Flaming Bros San Fernando - A Deep Dive of Season 1 (2015)

 

In my previous blog entry, we discussed the origins of this fanfic reality show Flaming Bros San Fernando (or FBSF for short). Today, we will finally dive into each season, starting with Season 1.

Season 1 (2015)                          

This season tells you all you need to know about the original cast members, and for most of them, it's NOT in a good way at all. But again, that is intentional. 

Similar to Basketball Wives' Circle, and RHOBH's Fox Force Five, most of the main cast of Flaming Bros San Fernando has a clique that I've referred to as the Bullies & Snobs (or B&S). And their influence on the show makes the viewing experience feel like a chore rather than a delight.

The leader of the B&S crew is 32-year-old Venezuelan actor and executive producer, Enrique Sapene, who is no stranger to reality TV, having appeared in Rica Famosa Latina. However, I wouldn't say that he is the leader of the show in general. In a similar fashion to that of Shaunie O'Neal, Enrqiue doesn't share anything about his personal or professional life. He is simply there to just sit back, relax, and watch the nonsense. This decision ends up working against him; not once, but definitely several times. As a result, there is not really much to say about him. He's fiesty and loud but... yeah. Moving on!

Alongside Enrique is his 31-year-old best friend and fellow Venezuelan Alex Paredes, a lifestyle guru who lives and breathes music festivals and travel. He is the husband of author and life coach Peter Monn, who we never see in this season. Alex has a bit of a similar personality to Enrique; saying whatever he wants to say. But he's, um... he's just kind of... boring. He's so incidental that you end up forgetting about him before midseason.

Our next entry into the B&S gang is 25-year-old Miami-born Cuban actor Jason Caceras, who (at the time) is engaged to his future husband (and fellow actor and makeup expert) Christian Gabriel Lopez (who's not a cast member, but appears frequently,  as if he wants to tell Jason to stop with the hostility towards people). Ask anyone in the City of San Fernando, and they will tell you that Jason is your standard pretty boy with the youthful face to prove it. He has that adorable presence that makes you think that he would never hurt a fly. But that illusion changes very quickly, as soon as he opens his big mouth to gossip. He is often the reason why the B&S crew is so fractured for seasons to come. He also shows himself to be a bully towards the more likable people that we'll discuss momentarily. 

Rounding out the Bullies and Snobs is Jason's 27-year-old Mexican-American best friend Edgar Estuardo  Alvizures. He prefers to be called Estuardo, so that's what we'll call him. Estuardo is a dancer from Boston, who many PBS fans will remember from the 4th and 5th seasons of the TV series "Zoom." On this show, he's normally Jason's sidekick. If Jason doesn't like you, then neither does Estuardo. He also has a habit of talking more trash during her confessionals than to someone's face.  And that's really Estuardo's personality in a nutshell.

Together these four men create a dynamic that can only be described as toxic, with Jason being the main reason, Alex tolerating it, and Estuardo eventually being Jason's target for gossip. And Enrique's just there seeing dollar signs because this is "good TV." The bullies and snobs also have no problem going after our next two (more likable) main cast members. 

First up is 33-year-old Mexican-American actor David Ty Reza. Let me tread lightly because this man scares me, even though VH1's target audience loves the Hell out of David so much, it is scary. David's "don't mess with me" personality against the B&S makes him a fan with viewers. But pretty soon, we see that he is... a lot. Constantly defensive, always ready to fight, as evidenced by what fans call the Drink-Throwing Trilogy. First drink-throwing incident: midway through the season, after Jason accused David of checking out Christian, David (who denies checking out Christian) proceeds to say, "What do you even care? You never cared about Christian!" This leads to Jason throwing a drink at David's face. Second drink-throwing incident: David throws a drink at Jason's face a couple of episodes later, after ripping David a new one for talking shit about David on Twitter and IG. Third drink-throwing incident: Jason would win round three when he brings a pitcher a water and throws the drink at David (who was minding his own business) backstage during the reunion. I guess you could say that Jason won that fight by technicality, while David won by likability. But David's own behavior bites him in the ass, season after season... 

And then we have the real lead and fan favorite of the show, the 21-year-old Brazilian actor Rafael L Silva, who we don't see until Episode 2. During this time, Rafa is new to the City of San Fernando, has already acted in several short films and commercials, and practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is also a sweetheart that the B&S do not like. In fact, when we first meet Rafa, he is being interviewed/interrogated by Enrique, asking some pretty shady questions such as, "Does anybody care about your short films?" and "Do you date around or do you get around?" When Rafael meets the B&S crew on Episode 2, it's stepping into a Gladiators battle, because the group treated him so bad. Estuardo realizes that he recognised Rafa in some short films, living the life that Estuardo never got to live back in Boston. So out of jealousy, Estuardo immediately hates Rafael. 

In fact, when the whole group (Rafa, Estuardo, David, Jason, Alex, and Enrique) go to a therapy session for some reason (it was set up by Enrique, go figure). And one of the very last activies required each cast member to write one word describing each cast member. While Enrique, Alex, Jason, and Estuardo were each given positive words, David and Rafael got the opposite. David was given the words, "passionate" (from Rafael), "animated" (Enrique), "dramatic" (Estuardo), "immature" (Alex), and "hideous" (Jason). And Rafa was given the words, "talented" (David), "passive" (Enrique), "sneaky" (Alex), "combative" (Jason), and worst offender, "worthless" (Estuardo). This makes the bullies and snobs super unlikable for many seasons to come.

Rafael is basically a piece of meat surrounded by vultures. There's only so much he can say to Enrique because Enrique is the self-proclaimed "boss" (sure, Enrique), so he never really bothers engaging with Enrique, which is probably for the best. There are moments where we just want to give Rafa a hug because he's basically on a show with the mean girls. And after being verbally attacked by the B&S because he's the youngest in the cast, and they're that bored with their own lives, Rafa doesn't really engage with them until he has to. You can only avoid them for so long when you're a full-time cast member. The only flaming bro who seems to like Rafa is David, and they hit it off very quickly. Their friendship becomes one of the FEWEST positive highlights of the season. But many seasons later, it becomes clear that David only liked Rafa because Rafa is a good listener and a people pleaser. In other words, David just wanted a yes-man, not an actual friend, unbeknownst to the audience and Rafa himself this season.

And midway through the season, we meet a future cast member and Rafa's Mexican best friend from Austin, Texas, Alastair Patton, who makes a few cameos during Rafa's solo scenes this season, and becomes a friend-of next season.

No friend-ofs this season, which allows us to really focus on the six main cast members.

So yeah, already a jacked-up dynamic within our cast of 6 young Latin men. And while, the B&S team are insufferable, and David is a mixed bag, it's really Rafa who's truly the most likable of the bunch.

And through it all... people still watched... and lived to regret it for years to come.

Universal Studios Hollywood - The More You Know...

With its first 52 years as a film studio, before growing into a theme park on July 15, 1964, Universal Studios Hollywood helped set the stage for future studio-themed parks around the world. But most of those parks either have since dropped the studio portion in favor of traditional rides or imagined worlds of pop culture, or were never actually studios to begin with and were built to resemble them. To this day, Universal Studios Hollywood remains the BEST example of hybrid between a studio and a theme park. Here is my take on every land park that is NOT The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Springfield, U.S.A., or Super Nintendo World. 

Upper Lot (formerly known as Entertainment Center from 1967 to 1999)

Located just inside the studio gates, the Upper Lot is the largest of the two lots in the park and has seen the most growth and transformations throughout the park's busy history. The Upper Lot is where you will find a variety of streets filled with tons of entertainment.

Universal Boulevard

Throughout most of the park's lifespan, there was not an official main street, for lack of better term. However, that would change in 2016 with the opening of the beautiful Universal Boulevard. The Art-Deco-themed entryway is inspired by buildings that you would expect to find in Los Angeles and pays homage to Golden Age Hollywood legends, including makeup artist Jack Pierce, producer Irving Thalberg, and Universal founder Carl Laemmle. The centerpiece for Universal Boulevard is the breathtaking Universal Plaza. It is the perfect location for designated dining, character meet and greets, musical performances, holiday events, and kick-ass cars from the Fast Family.

Since this area opened to the public, the newest ride to open is Kung Fu Panda Adventure, a slightly altered version of Motiongate Dubai's Kung Fu Panda: Unstoppable Awesomeness. While definitely not a must-see attraction, the exterior and interior design of the theatre, the projection mapping, and the LED lighting effects (as well as the air conditioning) are indeed the best parts of the entire experience. Although Universal Parks and Resorts has had many DreamWorks Animation rides and attractions that came before this one (most of which can be found in Universal Studios Singapore), this is the first to be created for a Universal park after DreamWorks Animation was FINALLY owned by NBCUniversal. And it is located inside the DreamWorks Theatre, which is intended to be main location for the latest DreamWorks-themed ride, with Kung Fu Panda Adventure being the first.

Universal Boulevard is also where you will find the post-apocalyptic stunt show, Water World: A Live Sea War Spectacular. The story takes place in a world without land, after the events of the 1995 film WaterWorld. What makes the show truly unique for the theme park industry is that it's based on a film that pretty much came and went, and was nowhere near a commercial or critical success. Yet and still, the show itself became a massive hit and won the 1996 Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association. It is by far Universal's most popular stunt show to date. It is also the most complex combination of death-defying stunts, pyrotechnics and one the most high-tech special effects ever attempted. If you're lucky, you may even recognize an actor or stuntman from the big and small screens during the show. 

Streets of the World

Streets of the World opened in 1989 and is a classic area that currently combines the real-world streets of Europe and North America, and the animated world of Illumination Entertainment. Going clockwise, past Universal Boulevard, Baker Street is the first section that you will see. For the longest time, it was based on the Baker Street from the City of Westminster in London; as seen by Sherlock Holmes, anyway. But with so many changes that occurred since debuting in 1989, is the now smallest part of Streets of the World, as it is limited to the facades of the following fictional businesses: Perkins Fine Arts, Forsyth & Sons Antiquarian Books, Imperial Tea Company, Westminster School of the Dramatic Arts, and Baker Street Music Hall.

Next stop is Pets Place which reuses the buildings and facades that were originally a major part of the Baker Street area, and is now themed to Manhattan as seen on the Illumination film The Secret Life of Pets. Representing this revamped street is The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, a ride that is just so adorable (for an Omnimover ride, that is). Next stop is Minion Way. This entire whimsical street is based on the hit franchise Despicable Me, starring Illumination's mascots, the Minions. The main attraction for Minion Way is Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, found inside the replica of Gru's house. Exit the ride through the gift shop, and you will enter the seaside amusement park Super Silly Fun Land. This is a much-needed water zone with three carnival games (Minion Mashup, Space Killer and Mini(on) Toss) and the aerial carousel Silly Swirly.

The next two streets are mainly dining areas. First there is the cozy French Street which includes a handful of characters exclusively made for the park: from the French Gendarme, to the Can-Can Girls, and the French Stilt Girls. Within French Street is the cobblestone-paved Parisian Courtyard. And then there is 1950s America, where you'll find the iconic Mel's Diner (a replica of Mel's Drive-In, which was seen on the 1973 Universal comedy film American Graffiti), a façade of the fictional Faber College from the 1978 comedy Animal House, and the Palace Deli & Market, ending our tour of Street of the World.

Production Plaza

North of the park's decision hub is a street all about the art of making movies: Production Plaza. While most of the Upper Lot is dominated by pop culture franchises, Production Plaza is probably the most generic, as it is made up of two sound stages that house the oldest live shows in the history of Universal Studios Hollywood: Special Effects Show based in Stage 56, and Animal Actors based in Stage 57. Both live shows emphasize hard work, teamwork, concentration and cooperation on set. 

Special Effects Show, the third longest-running attraction, is where the movie magic really starts and imagination plays a very important role during the making of a motion picture. When the show debuted in 1980, it was originally where Transformers: The Ride currently stands, and was only accessible through the Studio Tour until the Lower Lot opened as a theme park expansion in 1991. For the first 30 years, the show would go through several names and updates, before moving to Production Plaza in 2010 to make way for Transformers: The Ride. These days, the show is better than ever. It has toned down the cheesy pop culture humor that screamed "the 90s" and now features some awesome physical combat sequences and a scary fire stunt, neither of which are EVER to be tried at home.

And then there is Animal Actors, which opened in 1967, and would become the park's second longest-running attraction TO DATE! It also had a different name for a short time, when it was presented by the cable television network Animal Planet. Dedicated to the philosophy that life is better with animals, Animal Actors mixes videos, live animal performances and audience interaction for all ages. Of course, it's no surprise that things in the show will not always go as scripted, because the animals run the show, no matter what!

Studio Tour Plaza

Step through the Studio Tour Plaza past Springfield, U.S.A. and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and you are led to the glamour trams of the world famous Studio Tour. My advice to you: start your day here! The trams give you an opportunity to ride through the historic Universal Studios Lot, in which more than 8,000 movies and countless TV shows, commercials and music videos have been produced within more than a century. This often-imitated yet never duplicated attraction marked the beginning of Universal Studios Hollywood as a theme park back in 1964, just three years before its surrounding area Upper Lot would officially open to the public. It is also the very first Universal Park and Resorts attraction to feature actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon.





Once you leave the loading station, you are immediately taken to Timeline Drive, which is a long line of posters of Universal's theatrical films from 1914 to the present day. It's worth noting that many film posters will come and go to make room for the newest movie posters. Leaving Timeline Drive and moving past the Front Lot, which currently has less than 40 soundstages, the next stop is the iconic Metropolitan Area. This backlot area features 3 streets - New York Street, Brownstone Street and Courthouse Square - which have doubled for San Francisco, Moscow, London and several other cities. The nice stroll around the streets leads to King Kong 360 3-D, based on the 2005 remake of King Kong. This is Universal Studios Hollywood's first ever ride (as Shrek 4-D and Terminator 2: 3-D were actually shows) to incorporate the use of 3-D glasses for better or worse. Moving on, you'll drive through Greens Road featuring a section called Picture Cars - a display of recognizable cars from some of Universal's well-known films - sets from The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III. Then you'll find yourself through Mexican Street where you endure Flash Flood predicted by TODAY Show star Al Roker, followed by two western streets where so many Hollywood western films and silent films were created: Denver Street and Six Points Texas. And just like Metropolitan Area, our next locations Little Europe, Court of Miracles and Mediterranean Square easily double for any other location in the world. This leads to the tour's next major attraction located in Stage 50, Earthquake: The Big One, inspired by the 1974 disaster flick Earthquake, where are you subjected to an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter Scale. Unlike the movie, this attraction (and the stand-alone attraction at Universal Studios Florida) is set in the Embarcadero subway station in San Francisco, instead of taking place in Los Angeles.

The next set is the peaceful town of Amity Island, even with the unfortunate encounter with a familiar shark in the attraction Jaws on Fire. Then you arrive to the immersive neighborhood Colonial Street. It's one of the most popular and relaxing areas within Universal Studios Lot. Throughout the 20th century, the houses were all white and grey as the films produced were black and white. But starting with the making of Desperate Housewives, every house was repainted to have a more colorful and inviting presence. Many TV shows have been filmed in this specific street; from Leave it to Beaver, to Matlock, along with Munsters, Parenthood, Kenan and Desperate Housewives. Some of the buildings are practical sets meaning you can film inside of them, but the rest are facades. And while the exterior sets in Colonial Street have gone through many changes, three exterior sets outside the neighborhood remain mostly unchanged: The Bates Motel and Psycho House from the psychological thriller Psycho, the War of the Worlds Set and Falls Lake. And the final attraction in the Studio Tour is the one of the most divisive thrill rides of all time: Fast & Furious: Supercharged based on Universal's most successful film series to date, Fast & Furious. This ride's story is actually intertwined with the tour, starting as soon as you are leaving Colonial Street and ending in a massive fictional warehouse called Sullivan Truck Repair. And that's a wrap on the world famous Studio Tour, and you've heading back to the loading station to Studio Tour Plaza. After seeing where the movies are made, you can finally experience the excitement for yourself.

Lower Lot (formerly known as Studio Center from 1991 to 1999)

Once you've left Springfield U.S.A. and walked into a series of escalators known as StarWay (aka the best theme park attraction that ever lived), you've left the Upper Lot and set foot in the Lower Lot. Because it takes place in what was formerly part of the front lot for Universal Studios Lot, the Lower Lot is the smallest lot in the park, but has went from being a section about filmmaking to a land for the thrill junkies, for the most part.

Jurassic World

Best believe, if any Universal franchise from the 20th century will stand the test of time in a theme park, it is most definitely Jurassic Park.

Even in an area which already had very limited amount of space, Universal always managed to immerse us in a time before man by way of Jurassic Park since 1996. In 2019, the immersion continued when Jurassic Park became Jurassic World. To say that this was a long time coming for Universal Studios Hollywood was most definitely an understatement. 

What sets the Jurassic World area apart from its previous era as Jurassic Park is that Jurassic World is based on a theme park that actually did open to the public, whereas Jurassic Park was based on a theme park that never opened at all. The entertainment in Jurassic World can be a very daring experience (Raptor Encounter) or a very delightful experience (Tripceratops Encounter), depending on how well each person can handle standing next to a dinosaur. And Dino-Play, which also received a Jurassic World update, is a perfect play area for the little ones.

But of course, the real treat is Jurassic World: The Ride, formerly known as Jurassic Park: The Ride or Jurassic Park River Adventure. It's a wondrous adventure 65 million years in the making, with the biggest highlight being the T-Rex Kingdom scene, where you encounter some of the franchise's most memorable dinosaurs, including the Dilophosaurus, the Velociraptor, the Indominus Rex and of course the T-Rex, before going down a steep 84-foot drop.

Studio Center

This little section of the Lower Lot maintains its front lot roots and architecture from its past, easily blending with the rest of the movie studio. So it can easily be seen as a transition point from the theme park half (with Upper Lot dominating that role) to the working film studio, Universal Studios Lot.

Just like Production Plaza, each attraction in Studio Center takes place in a soundstage. This time, however, each soundstage is enclosed and the exteriors are painted and/or decorated to match the movie it represents. The first attraction is Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride, a launch roller coaster that is actually housed in a FAKE soundstage and is set in 20th century Hamunaptra, the city of the dead. This was branded as a 'psychological roller coaster' and is the very FIRST roller coaster ever made for Universal Studios Hollywood. Most people don't like this ride because of how short it is; I'm not one of those people.

And then there's Transformers: The Ride 3-D, an action-packed dark ride based in Stage 30. It is one of the largest and loudest rides in the entire theme park, but thankfully it's not as loud as Fast & Furious: Supercharged. It is also the park's best thrill ride, but it doesn't need to be in 3-D. Take off the 3-D glasses midway through the ride, and you'll realize that the footage looks exactly the same. Based on Allspark's live-action Transformers franchise, Transformers: The Ride 3-D allows guests to witness the ultimate battle between Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. According to director Michael Bay, "The ride envelops the audience and makes them feel like they're in the world of Transformers!" And it really shows when you experience it in person. It is a fun ride for thrill-seekers, fans of Transformers, and fans of action and science fiction, including me!

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And that's every area that Universal Studios Hollywood has that isn't The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Springfield, U.S.A., or Super Nintendo World! I would have talked about those areas, but by now, everybody knows something about Harry Potter, The Simpsons and Nintendo. I hope you enjoyed my geeking-out session on Universal Studios Hollywood and I'll see you next time!

My Pride Music Playlist - 7/16/2024

 
My Pride Music Playlist - 7/16/2024

1. Lemonade Mouth - Determinate
2. David Archuleta - Switch
3. Bad Bunny - Tití Me Preguntó
4. Plasma - Don't Rain on My Parade
5. Tevin Campbell - I 2 I
6. Aaron Carter - Crush on You
7. Aaron Carter - I Want Candy
8. Dream - This is Me
9. Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
10. Bob the Drag Queen - Gay Barz
11. Toderick Hall - Twerking in the Rain
12. Michael Johnston - Gravity
13. Oliver Twixt - Lolly (featuring The Chordettes)
14. Jamie Miller - It Is What It Is 
15. Blue - This Temptation
16. Blue - One Love
17. FO&O - Hurt Like We Did
18. Omar Rudberg - Moving Like That
19. Calum Scott - You Are The Reason
20. FutureLove - Obsessed
21. ETHAN - Single In The Club
22. Ricky Martin - María
23. AJ McLean - Electric
24. Omar Apollo - Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me at All)
25. PinkPantheresss - Boy’s A Liar Ft. Ice Spice (Extended Remix)
26. S Club 7 - So Right
27. S Club 7 - Have You Ever
28. Steps - It's the Way You Make Me Feel (Official Video)
29. John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, and Vincent Piazza - "Closing Credits "Sherry/December 1963, Oh What A Night Finale"
30. Gustaph - Already Know

My Pride Music Playlist - 7/14/2024

 

And here it is: this is my first attempt at making a playlist mainly centered around the LGBTQIA+ music artists, with the occasional odd ally. So it's probably not the best, but we all have to start somewhere. And I'm really proud of how this playlist turned out.

It mostly focuses on recording artists who were already well-known before they came out, but eventually came out before the making of this series.

My Pride Music Playlist - 7/14/2024

1. Domo Wilson - Bisexual Anthem
2. Janet Jackson - Free Xone
3. Mad Tsai - Boy Bi
4. John Duff - Hokie Pokie
5. David Archuleta - OK, All Right
6. Demi Lovato - This Is Me (featuring Joe Jonas)
7. Adam Lambert - Whataya Want From Me
8. Jim  Verraros - All I Am (Cyber Trick)
9. Tevin Campbell - Can We Talk
10. Monifah - I Miss You (Come Back Home) (featuring Heavy D)
11. Phase Five - Upside Down
12. Echo V - Rainbow
13. 3LW - Playas Gon Play
14. The Cheetah Girls - Step Up
15. Raven-Symoné - Green
16. Menudo - Lost
17. David Archuleta - I'm Yours
18. Fin Argus - Exposure
19. Allocai - Bad for Me
20. Tevin Campbell - Tell Me What You Want Me to Do
21. Jason Mraz - I Feel Like Dancing
22. David Archuleta - Afraid to Love
23. Oliver Twixt - Zap
24. Kerry D - With You
25. Midnight Red - Take Me Home
26. Menudo - En Mis Sueños
27. Joel Corry - Head & Heart (featuring MNEK)
28. Awgust - Boys Don't Cry
29. Troye Sivan - Angel Baby
30. MNEK - Girlfriend

My Pride Music Playlists

Hey beautiful people! 

Since the summer of 2024, I've created a colorful collection of songs from queer, trans, and nonbinary artists (past and present) for everyone to enjoy. 

Also included are some of my personal favorite allies, some of whose songs became queer anthems. But while those artists are much easier to find and include (not to mention, more well-known), there aren't that many of them on these playlists. That is because I decided to let the LGBTQIA+ artists take center stage, out of respect. Keep in mind that bands and groups that consist of at least one queer/trans/nonbinary member are also eligible. 

If you know of any other artists from the community (preferably artists who already came out), feel free to recommend them to me, and I'll add their music. As long as I'm alive, and humans aren't extinct, this series will never be complete.

Enjoy!

Here are all the playlists I've created so far

1. 7/14/2024
   
2. 
   

Universal Studios Hollywood - StarWay/Plaza/Lower Lot Xmas BGM (2021)

Since as early as 2021, every Grinchmas season (December to January), these hit Christmas songs will play on a loop for Universal Plaza, the StarWay escalators, and Lower Lot.

* = no longer included on the music loop

Here's the link to the YouTube playlist!

1. Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas is You
2. Kelly Clarkson - Christmas Eve
3. Emmy the Great & Tim Wheeler - Zombie Christmas
4. Royal Crown Revue - Hey Santa
5. Barenaked Ladies - Green Christmas
6. The Beach Boys - Santa's Beard
7. Mariah Carey - Oh Santa!
8. Kelly Clarkson - 4 Carats
9. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Mr. Heatmiser
10. Fitz and the Tantrums - Santa Stole My Lady
11. Jackson 5 - Someday at Christmas
12. Little Isidor And The Inquisitors - Christmas of Love
13. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Just Another Christmas Song
14. Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
15. Ben Folds - Lonely Christmas Eve
16. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Whoville Medley: Perfect Christmas Night/Grinch*
    
17. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Rock and Roll Christmas
18. John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War is Over)
19. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Christmas All Over Again
20. Sia - Santa's Coming for Us
21. Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs
22. Sheryl Crow - Run Rudolph Run 
23. Wham! - Last Christmas
24. U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
25. Pentatonix - Carol of the Bells
26. Gwen Stefani - You Make it Feel Like Christmas (featuring Blake Shelton)
27. Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?
28. Kelly Clarkson - Santa, Can't You Hear Me (featuring Ariana Grande)
29. Michael Bublé - Jingle Bells (Feat. The Puppini Sisters)
30. The Supremes - My Favorite Things*

LMNT - Making the Forgotten Band

The 2000s decade wasn't a good one for pop boy bands, and saw the hiatus of the Backstreet Boys, and the disbandment of NSYNC, 98 Degrees and 5ive. But it was also quite an experimental decade for singing groups in general on the small screen; especially within the genres of reality television and comedy. Before shows like 2GE+HER, Big Time Rush, and Making Menudo, there was Making the Band. 

While most fans of the ABC/MTV reality series favor the later seasons that gave the world various acts such as Day 26 and Danity Kane, I only watched the original iteration of the series. Sometimes referred to as Making the Band 1 - to help distinguish it from the later versions that apparently happened - this three-season era didn't just give us the quintet O-Town. It also introduced us to three future members of a lesser-known boy band called LMNT, pronounced 'element'.

Earth

These future members were 25-year-old Bryan Chan, 21-year-old Ikaika Kahoano, and 19-year-old Mike Miller. In 1999, these three young men each auditioned to become members of O-Town, as documented on the very first season of Making the Band. Ikaika - whose name means 'strong as the sea' - grew up in a musical family. His father (Kimo Kahoano) was a fire knife dancer and went on to work as a singer, dancer, actor, emcee, and DJ. And his mother (Lynette Kahoano), and two brothers (Haku and Kamuela) can also sing. 

Ikaika himself already had experience singing in a music group, having performed in an acappella group in high school, and recorded an album (1999's Fruit from the Tree) with his brothers under the band name ANO. He would join Bryan and Mike as three of the eight finalists on the show. And while Mike and Bryan did not make it into O-Town, Ikaika became an official member of the group, and was joined by Ashley Angel, Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, and Jacob Underwood. 

Eventually in 2000, Ikaika would leave O-Town and Making the Band during the show's first season. Realizing that music would be an afterthought in favor of reality TV drama, and feeling like some of the other members were vocally and physically weak were some of the many reasons why he left. During his short time on the show, Ikaika recorded two songs for the group: "All for Love" and "Baby I Would". And according to Ikaika himself, he would've left O-Town anyway, when he heard that the group's first single was to be "Liquid Dreams".

Ikaika was later replaced by Dan Miller (the best singer of O-Town), who at age 19 also auditioned to be in the group back in 1999. Whether people loved or hated Ikaika, the brightest side of him leaving was that he no longer had to worry about Lou Pearlman. 

Fire

Ikaika returned to Hawaii, working a regular job and tutoring. Meanwhile, Bryan Chan and Mike Miller were starting a new vocal group, and Bryan wanted Ikaika to join. After his brief stint with O-Town, Ikaika was not exactly interested, but eventually had a change of heart and became the third member. Rounding out the group was 21-year-old Broadway star Matthew Morrison. 

An unnamed band at the time, they were eventually signed to Atlantic Records, who would hold a contest in the pages of a Teen People magazine to select a name for the new band. The winning name ended up being LMNT, which was admittedly a strange name to pronounce.

Together, the quartet recorded and performed for about a good year. But by the late summer of 2001, Matthew was no longer in the group. For Matthew, being in the band (which he refers to as "Lament") was not a positive experience; calling it embarrassing, and one of the biggest mistakes that he had ever made in his life. Having to sing "stupid, ridiculous songs" was apparently not for him. Hmmm... So Matthew was gone, and in his place was 18-year-old Jonas Persch. With the addition of Jonas came a lineup of LMNT that would be the most recognizable - at least for those that remember LMNT at all.

The new and improved LMNT released their energetic debut single "Juliet" on November 13, 2001. The song peaked at #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart, and amazingly received a lot of airplay on Radio Disney, where it reached #1 and stayed in that position for eight consecutive weeks. The single - which would become their signature song - was even given a very interesting yet iconic music video on March 29, 2002, taking place in a laundromat. 

In the Spring of 2002, the guys got to tour with O-Town as the opening act in Palm Beach, Florida. Then on June 4, 2002, they finally released their debut album, entitled All Sides. The title was meant to represent the diverse musical tastes of each member, and imply that they were not like other boy bands. Unfortunately... All Sides received very poor reviews from music critics and only managed to hit #40 on Billboard's US Heatseekers Albums Chart. Still, I'm really not a hard person to please, and there were some decent highlights from All Sides, besides "Juliet": "Get it All", "The Best", "Forget to Forget" (co-written by Billy Crawford), and especially "It's Your Love" (originally performed by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill). An honorable (or maybe dishonorable) mention goes to the train wreck that is "Shangri La", easily one of the best worst songs they have ever done. That's right: BEST WORST.

Nonetheless, "Juliet" was a hit on Radio Disney, and that's all that mattered. In the summer of 2002, LMNT participated in the A*TEENS' Pop 'Til You Drop! Tour, alongside reggae band Baha Men, Christian co-ed pop group Jump5, and pop girl group Play. And they even got to tour with Britney Spears on her Dream Within a Dream Tour that same summer. In the Fall, "Juliet" reached #1 in Singapore and stayed in that position for four straight weeks. There were talks of possibly touring in Asia for early 2003, in response to the success. But on September 2002, LMNT became one of many music acts dropped by Atlantic Records, in order for the label to cut costs following the tragic 9/11 attacks the year prior.

In the meantime, Ikaika Kahoano had missed a handful of appearances, leaving the rest of LMNT to carry on as best as they possibly could. Their status as a trio was not official until Ikaika finally left the group by early December. The reason given was that he wanted to return to Hawaii to be with his family. Instead of finding another member to maintain their four-piece status, Bryan, Mike and Jonas agreed to soldier on as a trio, with their first public appearance as such being at the WBLI Winter Jam on December 2nd. Ikaika's departure was confirmed two days later, and it was reported that the trio would return to the studio shortly after to work on a second album, with hopes to get back on the road in early January 2003.

Water

On January 11, 2003, LMNT was back with a new song entitled "You're the One". It was recorded for an animated movie called 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure. I don't know what that movie is, to be honest. But from what I understand, the movie featured a nine-year-old Bobby Lockwood as the titular character, pre-House-of-Anubis and pre-Wolfblood. Back to the song, it was LMNT's first release under Walt Disney Records, after no longer being signed to Atlantic Records. Knowing Disney, "You're the One" can only technically be called a 'single', as it was only released exclusively on Radio Disney, and never officially released as a physical or digital record. It was not even included in the movie's soundtrack. The music video was basically just a montage of what I am guessing were the most memorable/iconic scenes from the movie, so LMNT was nowhere to be seen; just heard. The song itself was actually really good, but was not a success on Radio Disney, and was even rejected by listeners via Radio Disney's Music Mailbag. Does anyone remember Music Mailbag? I don't. Eventually, "You're the One" was included on the compilation album Radio Disney Jams 6 (released on September 9, 2003).

More than three months after the release of "You're the One", the guys attended the premiere of The Lizzie McGuire Movie at Los Angeles's El Capitan Theatre on April 26th (one day after my ninth birthday). They were there to promote not only the movie, but also their new song for the soundtrack: "Open Your Eyes (To Love)". This midtempo ballad is not only the shortest song they've ever recorded, but it's easily their best... song... EVER. And it sounds very appropriate for a second album, if that ever actually happened.

LMNT's next song would be made for the Disney Channel Original Series Kim Possible. The song was called "It's Just You", sung almost entirely by group member Jonas Persch. It was included on the Kim Possible soundtrack (released July 22, 2003), and it was a terrible song. And because the song was meant for children, LMNT would have the corniest music video of their careers known to man. At least "Juliet" had a more iconic (and dare I say, way less juvenile) concept. 

And finally, their last song was a cover of "A Whole New World" from the Disney animated film Aladdin, originally sung by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga for the movie, and later Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle for the film's soundtrack. LMNT's version is a beautiful underrated rendition, and on par with "Open Your Eyes (To Love)" and "It's Your Love", if you ask me. It was recorded specifically for the DisneyMania 2 album. As I mentioned on my blog about the music supergroup Disney Channel Circle of Stars, DisneyMania was a compilation album franchise in which music artists would sing their own version of one of their favorite Disney songs.

But months before the DisneyMania 2 album was ever released, LMNT quietly called it quits around the late summer of 2003. There was no official announcement given to confirm the disbandment. But on August 25, 2003 - exactly 20 years before this blog entry was posted - LMNT's official website (lmntmusic.com) was shut down (although it can still be found within Internet Archive these days). And when that happens, that usually means the end. DisneyMania 2 would eventually be released on January 2004, with LMNT's version of "A Whole New World" included on the album, as planned.

Air

As of now, it is publicly unknown what Mike Miller has been up to since LMNT ended. However, last I heard, he has been living in the state of South Carolina. 

Jonas Persch started a career in Furniture Sales and Design, and is now the president of OFS Interiors (based in Holladay, Utah), which he founded in June 17, 2008. 

Bryan Chan became a member of a male dance troupe in Las Vegas, Nevada called the Chippendales. And these days, he works as an emcee, host, and real estate agent for Prominent Realty Group LLC. Besides that, and a past relationship with television personality and fellow Chippendales member Jaymes Vaughan, Bryan keeps a very low profile, much like Mike Miller. 

Without a doubt the most notable and successful member of LMNT is Matthew Morrison, and not because of the group. After being the first member to jump ship, Matthew returned to Broadway, where he had already made a name for himself. He also released a few albums as a solo artist, and became best known for his role as William Schuester in one of the most popular, yet polarizing TV shows of all time, Glee. What are the odds of that? So the man has been booked and busy, and continues to be the only LMNT member to still remain active in the entertainment industry. Just don't ask him about LMNT.

And then there was Ikaika Kahoano, who - after leaving the group - kept himself busy. In addition to family, education always came first, and I admire him for that. He would earn his BA in Biology, graduate with honors from the University of Hawaii in December 2003, and receive tuition waivers for tutoring Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. He taught in both middle and high school for two years, and served five years as an Officer in the US Army (after spending the first two years as a military medical student at F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland). In 2009, Ikaika won the Army Physical Fitness Test Award during the 2009 OBLC (Officer Basic Leader Course) in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

After being Honorably Discharged from the military, Ikaika (who has also been passionate about fitness his whole life) put his academic background in science and nutrition to use, and created Model-Fit Hawaii in 2011. And from that year until 2017, he was a radio cohost for the Aloha Friday Morning Show alongside his father Kimo Kahoano, stepmother Kumu Hula Leilani Kahoano, and DJ Minone. The radio show and podcast aired on KKNE AM 940 every Friday, and became the only Father/Son radio show on the air in Hawaii for six years. Ikaika was responsible for the Sportstime segment of the show with his tagline being “Go sports!”

He also managed to make time to star in three movies: Camp Slaughter (also known as Camp Daze) in 2005, Supergator in 2007, and El Chapo and the Curse of the Pirate Zombies which has yet to be released. And as a model, he signed with Premiere Models and Talent in Honolulu in 2004. With regards to music, he joined his younger brother Kamuela Kahoano in a duo called Green Light Go in 2005, and they released their self-titled album two years later. For the record, while many people have trashed LMNT's one and only album All Sides, Ikaika has openly stated that he is proud of the album and that it is still one of his favorites to this day.

LMNT was a very underrated group that only a handful of people, who do remember them, will only talk about them if they want something to mock. While LMNT certainly did not reach the same popularity, praise or success some of the other boy bands did in the 2000s - a decade that was not a great one for boy bands anyway - they will always have a special place in my heart. If Bryan Chan, Mike Miller and Ikaika Kahoano never met by way of Making the Band, there is no telling if "Juliet" would have existed at all. "Juliet" is still one of my favorite boy band songs of all time, and the first song I think of when the now-defunct Radio Disney comes to mind.