XXMas With Machine Gun Kelly

Concert Review

by Olivia Cappolella

On December 21, I was lucky enough to go to Machine Gun Kelly’s third annual XXMas show at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.  As a hardcore Machine Gun Kelly fan, I was happy to experience my first concert of his at one of his dearest hometown shows. How much better could it get than experiencing your first MGK concert at his very own favorite show of the year?

There were tons of artists involved in the XXMas show that I was excited to hear from. Opening act, DJ E-V built the energy early in the night. He boosted my excitement with his awesome set. Along with E-V, I was introduced to new artists like Siena Bella and Freshie, which I really enjoyed. It is always interesting to hear new music. The DJ also brought out a well-known EST member, DubXX, who I was overjoyed to see live. The whole opening act was great and a perfect fit for a MGK show. 

Right from the start, the intensity that was brought to the stage was extreme and had everyone off of their feet. Besides the first openers, DJ Ace and E-V, there were many special guests included that built the energy. From local Cleveland legends to close friends of the EST crew, it was a lot of different names and new faces. Before Machine Gun Kelly, the mic was passed to Lil Skies, who took Cleveland by storm. My brother, a Skies fan, was ecstatic to see him perform and there is no doubt that the rapper lived up to the expectations. As for me, a first time listener to Lil Skies, I now am a new fan. That music really got the vibe right for the main act. 

Once Machine Gun Kelly and his band took the stage, the whole arena went ablaze. There was not a single person in the audience who wasn’t dancing and singing along with every song. Some of my favorites were “Till I Die,” “Why Are You Here,” “Hollywood Whore,” “Bad Motherf*cker” and “I Think I’m OKAY.” I clearly am eager for the upcoming pop-punk album, if you consider some of my favorite songs. I was also lucky enough to see the very last live performance of the Eminem diss, “Rap Devil,” which I was hoping to see. The entire live performance was better than I could have ever expected. 

The whole entire show was exciting. Kells brought out some guests throughout his set to jam with him on stage, which I loved having the chance to see. The special guests he invited included Phem, YFL Kelvin, YFL Pooh, Doeboy, Goody Grace and again, Lil Skies. As someone who is very particular about my music taste, hearing new artists live for the first time always  It was enjoyable to see Kells and the band with other musicians on stage. 

MGK’s band, too, is on a whole different level. Slim, Baze, Rook and AJ are a talented set of musicians and elevate the show to a whole new level. It was impossible to ignore the passion that the band expressed. Without them, the environment would have never been the same. The band made it much more than a rap concert. It was just awesome to see them all in action. 

I am very thankful that my first Machine Gun Kelly concert was the XXMas show. It was an awesome night and I cannot wait until the next time I see him and his band live.

Maui, Hawaii

Travel Blog

by Olivia Cappolella

There are a lot of beautiful places in the world, and Hawaii is most definitely one of them.

The island of Maui is incredible, with extreme versatility in all there is to do. From hiking through the rainforest to swimming in all the different beaches to watching the sunrise on top of Haleakalā volcano, there are tons of opportunities that will make your time there more than worth the money spent.

Over this past summer, my family and I took a trip to vacation in Maui in July. We stayed in Wailea, a heavily travel-based location with high status, fancy hotels all down the rocky shoreline. I highly suggest that adults stay on that side of the island. If you have younger children, I'd more likely suggest Ka'anapali, where cliff diving is encouraged, specifically at the infamous Black Rock. Nonetheless, every part of Maui has something to offer.

Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott

Whether you are one for adventure or not, my biggest suggestion would be to do the Road to Hana. While it is a full day trip and you must begin your journey early in the morning, to experience such amazing sights and fun activities all on one very tricky 52 mile road is more than noteworthy. The long day and difficult driving is worth the opportunities that one has when taking a trip down the Road to Hana. Plus, the Instagram pictures are guaranteed to get you some extra likes.

My favorite part of the Road to Hana has to be a tie between Twin Falls and Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach. Twin Falls is more of an adventure because you have to hike about a mile before you find it, but once you get to those two waterfalls and you have the chance to swim underneath them, it is amazing. The black sand beach, while much less difficult, is very crowded and busy, but the blue water crashing on the black sand is definitely a once in a lifetime sight (especially if you don't plan on coming back to Hawaii). Any stop on the Road to Hana is incredible, but these two were the most memorable to me.

To list everything that could be done in Maui would take a very long time, so I'll leave it at that. I suggest a trip like to this everyone, if you'd ever have the chance. As a well-traveled person for someone of my age, Maui was definitely my favorite vacation spot.

Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott

Find more photos on my Instagram and VSCO!

Ithaca Invitational

Wrestling Recap

by Olivia Cappolella 

The Ithaca Invitational wrestling tournament, held inside of Ithaca College's Glazer Arena in the Athletics and Events Center, was the perfect kickoff to the 2019-2020 competitive wrestling season. The tournament had fourteen participating teams, some traveling all the way from North Carolina and others from just an hour away. With heavy competition and stacked weight classes, each wrestler had to bring their A-game.

Over the two day tournament, the wrestlers engaged in high-paced, ambition competition. Despite the many upsets and injuries, all competitors performed fairly and followed the NCAA guidelines. The event ran very smoothly, making it a great start to the season for all parties involved.

Johnson & Wales of Rhode Island took first place with 147.0 team points while Ohio's Baldwin Wallace University trailed behind by 15.5 points coming in second place at 131. 5 team points. The event holders, Ithaca College received third place with 123.5 team points. Individual champions per weight will follow:

125: Logan Ninos (Ithaca College)
133: Hayden Brown (Johnson & Wales)
141: Gabriel McDaniel (Johnson & Wales)
149: Da'mani Burns (Johnson & Wales)
157: Stanley Bleich (Baldwin Wallace)
165: Christian Gramuglia (Oswego State)
174: Jordan Wallace (Ithaca College)
184: Eze Chukwuezi (Ithaca College)
195: Zeckary Lehman (Baldwin Wallace)
285: Drew Casper (Otterbein)

'Joker'

Movie Review

by Olivia Cappolella 

Mental illness is nothing to be joked about, but the Joker, himself, is an impeccable depiction of what suffering from such matters can feel like. Todd Phillips' 'Joker' enthralls the audience with his graphic, aberrant portrayal of how isolation, mental disorders and abandonment transformed Arthur Fleck into the Joker.

The dark reality behind what abuse and alienation can do to a person is what makes 'Joker' so engaging and authentic. In today's day and age, recognition of mental disorders and illnesses are becoming prevalent in society, and this movie raises awareness for mental health, whether that was the goal behind the plot or not.

The DC Universe is known for the superhero verses super villain action movies, but 'Joker' was different. As a standalone, character film in the DCU, this covers a deeper analysis on who the infamous villain is. Simply put, Arthur's development is what keeps the audience pulled in. It humanizes the Joker by how it puts you in the shoes of him and gives you all the twisted details of what forced Arthur to become such a man. With the family background, the struggle to find belonging and the lack of help he receives throughout the film, you wonder if a situation similar to the Joker revolution could happen in real life. While 'Joker' may show a fictional, extreme case, there are too many real situations where mental illness goes untreated, and it is important that this is brought to attention.

Arthur's final joke in the movie really highlights the tragic features of society. "What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash? You get what you f**kin' deserve!" How eye-opening a furious rant can be in a fictional movie like this is something to remember. Hopefully moving forward, mental illness can be handled in a more empathetic way. Even people like the Joker are human, so it is important to take into account what turned him into such a monster.

Overall, 'Joker' was an excellent movie, and was perfectly executed by the producer and actors. As disturbing as it is, I definitely recommend watching it.

Photo From @JokerMovie on Twitter

Back To School

College Edition

by Olivia Cappolella

After a nice, long summer of traveling and relaxing, my sophomore year at Ithaca College has finally begun. Despite the stress of move-in and new classes, there is a lot for me to look forward to in this school year. From swimming in Ithaca's many dams and waterfalls to adventuring and hiking miles through the woods, the daytime fun is practically never ending, while the weekend nights are filled with going out with friends and meeting new people. For downtime, there is a lot of time spent in my cozy apartment with my friends, watching movies and entertaining ourselves. So, to summarize, there is a lot to look forward to when moving back to college.

Introduction

by Olivia Cappolella

Hi! Thanks for checking out Livvy Lou's News. Before I get to posting, I'd like to start by introducing myself and what this blog will be about.

As a college student, you would think that everything I do is for required schoolwork, but for me, it's not. I decided to make this a personal blog, where I can share my opinions on things that interest me. I'll be touching on a wide range of topics, from sports to music to my own everyday life. There are a few interviews I have set up along the way that I can't wait to share.

I am a sophomore at Ithaca College with a major in english and a minor in writing. I work as the manager for Ithaca College Wrestling. Although I do not want to tie this blog to school or work, having the chance to write on public platform like this will help me with both matters in the long run. I hope to gain enough viewers that my blog is relevant to more people than just my family and friends. Has anybody ever succeeded without a little bit of practice?

I look forward to taking you with me on this journey!