokyo as a place where people can engage in those interests has also skyrocketed, said Kristin Fukushima, the executive director of Little Tokyo Community Council. This interest in Japanese subcultures — evidenced in the virality of One Piece Cafe — can have a positive impact on other small businesses in Little Tokyo.

After the Benmbarek brothers finished their meal, they planned to make a day of wandering through Little Tokyo. Another group of friends planned to hunt down a collectible in the nearby shops after visiting the restaurant.

“If you become more into anime and manga, that means you’re seeing depictions of not just culture, but also food,” Fukushima said. “So you have more people knowing what real ramen is versus the Maruchan instant ramen, or people who want real sushi and not just California rolls that they can buy in Ralphs.”

“I think it’s just a growing familiarity with what Little Tokyo has to offer,” she said. “Like, how do I further participate in this?”

The timing of One Piece Cafe’s opening comes as Little Tokyo is emerging from June’s ICE protests. Located minutes from City Hall and the Metropolitan Detention Center, Fukushima said many small business owners found themselves in a “lose-lose situation,” with images from the local news keeping people away from downtown out of fear.

Fans of “One Piece,” with its themes of friendship and freedom, are primed to be attuned to these tensions.

“I really like how ‘One Piece’ has a lot of nuanced messages about government powers and how oppressed people can come together,” said Daniel Orozco, who first learned about the restaurant at Anime Expo. “It’s really cool and especially relevant right now with everything going on politically.”

Cardenas started watching “One Piece” during the pandemic and quickly caught up by watching 12 episodes a day. Describing that time, she said, “Everything was really scary and uncertain, and people just wanted answers and a distraction.”

“There’s a message of hope in ‘One Piece’ because the protagonist Luffy wants to be the Pirate King, but underneath it all he’s just fighting for justice,” she said. “There’s a lot of symbolism that can be taken into the real world.”

One Piece Cafe is located at 241 S. San Pedro Street and open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Maybe you’ve noticed an edgy new trend at the bookstore.

Stroll through the fantasy, romance or YA sections, look at some of the more popular titles, and you’ll start to see it: Novels not only featuring eye-catching cover illustrations – but also colorful images and richly printed designs running along the outer edges of the book’s pages.

You’ll find this treatment on editions of Brigid Kemmerer’s “Warrior, Princess, Assassin”; I.V. Marie’s “Immortal Consequences”; Michelle Jabès Corpora’s “His Face Is the Sun (Throne of Khetara, 1)” and Julia and Brad Riew’s “The Last Tiger” – and even Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”

“It’s huge in the YA space,” says Maureen Palacios, the owner of Once Upon a Time Bookstore, about the trend on a recent Saturday at the Montrose bookshop. “But it has to be a certain kind of book; it has to be worthy of the treatment.”

As Palacios pulls out examples, she says that while it’s more typical on fantasy and YA books, there are exceptions.

“Very occasionally, if it goes with the story,” she says, showing off a stunning middle-grade novel, Grace Lin’s “The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon.” “Grace Lin, that’s such a pretty, pretty cover.”

Interested to learn more about the trend, I reached out to some experts …

Dreams from the edge 

Alvina Ling, the vice president and editor-in-chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, edited and worked on Grace Lin’s best-seller “The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon,” including the deluxe limited-edition version stocked at Once Upon a Time.

Ling, who grew up in Diamond Bar, where her parents still live, explained some of the technical terms during a phone call this week.

“’Sprayed edges’ are usually just one color. If you have ‘gilded edges,’ that’s when it’s like a gold or silver metallic. And then ‘stenciled edges’ are when you can put a design on,” says Ling. Since this was Lin’s first fantasy novel in nearly a decade, Ling says they had been planning to create “a really beautiful package” with full-color interiors and foil on the covers.

“It was actually someone in our sales department who suggested adding the sprayed edges. Grace was really excited; I think it was one of her dreams,” says Ling. “Grace designed the edges herself.”

While the stenciled edge is a new addition to the design of her books, Lin, who is the subject of a career retrospective exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, has long been interested in the quality of her books, says Ling.

“Starting with [2009’s Newbery Honored] ‘Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,’ she really had the vision of making her books a beautiful object,” says Ling, who says the author and artist Lin wanted to produce the kind of books she felt had not always been available to her as a child, especially books with Asian content.

That’s a goal she and Lin share.

“When I got into publishing, one of my initiatives was to publish books that reflected the way our world is. Because when I was a child, I never saw Asian American characters in the books I was reading,” says Ling, who arrived at Little, Brown in 1999. “That’s something that I think has changed.”

And here’s the fun part: The editor and the author-artist not only have a long professional relationship, but they have also been close friends since they were 10 years old. And they’ve been cohosting a kidlit podcast together since 2019: Book Friends Forever, or B.F.F. 

So when Ling is asked to talk about some highlights from the many popular and honored books she’s worked on with authors such as Peter Brown, Holly Black, Jewell Parker Rhodes and Chris Colfer, she does something unexpected.

She tells me her favorite out of all of them: Grace Lin’s debut novel, “The Year of the Dog.”

“Most editors say, ‘I can’t pick one. It’s like picking your favorite children,’” says Ling. “I feel like, well, I’m allowed.”

Why? “Her first novel, ‘The Year of the Dog,’ was inspired by our childhood friendship,” says Ling.

“It was surreal. It was also really delightful because, of course, that is the exact book I wish existed when I was that age. So for me it was gratifying working on that book and seeing it go out into the world,” she says. “My friends’ kids are starting to read it in their classrooms. It’s been really great to see.”

The origins of the stenciled edge trend

When asked about this hot new publishing trend, Allie Alvis, curator of Special Collections at the Winterthur Library in Delaware, provided some perspective.

First, it’s not exactly a recent innovation.

“The first book I ever encountered with a decorated edge was a medieval manuscript I was researching, so the urge to make book edges pretty is definitely not a new phenomenon,” said Alvis via email, explaining that books were originally shelved in libraries with their edges, not spines, facing out. “They really only started being shelved spine-out in the 17th century or so.”

Compared to medieval and early modern books, the utilitarian book form we expect today could seem a little dull, according to Alvis, who is also active on social media as Book Historia, where they share cool book stuff including a terrific piece on fore-edge paintings ranging from the 1580 work of Titian’s cousin to decorate a series of books with images of Cicero, Thomas Aquinas, and Erasmus to a 2008 book by artist Ed Ruscha.

“Some sport bright red, blue, or yellow edges, edges painted with patterns or coats of arms, or speckled edges made by strategically flinging paint at them. As time marches on, we begin to see marbled edges – made by suspending paint on a bath of viscous fluid and dipping the book’s edges into it – and shining gilt edges,” said Alvis of the evolution of the design.

Because we appreciated art and beauty more back then, right? Well, there were other reasons, too.

“All of these techniques were decorative, yes, but they served another purpose: to disguise how grungy a book’s edges could get! In the days of fireplaces and oil lamps, the soot and gunk in the air tended to settle on the tops of books. As that became less of an issue, the decoration remained, in part because that’s just how people expected books to look.”

Alvis says hidden fore-edge painting emerged in the late 18th century as a novelty and became popular in the 19th century. In fact, artists are still creating them, and Alvis suspects artisans of the past would want to get in on the action.

“The difference in historic decorated edges and those of today boils down to aesthetics and technology. I think if you handed a 17th-century bookbinder an airbrush, they would’ve been psyched! They may not have created the incredibly detailed and realistic designs we see on modern sprayed edges, but they would’ve gone hog wild with acanthus leaves and heraldry.

“It’s exciting to me the sheer variety of sprayed edge decorations that are out there, and I love how well they thematically fit with the books they adorn. Many 19th-century hidden fore-edge paintings are bucolic scenes that have little to do with the plot of the book, aside from maybe their geographic location, so it’s awesome to see dragons and swords and moon phases that harken back to the plot.”

And as for the future, Alvis thinks the current wave of edge work may just be the beginning – or a rebooting – of tried-and-true bookmaking efforts.

“I think the next frontier of modern book edge decoration is bringing back hidden fore-edge paintings,” they said.

“Sprayed edges are cool, but who can resist the delight of revealing a secret hidden in plain sight?”

Picture modern beer, and you likely imagine a brew that’s beautifully bright and clear, shimmering in the sunshine through a pint glass. Then came the hazy IPA and hazy pale ale. Today, a sizeable percentage of craft beer is no longer see-through, with hazies continuing to dominate beer-bar tap handles.

They’re joined, of course, by dark beers, porters, stouts, doppelbocks and others that have remained impenetrably opaque, plus several styles of beer that are usually unfiltered, such as kellerbiers, gose, Belgian wits, saisons and others. But they still represent a minority.

Historically, clear, filtered beers arrived on the scene around the time that transparent glassware rose to prominence. Though glass drinking vessels had been around since the Roman era, it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution made glassware affordable for everyone that they came into wide use.

At the same time, advances in brewing technology created filtering systems and other methods to efficiently make beer crystal-clear. This combination of innovations created the pilsner experience, which quickly became the most popular beer in the world after it debuted in 1842.

With yeast: the hefeweizen

One key exception to modern, clear beer is the hefeweizen. A style that originated in Germany, the word “hefe” means yeast, and so the hefeweizen is an unfiltered wheat (“weizen”) beer in which the yeast remains visible in the beer, giving it a cloudy appearance.

You may have heard about the Reinheitsgebot, a Bavarian law from 1516 that made it illegal to brew beer with anything other than water, barley and hops (they didn’t count yeast at that point). One reason for this law was to reserve wheat and rye for making bread and to keep loaves affordable.

Eventually the law was relaxed, and brewers were free to include wheat, though usually no more than half. By the early 1870s, brewers like Schneider Weisse — still making wheat beers today — pioneered the first modern hefeweizens.

The wheat gives the beer a silky-smooth mouth-feel and makes it very easy to drink, ideal for a hot August day, while the yeast gives the beer its distinctive notes of cloves and banana, often with a slight bubble-gum undertone. Hefeweizens are also fairly complex, and many will impart hints of nutmeg, vanilla or a whiff of light smokiness. It’s a combination that doesn’t sound like it should taste good, but it really works.

So hefeweizens are wheat beers, but not all wheat beers are hefeweizens. And it’s that banana and clove character that makes them unique. Germans also make a clear, filtered version of a hefeweizen, known as a kristallweizen, though they’re often hard to find. Filtering out the yeast to make the beer clear also strips the beer of a lot of its flavor, so most people seem to prefer the original hazy version.

Another feature of hefeweizens is their big, pillowy heads, often accentuated by being served in a very tall Weizen glass, which is narrow at the bottom and wider at the top to promote generous froth.

Hefeweizens also pair with a variety of lighter dishes, like salads and seafood, but also stand up to spicier food well, too. They’re also great with goat cheese, chicken or pork, and even pretzels.

American hefeweizen

Naturally, early American craft brewers came up with their own version of hefeweizens. To differentiate themselves, brothers Rob and Kurt Widmer decided to make German-style beers since almost everybody else in 1984 was focusing on English ales.

Their first beer was another obscure German beer called Alt (and older local beer lovers may remember the popular St. Stan’s Amber Alt), but it was their third beer that put them on the map.

Since they only had one kind of yeast in the brewery, they used that to make their Widmer Hefeweizen, and in the process created the American hefeweizen as a separate style. It’s cloudy, like its German cousin, but does not have the signature clove and banana notes. So it remains as refreshing as a typical hefeweizen with a more neutral palate. That’s also why it’s often served with a slice of lemon, to add some additional flavor complexity.

Many craft breweries brew a hefeweizen these days, often as their lightest offering, in both the Bavarian or American style. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for something easy-drinking and thirst-quenching. They’re also full-flavored without being too full-bodied.

That makes them the original hazy and the perfect beer to enjoy over the summer.

At the start of its new album, “No Rain, No Flowers,” the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach sings that “Baby, the damage is done/It won’t be long ’til we’re back in the sun.”

That’s starting to become the case for the Nashville-based duo.

Last year the Keys — Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, friends since childhood growing up in Akron, Ohio — had to cancel a planned tour in support of its critically lauded previous album, “Ohio Players,” due to mismanagement and business conflicts of interest. The group scorched the earth, firing those involved and creating a new team, and openly expressing their dissatisfaction.

Auerbach and Carney also made new music — their 13th studio album, “No Rain, No Flowers,” which came out earlier this month, just 16 months after “Ohio Players.” After that’s sets collaborations with Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, Beck and others, the new 11-song set finds the Keys again playing nice with others, this time working with notable songwriters such Rick Nowels, Daniel Tashian, Scott Storch, Desmond Child and others.

It’s also returned the Keys to the road — in Europe earlier this summer and now back in North America, where the pair is making up for frustratingly lost time…

• Carney, 45 — nephew of the late saxophonist Ralph Carney — says he and Auerbach remain angry about the situation they found themselves in last year but are regaining their equilibrium. “I think it’s slightly reassuring to know that basically every peer of ours has been having to navigate the same bull****, and hopefully things will change for the better, for the artists and for the fans, soon. Basically it’s an exclusive problem to the United States, and I think every musician who tours has been encountering it throughout the years, and it’s just gotten to the point where it’s (expletive).”

• Carney adds that it was important, and natural, for the Keys to get back to work on another album as soon as possible. “‘Ohio Players’ is one of the favorite albums we’ve ever made. We worked our asses off on it, and in light of what happened last year the record became dead in the water, essentially, ’cause touring as a way to of promotion was gone. So we just did what we do — went in and made another album. Music is our passion; the whole point of starting that band is ’cause wanted to make albums. So we just went in and made another album.”

• The Keys have been co-writing with others since working with Danger Mouse on 2008’s “Attack & Release” and have become more interested in and adept at it on most of the albums since. “We figured out a way to incorporate a third person into our democracy,” Carney says. “Basically it’s like a three-way democracy, or however many people are in the room. If everyone’s on board, great, if everybody’s not on board you’ve got to move on to the next thing. It’s us wanting to give it an idea and being able to somehow convince these people to get in a room with us and then try to make something. That’s become our recent fascination.”

• Writing with Desmond Child — who’s written hits for Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cher, Kiss Ricky Martin and many more — on the “No Rain…” track “Make You Mine” was a standout experience, according to Carney. “He’s another guy that’s just incredibly talented and has put the time in and the hours learning his craft and is a master of it — and also just a pleasure to be around. He’s got the greatest stories, too. Getting to sit in a room with a guy like that and watch him work is super inspiring. He approaches his while craft so seriously; I’ll get texts from him at midnight, still, about revisions to songs we haven’t released yet, that he wants to change. He’s (expletive) serious.”

• Carney says that since completing “No Rain…” he and Auerbach have continued to work on new material which he anticipates will likely come out sooner than later. “We’ve been kind of working at a pretty quick clip lately, kind of like we were in the first 10 years of the band when we were basically making a record every year, year and a half. We’ve been on that same path lately. It’s just what we do. We have so much stuff right at this point now, extra songs from every record. This record could’ve been 18 songs long; we just have a surplus of music, and when we feel like, ‘OK, this makes a good collection for an album,’ or maybe we should put out a series of singles, we’ll create a project. Just making the music and then figuring out what you have is a fun way to work.”

The Black Keys and Gary Clark Jr. perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Pine Knob Music Theatre, 33 Bob Seger Drive, Independence Township. (313)471-7000 or 313Presents.com.

Regina Hall and Anna Faris are returning to the scene of the crime — and horror and comedy — in the film series that launched their careers.

Both comedic actresses are set to star in a reboot of the Wayans Brothers’ “Scary Movie” franchise, expected in theaters on June 12, 2026, according to Deadline.

Marlon Wayans first teased the news in an Instagram post Friday, captioning a throwback photo of the women in the first film, along with the eyes emoji and the acronym “SM6″ (for “Scary Movie 6”).

The funnyman — one of the horror parody’s original stars and creators — is reportedly co-writing and producing the movie alongside his brothers Shawn and Keenen and their longtime collaborator Rick Alvarez.

Faris and Hall, who played friends Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meek in the first four films, issued a statement confirming their involvement.

“We can’t wait to bring Brenda and Cindy back to life and be reunited with our great friends Keenen, Shawn and Marlon — three men we’d literally die for (in Brenda’s case, again),” they said.

The new installment marks the first time in 18 years the Wayans brothers are coming together to write an original script for the “Scary Movie” franchise, which grossed nearly $900 million at the box office.

Michael Tiddes, another collaborator who directed them in “A Haunted House” and “A Haunted House 2,” is on board to helm the film, which is set to start production this fall.

A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal are heading back to theaters as “The Breakfast Club” returns for its 40th anniversary.

Arguably the crux of the Brat Pack canon, John Hughes’ coming-of-age classic — starring Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson — will be re-released in cinemas nationwide on Sept. 7 and 10, just in time for the new school year.

First premiering in theaters in 1985, the box office hit follows the five high school stereotypes amid a grueling Saturday in detention. The day slowly but surely gives way to heartfelt confessionals, impromptu dance routines and unexpected love connections as Brian (Hall), Andrew (Estevez), Allison (Sheedy), Claire (Ringwald) and Bender (Nelson) drop their public personas and realize they’re not as different as they previously thought.

The film, dubbed “endearing” in the Daily News’ original review, almost immediately became a cultural sensation. Its theme song, Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” climbed to the top of the charts.

Its dialogue, both improvised by the cast and penned by Hughes — who was 59 when he died of a heart attack in New York City in 2009 — remains commonly quoted even four decades later.

“The fact that the film has had the life that it’s had, that it’s transcended generations, was certainly not something that any of us anticipated when we made the film,” Estevez told the Daily News in 2019. “How could you?”

The last time “The Breakfast Club” was widely available in theaters was in 2015, when a remastered edition was released in honor of its 30th anniversary. A year later, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry, citing a “vivid” message that’s still relevant in present day.

“‘The Breakfast Club’ is one of the great films about identity, alienation and connection,” said Jim Orr, Universal Pictures’ president of domestic theatrical distribution. “The film’s honesty, humor and humanity continue to connect with audiences of all ages. We’re honored to bring it back to theaters so that a new generation can experience its power on the big screen.”

Tickets for the 40th anniversary screening of “The Breakfast Club” are currently on sale.

Every gardener has personal reasons for gardening.

Whether it be the hope that their garden brings joy, productivity, beauty or peace throughout the growing season, embrace what makes you happy as you tend, view and enjoy every aspect of your garden.

Weather, busy schedules and life in general can interfere with the best-laid plans for any garden and landscape. Take some time now to evaluate what is working so you can do more of that and decide what needs changing in your garden plantings, designs and maintenance.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the maintenance, but still want seasonal interest, consider filling garden beds with shrubs. Look for low-maintenance varieties suited to your growing conditions and climate. Select those with multiple seasons of beauty from flowers, foliage, fall color and interesting form and bark. Include some that provide birds with food, shelter and protection from predators. You’ll appreciate the beauty and motion these winged visitors provide.

Consider using fewer species of low-maintenance perennials and more of each. You’ll have fewer plants to try to identify as the garden comes to life in spring and as you weed throughout the growing season. Look for those that are disease- and insect-resistant, need minimal or no deadheading and pruning, and attract and support pollinators, as well as provide winter interest and food for songbirds in the winter.

Then add seasonlong color with pockets or containers of annuals. With fewer to buy and maintain, you may decide your schedule and budget will allow you to change them out as the seasons change.

Accept and embrace the beauty of a less-than-perfect garden. Most visitors won’t notice the imperfections unless you point them out. Plus, faded flowers and seed pods can provide unique texture and food for songbirds.

Do minimal cleanup that is better for the plants, pollinators and songbirds. Do remove or cut back diseased and insect-infested plant material as needed. Leave fall leaves in the garden to serve as mulch, a home for some beneficial insects, and insulation for toads, queen bumblebees, and others that overwinter underground. Allow perennials to stand for winter, increasing hardiness, providing homes for beneficial insects, food for songbirds, and adding winter interest. Leave some of these stems standing throughout the upcoming growing season to serve as homes for some of the native bees.

Ask for or hire help if needed. As much as you love gardening, securing help for some of the larger tasks or those that just aren’t getting done can help boost your enjoyment. It can be hard to find gardening help, so you may need to get creative. Consider sharing your gardening space with someone who loves to garden, but lacks a garden. Barter your knowledge and skills for help in your garden. Or plan a round robin of fun and gardening with a few friends. Take turns visiting and tending each other’s gardens. You’ll enjoy the time spent together in each other’s gardens as you tackle a gardening task or two. Then top off the visit with a favorite beverage and snack or meal.

Don’t let your list of unaccomplished tasks or weeds stop you from enjoying your garden and what you have accomplished. Relish every bloom, fresh tomato or visiting bird or butterfly.

Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including “Small Space Gardening” and “Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition.” Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is MelindaMyers.com.

Maroon 5 will be wrapping its upcoming Love Is Like fall tour on Nov. 25 at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena. But guitarist James Valentine promises that fans will see anything but a road-weary band at that date.

“Oh, no, the last show … those are always special,” Valentine says via Zoom from his home in Toluca Lake, California. “There’s a real excitement, plus all the kinks have been worked out, so I would encourage everybody to come out ’cause they’re usually pretty great.”

Enter to win 2 tickets to Maroon 5’s Nov. 25 Detroit show

Maroon 5's 23-date tour, which begins Oct. 6 in Phoenix, comes in support of "Love Is Like," the group's eighth studio album — the latest entry in a career of more than 135 million records sold worldwide, three Grammy Awards and 20 Top 20 hits, including "This Love," "She Will Be Loved," "Moves Like Jagger," "Payphone" and "One More Night." Frontman Adam Levine, meanwhile, has achieved solo fame acting ("Begin Again," "American Horror Story: Asylum") and also appeared as a coach in "The Voice," which he co-produces.

The group's last album, "Jordi," came out in 2021. Valentine said the band "knew in the future a new album was going to be worked on at some point." The process began in January 2024 when Levine sent his bandmates the idea for a song that became "Priceless," the first single from "Love Is Like," which features a guest vocal by Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink.

"(Levine) was like: 'Hey, guys, I'm fired up. I want to write. Let's go!'" recalls Valentine. "And with that song, it was off to the races. We knew it was time because Adam felt inspired."

"Love Is Like" features nine more tracks, with Lil Wayne guesting on the title track and Sexxy Red on "I Feel Like." And in Valentine's estimation, the new album, for the most part, hearkens back to Maroon 5's early days, such as the multi-platinum 2002 debut "Songs About Jane."

"Each record we've done has sort of gone in such different directions," Valentine notes. "I think there's been a constant evolution. But ('Priceless') felt like it was going back to some of the sounds that we were making early in our career. I think it was time to go back to some of those early influences, like '70s soul and funk.

"So this album, at least more than the most recent albums, has more of those elements. About half the record has that sort of feeling."

Valentine predicts the tour shows will be "really special," especially since the production is being helmed by the company that worked with Maroon 5 on its Las Vegas residency at the Park MGM. "We might bring some elements of that, yeah," he says. "We haven't toured in the U.S. much for the last couple of years because of the Vegas residence — which we really loved, but I also missed being out there and seeing the country. So we're excited to be doing that again."

Maroon 5, Claire and Claire Rosinkranz perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 25 at Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit.  313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.