The National Hockey League is currently on break as many of the best in the world prepare for the 4 Nations Face-Off between Canada With the United States playing Finland in its first game at 8 tonight I thought it would be fitting to highlight the career of arguably the best hockey player from Chautauqua County the path to professional hockey generally requires branching out from home at an early age especially when you come from a small town So Bailen’s path to some of the highest levels of professional hockey is not an unusual one but one that very few find success in it quite like he has While Bailen grew up playing in the Northern Chautauqua County Youth Hockey Association at 9 years old he left Fredonia to pursue more competitive travel hockey in Buffalo After just one season playing with the Red Raiders it was time for Bailen to advance to junior hockey but that was no easy feat for the undersized defenseman “I wasn’t drafted by the USHL or the OHL,” Bailen told the OBSERVER in 2015 He didn’t let his physical attributes get in the way of his dream and his actual hockey talents landed the small right-handed defenseman a spot on the Indiana Ice at 16 in the top league in the United States It didn’t take long for him to catch on with the organization as the next season he was already named an assistant captain and was the captain of the club in what would have been his first year eligible for the NHL Draft Bailen’s counting stats in the USHL were not eye popping scoring one goal and seven assists over 52 games at 16 then four goals and nine assists in 53 games at 17 and eight goals and 13 assists in 58 games at 18 Bailen still captured the attention of NCAA Division I Bowling Green State University in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Bailen began to pop offensively with six goals and 10 points in 37 games scoring the same total as then Montreal first-round pick Ryan McDonagh at the same age and scoring more than future Stanley Cup champion Alex Killorn but he would not go down as one of the Green Falcons greatest players like Ken Morrow or Rob Blake he returned to junior hockey in Indiana for one more year as captain and nearly doubled his previous point totals with 14 goals and 27 assists to earn a nod into the USHL All-Star Game Bailen returned to Division I hockey the following year and it was his highest scoring season as he cashed in eight goals and 28 assists as a sophomore with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to earn an Amateur Hockey Coaches Association East Second-Team All-American selection Bailen earned the honor with a future Sabres defenseman His junior season took a step back with him scoring just seven goals and 15 assists in 39 games but he saved the best for his senior season as he netted 12 goals with 19 assists in 25 games and had a plus rating of 14 Bailen was recognized as an ACHA East First-Team All-American and joining him on the team are some pretty recognizable names like Stanley Cup champion defensemen Chad Ruhwedel and Trevor van Riemsdyk skating in 12 games with Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and he registered three assists in those games Bailen was not pursued further by the Sabres or Rochester organization and he had to make the difficult decision to take his career to Europe That decision turned out to be the right one for him and a selective choice by North American clubs as he went on to prove he absolutely belonged here “It was tough because I had to decide whether I wanted to stay in the United States and Canada or leave the country,” Bailen told the OBSERVER in 2015 “I decided the Finnish Elite League would give me a better chance to better my career and the Finnish league is just as good and it worked better for me financially.” Bailen didn’t sign with just any Finnish club he was offered a one-year contract with Tappara the most successful club in league history with 20 championships His first year did not disappoint as he scored 11 goals and 21 assists in 54 regular-season games and then added four goals and eight assists in 17 playoff games Tampere lost the championship that year and Bailen collected his Liiga Silver Medal along with an All-Star selection and most points in the playoffs by a defenseman That kind of performance earned him an extension from Tappara the Kontinental Hockey League came calling and Bailen wasted no time taking an offer from the second-best league in the world That first season he scored 11 goals and had 26 assists in 60 games earning himself a KHL All-Star selection and honors as League Defenseman of the Month for December 2014 Along the way he picked up Belarusian citizenship he scored another 38 points for the club over a season and a half and participated for Belarus in the 2018 Olympic Games qualifiers he joined the Vaxjo Lakers in the Swedish Hockey League and scored four goals and 10 assists in 20 games there before returning to Russia Bailen joined the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk where he had five of the best seasons in his career he scored 136 points in 254 regular-season games also earning honors such as KHL Defenseman of the Month March 2018 KHL Playoffs Most Goals by a Defenseman 2018 an All-Star selection in 2019-20 and KHL Defenseman of the Month February 2021 leading the KHL defensemen in both assists with 36 and points at 42 taking home the league’s honors as Defenseman of the Year for 2021-22 The award is generally given to the league’s top scoring defenseman and Bailen did just that His name is forever connected as the top defenseman in Russia a distinction he shares with one of the greatest defenders of all time he left the league after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 despite being the top defender at the time That talent clearly translated as a year after being named the top defender in Russia Bailen was taking home that title in Germany In his first season with Kolner Haie in the Deutschland Elite League Bailen scored 19 goals and 26 assists in 56 games to take home honors as the Top Defenseman for 2022-23 Bailen followed up that season with four goals and 20 assists in 34 games and this year the 35-year old left Kolner Hair for the top league in Austria and currently has one goal and seven assists in nine games with Graz99ers Not only has Bailen had an incredible professional career despite not getting his chance at the NHL but he has also been able to play in a World Championship as a dual citizen in Belarus he has represented Belarus in the Olympic Game Qualifiers the IIHF Men’s World Championship in which he skated the most minutes in a 1-0 upset win over Sweden the Fredonia native it is clear when he hangs up his skates not only is he one of the top hockey players ever to come from Chautauqua County but he is also one of the best athletes with a resume that includes NCAA All-American KHL Defenseman of the Year and DEL Defenseman of the Year FREDONIA — Danielle Palisin tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and did not walk a batter as Fredonia .. Fredonia put together a four-run fifth inning and beat Salamanca 8-3 through a driving .. BUSTI — Fredonia’s Sydnee Hoffman shot a 24 over five holes but Southwestern beat the Hillbillies 35-20 in .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of New York | https://www.observertoday.com | PO Box 391 A gastroenterologist wants IBS patients to know what they experience is very real Bowel movements, bloating, and other digestive issues may not be the easiest topics to discuss with your doctor, but having a conversation is the first step to improving your quality of life says Laurence Bailen, M93, a gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine Patients experiencing these symptoms may be diagnosed with one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal conditions especially in those ages 50 or younger: irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.  a patient must have recurrent abdominal pain at least one day per week for three months and the pain must be associated with two of the following: defecation or bowel movements a change in the frequency of bowel movements or a change in the form of bowel movements.  The criteria is part of the Rome IV criteria developed by a group of health care providers and researchers to help diagnose disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) Bailen says that anywhere from 20-40% of patients and referral volume at his practice is from people who have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome or who present with IBS-related symptoms like bloating A lot of people can be dismissive when they know someone who receives an IBS diagnosis and say what you have isn’t real.’ But I always tell patients that those people are wrong And remind those patients that they are not alone gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine “A lot of people can be dismissive when they know someone who receives an IBS diagnosis and say what you have isn’t real.’ But I always tell patients that those people are wrong,” Bailen says “And remind those patients that they are not alone.” IBS is estimated to affect 5-10% of people worldwide The range of symptoms someone might face is broad from a recurring painful abdominal reaction to certain foods to debilitating symptoms that can cause someone to spend hours each day on the toilet “Having IBS can be embarrassing and socially isolating,” Bailen says “It can make people late for work or have to leave social gatherings to use the bathroom I’ve had to write letters to employers to allow patients to have accommodations at work to help treat symptoms he sits down with patients and listens to their concerns.  “One of the first steps is validating that having IBS is a highly prevalent problem that it is underdiagnosed because people don’t seek medical attention and that a diagnosis is a real thing,” Bailen said “IBS patients should be treated like someone diagnosed with a disease like diabetes or high-risk conditions like high blood pressure.” Bailen will review the patient’s history and test to exclude other disorders that sometimes have similar symptoms to IBS which typically come back normal for someone with IBS “Patients with IBS should not be anemic or have low blood counts,” Bailen says “They should not have a lot of rectal bleeding; they should not be losing tons of weight Those are symptoms that should warrant more testing for other disorders.”  The biggest difference between IBS and these other conditions is the role gut-brain interactions play in symptoms Oftentimes those suffering from a disorder of gut-brain interaction like IBS are also battling other health conditions including mental health issues like anxiety which controls the functioning of the GI tract has nerve pathways that go from the central nervous system to the brain and vice versa,” Bailen says in patients with certain mental health issues signals to the gut can stimulate intestinal contraction or the absence thereof and then cause bowel problems.”  Treatment options for IBS vary depending on the primary symptom Bailen will begin a treatment plan by assuring the patient that their condition is not life-threatening which can help assuage worries and mental health issues and Additional treatments include stress management through yoga which reduces intake of gas-causing foods.  If someone thinks they may have IBS and is considering reaching out to a health care provider Bailen suggests asking themselves questions like “Am I regularly absent from work or school because of my symptoms Am I afraid to leave the house because I may not be near a bathroom?”  and symptoms are persistent and causing concern Bailen recommends reaching out to your primary care doctor or gastroenterologist.  “Providers can evaluate them and provide help to control symptoms,” Bailen says “And this is something that we hear about and deal with every day These issues are common and there are resources Picture indulgence, and olive oil represents exactly that. The liquid fat is a result of pressing high-quality olives, which are still collected by hand in many countries. The average bottle costs between $9.77 and $13.68 per kilogram, according to data from Selina Wamucii is priced upwards of $40 for the same amount Costco customers were thrilled to find it retailing on the chain's shelves for a fraction of the usual price Online reports show different sizes at varying rates perhaps the most striking offer was the four-pack of 250ml bottles for $7.97 each; the Oro Bailén Reserva Familiar Monocultivar Gift Set retails at around $64.95 on third-party sites and $34.43 on the official website Others have reported finding magnum bottles of Oro Bailén at Costco at a total steal of just $39.99 Which brand of olive oil do you prefer? With high-quality bottles available at a fraction of their typical cost at Costco, it might be time to up your game. Maybe you should organize a best olive oil brands taste test to find your favorite — it might become Oro Bailén Wondering why Oro Bailén is priced so high compared to more entry-level olive oils The justification lies in its production processes and its accolade of multiple awards The high-end producer is situated in Villanueva de la Reina right near the base of Sierra Morena in Spain Stocking bottles labeled explicitly as extra virgin oil (a green flag when hunting for high quality) and widely advertising its meticulously organized harvesting times The company is praised for all aspects of its processing from grove care and management to actually crafting the oils Aside from the luxurious brand image it has curated the fact it has excellent management and reliable produce is critical Many of the current olive oil supply chains are in dire straits with shortfalls that many blame on ill-preparation ahead of climate change Oro Bailén's harvesting is effective and the quality level is repeatable; there's genuine experience behind its flashy labels Fancy experiencing the magic behind the bottles? It's actually possible to visit Oro Bailén. This is a great idea for anyone wanting a more immersive lesson in what to know when shopping for olive oil to find the best bottle every time Tours include behind-the-scenes access to the production mill and a guided tasting New York City trio Bailen has been entwined with WFUV since the group's 2019 debut album, Thrilled to Be Here. Early on, they visited our studios in the Bronx for a session and played an FUV Live concert from The Loft at City Winery There's nothing quite like the power of sibling harmonies and twins Daniel and David Bailen and their younger sister Julia have an uncanny given their  background as members of the Metropolitan Opera's children's chorus.) Knowing how eloquent Julia Bailen has been discussing her own medical journeys and mental health it was especially rewarding to connect with her for FUV's May is Mental Health Awareness Month 2024 series: Why is it important for you and your siblings to play the Sound Mind Live Music Festival Were you aware of the organization's work prior to that commitment and had you interacted with them in the past We are really honored to play the Sound Mind Festival this year A lot of our songs have revolved around mental health over our last two records so it’s always important and exciting for us to play for organizations that are doing really meaningful work around mental health I think it’s increasingly valuable to create community among artists and especially when trying to confront an issue that impacts so many of us It’s very easy to feel isolated as an artist and as people when the world encourages us to be siloed and polished – I think Sound Mind actively works against that kind of isolation It’s so hard to create collective power in the music industry and I think the only way we’ll see a better quality of life for working artists is through the kind of organizing that Sound Mind does I feel especially lucky to be able to share space in-person with so many wonderful artists in this amazing festival I knew about Sound Mind but I hadn’t been to an event before this festival how has it served as a salve for difficult times for you There are so many songs on this record that feel cathartic to sing live "BRCA" has been a really powerful song to play on tour – we’ve been doing it acoustic for these shows and it has felt so raw and powerful to sing around one mic BRCA is a gene mutation I have that gives me a high likelihood of getting breast and ovarian cancer in my life It’s been incredibly important to connect with people who also have this gene or whose lives have been touched by breast or ovarian cancer I feel less isolated in my experience and I have learned so much about how different people have dealt with BRCA and its unique challenges It quickly became evident how little talked about the issue is and that makes it feel all the more vital to sing about and connect with others You wrote a powerful essay in Spin last year about how your BRCA2 positive diagnosis has altered your life and how you struggled to get insurance after you fell off of your parents' American Federation of Musicians (AFM) union health insurance after you turned 26 Has any of that struggle been resolved for you personally and how would you like to change the system for other musicians seeking the medical and mental health coverage they need I do have insurance through the marketplace and New York State has good options through Obamacare – but it is still financially burdensome (I can guarantee meeting my deductible every year because of the routine imaging I have to do) It’s also unpredictable because my income fluctuates – meaning I could change insurance tiers from year to year (i.e one year qualifying for private insurance and another year qualifying for Medicaid) which would significantly change the care team I have access to – and would create a host of time-consuming and logistically burdensome adjustments constantly changing insurance policies with different networks and restrictions can really present obstacles for getting care it’s particularly difficult to find affordable mental healthcare Many practitioners don’t even take insurance and healthcare can be extraordinarily expensive Some of the most valuable work that Sound Mind does is act as a hub for affordable mental health care resources They have a really extensive network of organizations and programs on their website that can help find tailored mental health care from traditional therapy to peer groups to holistic treatments to psychedelic assisted therapy the frameworks that the healthcare system are modeled on are not built for us or our lifestyles and really the only way to meaningfully advocate for ourselves is through collective action What do you think most people misunderstand about the daily lives that musicians lead and why you think there is a higher rate of mental health struggles among artists (and the backstage folks too) in music I think it’s really hard to explain just how complex the financial structures and revenue streams are for artists The really frustrating aspect of the industry is that labels and streamers assume artists are making money on touring; while promoters and venues assume that the money is coming from streaming there is not enough money flowing to artists on either side to support a middle class of artists The cost of touring makes profit margins impossibly slim for most small to midsized artists and the royalty payouts from streamers are not reflecting the actual listenership on these platforms the nuts and bolts of running a business — are often the artist's responsibility The time and financial costs of keeping the business open and compliant can be prohibitive (i.e filing taxes in every single state and country you play a show in) And all of this must happen on top of writing and creating content for social media – all of which are increasingly the artist’s responsibility It seems to me that there are a lot of points of contact between musicians — operating as small businesses — and monolithic entities like governmental agencies or behemoth companies in the music industry – structured to engage with large businesses — and the outcome is that most bands/artists are too under resourced to keep up with even the operational aspects of being in business as an artist Add to this the very real pressure of achieving the peak of your career in your 20s while the analytics and numerical values of your work and life are on display through streaming counts and social media views/likes – sounds like a pressure cooker for existential dread There's a new song on the deluxe edition, called "You Would Never Know," that speaks to that terrible vulnerability of public-facing pain it's a song that sounds as if it were crafted in tears too “You Would Never Know” is about being in a relationship with someone who deals with stress and sadness really differently from me I have a really hard time keeping my emotions to myself – I wear my heart on my sleeve and every emotion I have on my face (But also… are you a real New Yorker if you haven’t cried on the subway Feels like a rite of passage.) I have definitely given myself a hard time for being so outwardly emotional – but sometimes that’s just the way it is — you just have to cry it out How do you take care of yourself when you are struggling with anxiety or depression When I’m going through a longer period of time where I’m struggling with anxiety or depression I really like doing something mechanical and creative – like sewing or painting Some kind of visual expression that doesn’t have to do with music or work – I think Joni Mitchell once called going between painting and music a kind of creative hygiene — and I really like that Talk therapy has also been a big part of how I manage stress and my depression but also just talking with my friends and peers about the stuff that really bogs me down – I’m someone that really needs to be around people to get out of a funk And that’s pretty much what we’re doing at this festival What makes you most proud about what you and brothers have accomplished with Bailen I am most proud of the culture of our audience Consistently the folks that come to our shows are some of the kindest people I have ever met or shared space with We always leave shows feeling really honored that our music attracted people that have that much warmth There’s something really special about feeling like we played to a room of our friends after every show even in towns that we’re not familiar with That makes me feel like we’re doing something right with the music what song have you written that resonates most powerfully with you .. Amos has been a real champion of ours throughout our career and so it felt right to have him sing on such a meaningful song is there any other charitable organization that holds great meaning for you when it comes to mental health awareness Backline is a great organization that helps connect folks in the music industry to affordable mental healthcare providers. I love going to venues and seeing their posters up in the green room – that feels super comforting. We have also done live streams with Melodic Caring Project over the years and they are some of the best people I have ever met They bring live concerts to kids in hospitals around the country who can’t get to the shows It’s great for the kids and as an artist it’s so powerful to bring something beautiful into a kid’s hospital room — it throws the value of live music into relief especially when it’s easy to let the difficult logistical parts of tour get you down Listener-Supported Public Media from Fordham University Bailen is your new favorite Jewish family band With twins David and Daniel on the drums and bass younger sister Julia on guitar and all three singing magical harmonies this indie trio is poised to steal your hearts with their endearing sibling banter and captivate your ears with their awesome music Hey Alma sat down with Julia Bailen to talk about what it’s like being in a sibling band how growing up Jewish together impacted their sound and their ethos and what listeners can get excited about when you see them on tour and hear their sophomore album “Tired Hearts,” available digitally May 5th This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity I think the most accurate genre description I can give you is indie-rock-slash-folk-pop We’re vocal-centric but take risks musically and sonically There’s a little bit of something for everyone How do you make being in a band together work It’s a mad social experiment to be in a band with your siblings It’s definitely a double-edged sword — there’s no filter you know that you’ll still love each other at the end of the day the songwriting collaborative process is very blunt and kind of no-nonsense We all write on our own and then bring things to the table and edit everything together We all have slightly different musical tastes so the collaborative process is very important to how the sound comes out Because we spent so much time apart during the pandemic a lot of the songs that we went into the most recent recording process with came out very differently on the other side We have demos of the songs that are basically unrecognizable from their form — like Pokémon There are some songs that don’t sit well with one of us that another is really But we’ll really fight for some of these songs we’re deeply resourceful— very self-sufficient And we’re all our own people with pretty different skill sets Daniel does a lot of the tour managing for us He’s very good at saving money and making money on the road for us David went to film school and is very good at technical stuff mixing a lot of our demos and a couple of songs on the record you have a very endearing banter between three of you Does this rapport come naturally from a lifetime together or do you ever feel like you have to get up there and perform your relationship It’s like a clown car: It’s the three of us bringing our whole lives out of a minivan to set up a show and put it on for you One of the things I love the most is how off-the-cuff and casual we are Our shows are an extremely personal experience I think we come on stage exactly the way we are We’re dynamic people and it’s not always the same every night Did you end the first leg of your ongoing tour in time for Passover on purpose Actually, we didn’t we didn’t plan to end the tour around then on purpose, but we did celebrate with a lovely sit-down. My mom nailed the brisket this year. She did a slamming job. I do not keep kosher for Passover because I’m a heathen My parents have a chamber music series there; we just went to hear them play Your synagogue’s website has an excited post from several years ago announcing a Bailen band concert — you’re clearly local celebrities How involved have you three been with your parents’ chamber music group They played “Rhapsody in Blue” with their string quintet and Daniel played bass Your parents are also professional musicians We wouldn’t even exist if they weren’t musicians because they met in school Our mom is a classical flutist and our dad is a classical cellist He had originally been a guitar player and singer-songwriter all through college He is a beautiful fingerstyle guitar player and taught me guitar starting when I was seven The boys were already playing in bands at that point — I didn’t really take it that seriously until I was 15 or 16 and joined the band We grew up in a house where our parents were always rehearsing coaching and playing a lot of chamber music The kind of collaboration and the musicality of chamber groups was really formative — plus hearing the powerful melodies of Mendelssohn and Schumann and all these incredible composers When we’re taught literature in school — books by Charles Dickens or like Jane Austen — we’re often not allowed to experience their sense of humor or let them be dynamic in the way that they really are I think classical music suffers from the same thing Classical music has a great sense of humor I wish more people gave it credit for how actually rock and roll it is Oh, yeah. We were all b-mitzvah’d. I wouldn’t say we’re terribly religious, but I really like being a part of the community. We all went to [Hebrew school] through middle school. It’s a part of our lives, for sure; we are full New York Jews. “Seinfeld” is an essential part of our religion That’s what we watch on tour — whenever we have a second in the Airbnb and we’re like let’s watch something,” it’s always “Seinfeld.” On a recent drive to Portland on this tour we listened to like six episodes of “Seinfeld” in the car How does it feel to be compared to a certain other popular trio of Jewish siblings with excellent harmonies Haim came out when we were touring with Hozier in LA and we sang a song together at the end of the show — it was amazing. I’m a big-time fan, I love Haim since they’re the Mecca of sibling bands right now I would be there in a heartbeat — so let’s put that out in the world Were any Jewish musical repertoires a part of your musical upbringing There’s some Ladino music that snuck in. I would love to learn more about that, honestly. And Daniel’s a huge fan of “Prince of Egypt.” We love that soundtrack — it’s a beautiful soundtrack We’ve also always really maintained that Drake’s Jewish side really speaks out in his music You could really chant some haftorah over Drake songs and it would actually slap Are there any distinctly Jewish values that have shaped your life one of the values that I was taught is to constantly question your teachings and formulate your own thought My takeaway from any Jewish education that I had was that this is one of the most important values I think it’s very rare in religion to get to spend so much time really pondering and questioning your teachings You finally are back on a big solo tour for the first time since the before times — how does it feel It’s a beautiful reminder of why we do this It’s been so great to be back out and reconnecting with people and seeing how many people have just been waiting to see us again It’s very emotional to say goodbye to something that’s like been yours and to see how people respond to it I came to the table for “Tired Hearts” remembering you can’t expect anything from the world What can folks look forward to learning about Bailen as a band when “Tired Hearts” releases May 5th It’s sonically a very different record from our last record much proximate and tender part of our voices Jason Flatt (he/him) is an educator working with music and writing to strengthen communities and invite justice When he’s not laboring over what to write in his bio he’s probably playing a different game of “on the other hand” that would put even Tevye the Dairyman to shame By submitting I agree to the privacy policy Adapted to the limiting conditions of the plot and the urban planning regulations of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a municipality located on the Costa Brava in Spain, the architecture studio SAU Taller d´Arquitectura has designed a very adaptable and flexible single-family home The single-family house located between party walls initially functions as a single-family home but is conceived with the capacity and flexibility to be transformed into 4 homes that have communal spaces distributed in different leisure and service areas The project developed by SAU Taller d´Arquitectura is arranged around a central concrete core wet areas and vertical connections are grouped separating the possible future homes and providing them with cross ventilation in a north-south direction The construction is developed with a wooden structure and dry construction to facilitate the transformation from one phase to the next functions as a large ventilated air chamber that guarantees the regulation of solar radiation Passatge Bailen residential building(s) by SAU Taller d´Arquitectura Project description by SAU Taller d´Arquitectura On a plot between party walls with a 9-metre façade and 10 metres of buildable depth the property poses the challenge of building a building that will initially be used as a single-family home but which is intended to be transformed into 4 rental homes Urban planning regulations allow building a ground floor plus two upper floors This means leaving the ground floor for parking and dividing each of the other floors into 2 homes wet areas and vertical connections (staircase and lift) are centralised in a central strip 2.4m wide with the dual objective of freeing up the façade as much as possible and guaranteeing natural north-south ventilation While in the final phase we have 2 homes with one room per landing in the first phase a single home is planned where the bedrooms are on the first floor and the day area on the second floor In this way it enjoys better views and privacy from neighbours The construction is conceived based on a central rigid concrete core where the fixed elements are grouped: elevator And a wooden structure and dry construction to facilitate the transformation from one phase to the next The roof can be understood as an evolution of the traditional Catalan roof but made of wood: a large ventilated air chamber that guarantees the regulation of solar radiation SAU Taller d´Arquitectura Andrés Flajszer. Archive HOUSING The VDR gene is identified as a crucial host factor, influencing the gut microbiota. The current research focuses on an observational study that compares gut microbiota composition among individuals with different VDR gene TaqI polymorphisms in a Caucasian Spanish population. This study aims to elucidate the interplay between genetic variations in the VDR gene and the gut microbial composition. No significant differences in body composition or dietary habits were observed based on VDR genotypes. Dietary intake analysis revealed no variations in energy, macronutrients, or fiber among the different VDR genotypes. Fecal microbiota analysis indicated significant differences in alpha diversity as measured by Faith’s Phylogenetic Diversity index. Differential abundance analysis identified taxonomic disparities, notably in the genera Parabacteroides and Butyricimonas. Overall, this study suggests potential associations between genetic variations in the VDR gene and the composition and function of gut microbiota. Volume 11 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1423472 Background: The VDR gene is identified as a crucial host factor The current research focuses on an observational study that compares gut microbiota composition among individuals with different VDR gene TaqI polymorphisms in a Caucasian Spanish population This study aims to elucidate the interplay between genetic variations in the VDR gene and the gut microbial composition VDR gene polymorphism TaqI rs731236 was determined using TaqMan assays The V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced to study bacterial composition Statistical analyses included tests for normal distribution Results: No significant differences in body composition or dietary habits were observed based on VDR genotypes Dietary intake analysis revealed no variations in energy or fiber among the different VDR genotypes Fecal microbiota analysis indicated significant differences in alpha diversity as measured by Faith’s Phylogenetic Diversity index Differential abundance analysis identified taxonomic disparities notably in the genera Parabacteroides and Butyricimonas this study suggests potential associations between genetic variations in the VDR gene and the composition and function of gut microbiota the association between TaqI VDR polymorphism and obesity or T2DM is still under investigation and further research is required to fully understand the relationship these data suggest that lifestyle interventions could reveal one or several modifiable factors associated with the TT genotype that may be responsible for the effect In this work we have conducted an observational study to compare the gut microbiota composition among individuals with different VDR gene TaqI (rs731236) polymorphisms By analyzing genetic variations in the VDR gene and their potential impact on the gut microbial composition we aim to shed light on the interplay between these factors and contribute to the development of personalized medical approaches The study was an observational study conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the protocol received approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the Community of Madrid (CEIm-R; Ref: 47/560280.9/18) All participants provided written informed consent The study included a total of 87 healthy participants Inclusion criteria included healthy Caucasian men and women aged 18–50 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5–25 kg/m2 and exclusion criteria any kind of pathology (current or within 6 months prior to the study) antibiotic intake 3 months before the study Height and weight were measured with a tallimeter (Asimed T2 Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m2) including estimated visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was evaluated on the day of stool sample collection using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA; Hologic DEXA scan Participants were provided with the Fe-Col® Fecal Sample Collection Kit (Alpha Laboratories along with an insulated bag and ice blocks to preserve the samples until delivery to the laboratory Stool samples were stored at −80°C until extraction DNA from humans and bacteria was extracted from 100 mg of stool sample using the commercial E.Z.N.A.® Stool DNA Kit (Omega Biotek GA) and a bead-beating homogenizer (Bullet Blender Storm The concentration and purity of DNA were assessed using the Quant-iT PicoGreen dsDNA Assay Kit (ThermoFisher Scientific MA) and an FP-8300 spectrofluorimeter (Jasco Bacterial DNA was utilized for microbiota analysis while human DNA was used for VDR genotyping Experiments were conducted three times to solve incongruences in the genotype assignment the Allelic Discrimination 7,500 software v.2.0.2 provided by Thermofisher was used The p-values from the DESeq2 test were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) procedure with results deemed significant at FDR <0.05 in line with DESeq2’s default settings The p-values from the ANCOM-BC test were adjusted using the Holm–Bonferroni method with results considered significant at alpha <0.05 Furthermore, we grouped the carriers for the common allele (TT) for VDR and compared their frequency with carriers of the rare allele (CC and TC) across all the parameters of this study (body composition, dietary habits, and microbiota). Additionally, carriers of the recessive alleles (CC) were grouped and compared against carriers of the dominant allele (TT and TC) following the approach previously used by Vasilopoulos (11) In this study, we explored the potential impacts of the polymorphisms on body composition and dietary habits. The aim to control for dietary habits was to ensure that observed differences are not attributed to various dietary patterns, especially given the significant influence of diet on the microbiota. After categorizing participants based on their VDR genotypes (see Supplementary Table S1) no significant differences in body composition parameters were observed between the groups (genotypic or dominant and recessive allele grouping) Furthermore, we utilized a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to record and analyze the participants’ dietary intake, including energy, macronutrients, and fiber. Subsequent comparisons of various VDR genotypes (Supplementary Table S2) revealed no statistically significant variations in the intake levels of macronutrients (such as carbohydrates no significant differences were detected across the following distance metrics: Bray–Curtis (R2 = 0.02 p = 0.633) Jaccard (R2 = 0.02 p = 0.093) unweighted Unifrac (R2 = 0.03 p = 0.127) and weighted Unifrac (R2 = 0.02 p = 0.497) Alpha-diversity parameter of VDR polymorphisms: Shannon entropy Pielou evenness and Faith’s Phylogenetic Diversity When analyzing results were according to dominant and recessive allelic grouping (CC vs. TC_TT and TT vs. TC_CC) no significant differences between groups were observed for alpha diversity parameters except for Faith’s Phylogenetic Diversity common allele TT vs. rare allele TC_CC grouping (p = 0.006; CC vs. TC_TT p = 0.167; Supplementary Figure S1) Other alpha diversity parameters showed no significant variations: observed features (TT vs Additionally, no significant differences were found in β-diversity parameters except for unweighted Unifrac distance metric in the TT vs. TC_CC grouping (Figure 2; Supplementary Figures S2, S3): Jaccard (TT vs TC_CC: R2 = 0.01 p = 0.059; CC vs TC_TT: R2 = 0.01 p = 0.585) TC_CC: R2 = 0.01 p = 0.181; CC vs TC_TT: R2 = 0.01 p = 0.997) TC_CC: R2 = 0.02 p = 0.026; CC vs TC_TT: R2 = 0.01 p = 0.743) TC_CC: R2 = 0.01 p = 0.572; CC vs TC_TT: R2 = 0.01 p = 0.709) distance metrics Principal coordinates analysis plots of Bray-Curtis unweighted and weighted Unifrac distance metrics for VDR polymorphisms according to common versus rare allelic grouping (TT vs no significant disparities in microbiota were observed between TC and TT polymorphisms Differential abundance analysis of VDR polymorphisms (TT Log fold changes for all significant genera between TT and CC Log fold changes for all significant genera between TC and CC Normalized abundances of genera identified by differential abundance analysis Boxplots represent normalized count abundances of individual genera in each group (CC *Belonging to order_Coribacteriales_family_uncultured_genus_uncultured Differential abundance analysis of VDR polymorphisms in allelic grouping by DESeq2 adjusted by sex results for DESeq2 adjusted by sex (A) Log fold changes for all significant genera between TC_CC and TT (B) Log fold changes for all significant genera between TT_TC and CC (C) Normalized abundances of genera identified by differential abundance analysis Boxplots represent normalized count abundances of individual genera in each group When allelic grouping was employed for comparison of microbiota communities [carriers for the common allele (TT) vs. rare allele (CC and TC) and carriers for the recessive allele (CC) vs. dominant allele (TT and TC)], similar outcomes were discerned (Figure 4) The microbiota associated with the CC allelic variant also showed a decrease in Parabacteroides and Butyricimonas alongside with an increase in the taxa Holdemanella in the comparison of the TC_CC allelic variants a reduction of Butyricimonas and a rise of the Ruminococcus gauvreauii group were observed ANCOM-BC, adjusted for sex, was employed to investigate dissimilarities in microbial communities. Notably, only a single Amplicon Sequence Variant (ASV) affiliated with Butyricimonas virosa (B. virosa) exhibited enrichment in the microbiota of the TT_TC group when compared with the CC group, as illustrated in Figure 5 No other taxonomic differences were identified when performing comparisons among genotyping groups (TT CC) or when comparing allelic groups TC_CC and TT Differential abundance analysis by ANCOM BC adjusted by sex Log fold change of differentially abundant ASV corresponding to Butyricimonas virosa when comparing TT_TC to CC PICRUSt was employed to infer the functional capacities of microbial communities by projecting functional genes linked to various taxa (Figure 6) No significant differences in metabolic pathways were observed when comparing the microbiota from TT and TC polymorphisms LEfSe analysis revealed the enrichment of several pathways within the CC polymorphisms These pathways included nivalenol biosynthesis (PW 7013) ubiquinol-8 biosynthesis (early decarboxylation; PWY-6708) ubiquinol-10 biosynthesis (early decarboxylation; PWY-5857) ubiquinol-9 biosynthesis (early decarboxylation; PWY-5856) ubiquinol-7 biosynthesis (early decarboxylation; PWY-5855) and the superpathway ubiquinol 8 (UBISYN-PWY) within microbial communities associated with CC polymorphisms when compared to TC nivalenol biosynthesis (PW 7013) was the only pathway that exhibited upregulation in CC when contrasted with TT_TC the superpathway of (Kdo)2-lipid A biosynthesis (KDD-NAGLIPASYN-PWY) displayed downregulation in the CC group when compared with TT as well as in the TC_CC group when compared to TT Predicted functional composition of metagenomes based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing data LEfSe based on the PICRUSTt2 dataset revealed differentially enriched metabolic pathways associated with VDR polymorphisms (TT The genetic variations associated with TaqI rs731236 have been linked to diverse responses in obesity suggesting a potential influence on the composition and function of the gut microbiota This study aimed to characterize the bacterial communities in individuals with different genotypes of the VDR gene genotypes (TaqI rs731236) employing the 16S rRNA gene study approach We investigated microbial diversity and abundance across groups (CC to explore potential associations between the TaqI polymorphism alleles C/T and genotypes groups with specific microbial profiles suggesting potential positive effects on glucose and fat metabolism in individuals with the TT genotype/ T allele and PWY-5856) were also prominent in the TC group emphasizing the importance of CoQ biosynthesis in this context the TT_TC group showed overexpression of the PWY-7013 pathway (nivalenol biosynthesis and propane 1,2 diol degradation) indicating an increased degradation of this compound potentially affecting energy metabolism or substrate utilization pathways associated with menaquinone biosynthesis (PWY-5853) were also overexpressed in the TC group types of vitamin K produced by certain bacteria These observed differences may reflect alterations in the presence or metabolic activity of vitamin K-producing bacteria The results reveal substantial differences in metabolic pathways among the studied groups (CC emphasizing the significance of lipid A and CoQ biosynthesis as along with changes in the degradation of specific compounds and the biosynthesis of menaquinones These findings suggest potential associations with specific VDR gene profiles The TT genotype of the TaqI polymorphism may be associated with differential modulation in vitamin D levels or VDR activity which could favor an environment that benefits certain bacterial genera This could be an environment that promotes the production or utilization of SCFAs thereby benefiting the proliferation of bacteria involved in butyrate production and other SCFAs such as Butyricimonas and Parabacteroides VDR is also involved in the regulation of bile acid metabolism alterations in VDR signaling due to the TT genotype could modify bile acid composition in the gut facilitating the growth of genera like Parabacteroides there could be differential modulation of cytokines and other immunomodulatory molecules creating an intestinal environment that favors the proliferation of specific bacteria such as Butyricimonas and Parabacteroides VDR gene polymorphisms can lead to altered vitamin D signaling ultimately influencing the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome These changes can have significant consequences for host health A limitation of the present study is that although we used a well-defined sample of healthy participants the study had a relatively small sample size which may limit the generalizability of the findings to larger populations studying the association between genetic variants and the microbiota in healthy volunteers facilitates the examination of the direct influence of genetic variants on microbiota composition without confounding pathological factors in our study potential confounding factors dietary habits and smoking has been considered Our research work suggests that polymorphisms in the VDR gene may be linked to specific microbiota genera compositions and functionalities This study highlights the importance of considering genetic variations to grasp the intricate interplay between host genetics and gut microbiota which may have implications for personalized nutrition and health interventions Further research is essential to unravel the precise mechanisms by which VDR gene polymorphisms influence gut microbiota composition and function thereby setting the stage for future investigations and potential therapeutic approaches Knowledge of how VDR polymorphisms impact gut microbiota can contribute to the development of personalized medical approaches Individuals with certain VDR gene variants might benefit from tailored probiotic or dietary interventions to optimize gut health The data presented in the study are deposited in the NCBI BioProject repository The studies involving humans were approved by Research Ethics Committee of the Community of Madrid The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research This research was supported by the Ramón y Cajal program (grant 2012_11910) AGL2016-77288-R project of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Universidad Europea de Madrid grants 2018/UEM4 and 2022/UEM28 We acknowledge Maria Gregoria Montalvo and Catalina Santiago for the technical help and assistance for the genotyping experiments OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 have been used to assist in improving the clarity and fluency of the English language in this manuscript The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1423472/full#supplementary-material Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar The vitamin D receptor: new paradigms for the regulation of gene expression by 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Ancient nuclear receptor VDR with new functions: microbiome and inflammation PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms modify the response to vitamin D supplementation: a systematic review and Meta-analysis Crossref Full Text | Google 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Maria Bailen, bWFyaWEuYmFpbGVuQHVhbS5lcw== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. 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Menu Listen BAILEN Break Down Their Emotionally Heavy New LP Tired Hearts Track by Track The NYC-based sibling trio’s sophomore album is out now via Fantasy Records With 232 pages and an expanded 12″ by 12″ format our biggest print issue yet celebrates the people and Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records the sophomore album from the endearing Brighton duo is a jolt of punk-rock beauty The NYC-based project’s second album delights in its confident sense of chaos with vocalist Cole Haden knowing full well there’s no way we’re going to avert our gaze for a single moment Channeling Ziggy Stardust’s glam transcendence Will Toledo resurrects the album as a grandiose narrative vehicle while marking his valiant stride into the rock canon If the three vocalists who comprise BAILEN sound like they have a particularly strong chemistry chalk it up to the fact that they have a long history together—a lifelong history The vibrant alt-pop outfit takes its name from the last name of its three members who first turned heads in 2015 with their single “Something Tells Me” and caught fire shortly after in 2019 with their debut record Thrilled to Be Here with the intermediary global pandemic coinciding with (or influencing) personal hardships in each of their lives regarding relationships and familial health concerns the four-year wait for Thrilled to Be Here was as much the result of these life events as it was inspired by them with the newly released Tired Hearts embodying both the unfathomable pain and the total ecstasy of overcoming it that each sibling seems to have experienced during that period “Tired Hearts”Daniel Bailen: “Tired Hearts” is one of the first songs we wrote for this new record and it dictated a lot of where we took the rest of the songs thematically and musically It began as an adaptation from a 19th century poem about an Irish factory worker and speaks about the search for understanding and belonging while our means of survival drives us further from that To be quite honest,  it’s a song about late-stage capitalism We had worked on this song over the summer of 2020 and Daniel had made a rough demo in Logic that had some different sonic textures we hadn’t explored yet The version on the record ended up using most of the stems from Daniel’s demo “Nothing Left to Give”Daniel Bailen: “Nothing Left to Give” came from the total abandon of feeling so overwhelmed that you no longer care if everything goes wrong The song is a mantra to help me crawl out of a depression hole to help me clean my room for the first time in a while or to keep an overwhelming day in perspective even when it feels like you won’t survive it A lot of this song was written in a period where I’d tried nearly every class of medication to treat my anxiety and depression and nothing was really helping or the meds were giving me weird side effects It was a frustrating experience to pluck up the courage to try a medication only for it to be a false start David helped finish the chorus when I came home singing the first line and then we all sat around and hashed out the verse lyrics together The piano on the recording is the one in the living room of our apartment It’s this janky old player piano that kind of has this chorused sound to it “These Bones”Daniel Bailen: These Bones was written in March 2020 when the world stopped After spending every waking second with each other in a van for a year my partner Erica and I left the city and all I grabbed was my bass The instrumentation was a product of not having David and Julia to play with and the feeling that it was such a lonely and personal time that it felt like the right vehicle to express myself There is something very somber and solitary about a solo bass and vocal song that captured the energy at the time just using my falsetto for the entire song felt like the only way to sing when the world stopped There’s an intimacy to this song that sprung from the world stopping.  my mother-in-law-to-be was diagnosed with breast cancer and our grandmother was in the hospital with COVID I wanted to write a song that I could send to them that would comfort them and give them hope and a message of healing The line “These bones will heal on their own” was circling in my head and the rest of the lyrics kind of wrote themselves Sometimes I have drafts and drafts of lyrics It’s one I’m very proud of—it’s probably the most honest and personal song I’ve ever written “Leave Me Wanting More”Julia Bailen: “Leave Me Wanting More” came out of a fight I had on the streets of Edinburgh with my boyfriend suitcases rolling on the cobblestones behind us He’s really non-confrontational and even-keeled and sometimes all I want is for him to fight back His even-tempered and understanding style of argument—if you can call it that—drives me up the wall why am I the only one laughing?” comes from the manic frustration of not having my partner meet my escalation—it’s the argument equivalent of being stood up.  The song started off live as more of a loud rock song and for the record we had this more intimate approach and it really transformed the tone of the song and brought out the tension in the chorus lyric I think it came out really understated with an underlying insatiability that I love One of my favorite moments in the studio happened when we were making this track: We were sending the background vocals from the demo to try out and there was a glitch when transposing the BGVs into the new key of the song they were in the wrong key and we sounded like chipmunks But when we listened back to the song with the chipmunk vocals “Here We Are Again”Julia Bailen: “Here We Are Again” is about running out of things to say to your significant other It goes through all of the seasons of being in a long-distance relationship and lands on the frustrating phenomenon of having nothing to say to one another on the phone It’s exhausting having to relay the events of the day over and over again—especially when all you have to tell is the monotony of being on the road.  I had gone in for a writing session on my own in London and we wrote the chorus and pre-chorus of the song but the verses were feeling a bit insincere I brought it home to David and Daniel and we tried to work out a more personal approach to the song just started writing all of these lines from my perspective—moments of my life and relationship that we had all lived through together or heard about—and the verses just poured out of him David took them and put them into this more rhythmic form that made them feel really good in three-part harmony It’s weird and very cool that those verses are some of the most personal and real lyrics on the record for me to sing “Call It Like It Is”David Bailen: Julia had the chorus line “Call it like it is” written down in her notebook for a while Then we did a writing session with our friends Sam and Adam from X Ambassadors and they had this amazing bassline that we just started singing this line over and then after the session we fleshed out a verse melody and shot it back and forth a few times and really became one of the most fun songs to play live on the record The solo at the end was a very last-minute addition that we added during the mixing process and we’re so glad we did  because it’s such a fun moment and gives the song this whole other dimension “Change Your Mind”Julia Bailen: This song came from a couple of different people in my life leaving me in New York for far off places at the same time It’s about giving yourself to someone who has a really bad grass-is-greener complex and can’t stop chasing some version of themselves in some distant land I know I can’t do anything to stop them from feeling like there’s a better life somewhere else even if it breaks my heart every time they leave we had to fight for the lyric “war of attrition,” because Brad thought it sounded too much like “war of nutrition.” But we’re big on nutrition It’s about all of the excuses you make for someone you love This song has been through a lot of versions too—it started out as a folk song and became what it is in the studio when we were trying to figure it out The guitar line came from a song that had about a zillion rewrites and just never worked And there was a magical moment in pre-production where we married the two and it finally worked That was the most magical moment of pre-production—when David and I were sitting around playing this guitar line and Daniel and David started singing the chorus of “Love You Blind” over it out of the blue It’s such an amazing moment when the puzzle pieces finally lock in together “Relic”Julia Bailen: It’s very strange to know someone so intimately and to leave each other Daniel was trying to write a pop song but couldn’t help but break all of our hearts instead The song originally had a bridge that was this epic rock-out section and we realized that all the song needed was the first half so we ended up shortening the song quite a bit and making it more of a little moment in time We’re all singing so quietly on this recording that you can really hear the rain coming down outside Brad’s house It felt like the right moment to record this song David and Daniel are actually singing in their falsettos in unison on the verse of this song Recording this song really brought out a lot of emotions for all of us and David was having a very emotional time with it and you can really hear the vulnerability in his voice in the take that made the record I got genetic testing done and received a diagnosis for a gene mutation that makes me extremely likely to get breast cancer at some point in my life The gene is called BRCA and it’s a hereditary mutation that my mother has My mom is a breast cancer survivor and expressed a lot of guilt when I learned that I had the gene mutation—guilt that I tried to assuage many In 2021 right before we were set to record this record I came up with the melody for this chorus but never had any lyrics for it Between pre-production and recording the record I felt a small pea-sized lump in my breast that was unfamiliar to me in my self-check I quickly called my doctor and went in for an examination and she sent me to get an ultrasound In the cab ride home and in the day or so while I waited to hear if I would need further testing The verse lyrics came out over a melody that David had sung in pre-production and the song became a letter to my mom saying how I wouldn’t trade this gene mutation for all of the other genes she gave me and the beautiful relationship we have to assure her that there are worse things in this world and that I’m happy that I have the power of knowledge and access to screenings and technology that make this a survivable cancer.  I also wanted to use this song as a way to tell my mom—and remind myself—that I’m determined to not let this diagnosis impact how I live my life The mental weight of wondering when the proverbial cancer shoe is going to drop has and for a while made it hard to justify the intense and chaotic lifestyle of being in a band—but somewhere in this journey I decided (and the pandemic was a powerful reminder) to live my life like I’m dying and not let the dying part get in the way of living The lump that I felt turned out to be a cyst and was harmless—but I’m glad I made sure “Shadows”David Bailen: I came up with the chorus on a drive during a tour in 2019 before the pandemic I wrote this after my now-wife had gone through a pretty rough few years and was just trying to get back up on her feet It always amazed me how through all the turbulence in her life The song clicked lyrically in the middle of the pandemic when we needed a break from our tiny Washington Heights apartment that looked out onto brick walls We decided to buy a blow-up pool and set it up in her mom’s backyard as our pandemic vacation The first verse of the song pretty much describes the moment when I looked at her laying in the pool and knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.  It’s also a promise to her that whatever we go through we’ll always share the burden and be there for each other in a reciprocal way The song saw a ton of rewrites—it started out big and belted (and we play it live that way) but in the recording process it ended up being one of the most tender and beautiful songs on the record Brad really encouraged us to let the emotion of the lyrics dictate how we sing it and the truth was that this wasn’t a song that I was screaming and belting “Hiding”Julia Bailen: We could release an entire EP of different versions of this one song We wrote this song with the inimitable Amy Wadge and it was really just a song about the quotidian ways you love your partner and show gratitude David came up with the chorus on piano and we wrote the verses together with Amy and then Daniel went home and watched the Bee Gees documentary and immediately made a demo in Logic that was heavily inspired by the (other) iconic sibling group We hope that it retained some of its Bee Gees-ness in the final recording but we went through lots of drafts and lyrics and rediscoveries to find this song’s identity as a Bailen song first and foremost.  We ended up cutting this track with engineer and producer Ricky Damien Ricky brought the track to life with us in our home studio and just hung out and ate sushi burritos and had a blast At one point there were so many tracks in the session that our computer overheated and we had to put it on an ice pack Maybe one day we’ll share the insane sonic journey this song went through to get to where we landed—there’s a pretty iconic dark pop version of this song that we made with Brad that you would have a hard time believing is the same song From When we first met Bailen back in 2019, the trio of siblings were already an impressive engine of harmony and melody. Julia, Daniel and David Bailen showcased their many talents on their John Congleton-produced debut sees the band switch up their recording process focusing on a collage approach to tracking new songs in the studio they've changed their vocal approach with the help of producer Brad Cook aiming to bring out more vulnerability in their collective voice Become an NPR sponsor Bailen Hoang with Harry Stahl (right) and University Coach Wesley Shaw University High School baseball player Bailen Hoang received the Ethan “Boomer” Stahl Most Inspirational Player of the Year Award at the Trojans annual awards banquet He was also a percussionist in the school’s band and marching band and worked 25 hours a week Hoang received a check for $750 from the Ethan Stahl Scholarship Fund “which our family established three years ago to honor our son,” Harry Stahl said This award is named in honor of Ethan Stahl who played baseball for Uni for four years and was voted the team’s most inspirational player every year University won the Pacific Coast League championship and Ethan Stahl was voted all-league first team “This is the third year for the award and the scholarship,” Harry Stahl said now finishing his sophomore year at Cal Poly Humboldt who just finished his freshman year at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State “All three are outstanding young men and it is our family’s pleasure to recognize them and to provide them with some financial support.” Send sports news to timburt@ocsportszone.com 1954 to Henry and Florence Bailen who preceded him in death Also preceding him were Pat Bailen (brother) David Kempf and Philip Kumler (brothers in law) He is survived by his son Dan Bailen of Oceanside He was educated in the Fredonia Central School System and began his first career at Al Tech from 1978-1997 Following a massive layoff he continued his education at Buffalo State College from 1998-2000 earning his NY State certification in Secondary Teaching of Welding He taught in the Buffalo Public School system and various other positions in Western NY until his move to Florida He retired from Palm Beach State College as a full time welding instructor in 2019 Among Mark’s many interests were: fishing performing and writing music and gardening A life remembrance will be held sometime this summer It was an evening filled with beautiful voices at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music when Rett Madison and Bailen came to town When you see the opening act has sung backing vocals for Lorde and Kate Nash as well as being an opener for Melissa Etheridge you know you need to get yourself along early to catch the set Rett Madison‘s 50-minute set was an absolute treat When she mentioned that she’d be at her merch table after her set seats were nearly over-turned as people scrambled out to meet her and grab the last of her vinyl Bailen’s three-part harmonies along with expertly crafted songs are really something to behold and what stands them apart from other bands and it was nice to see that the audience were respectfully quiet as they sat in awe the music took on more of a gritty/rockier edge the crowd were singing along in fine voice and many took to their feet to show their appreciation.  All three of members of the band took turns in taking lead vocals which helped keep things fresh David impressively managed to sing crystal clearly even when pounding on the drums The title track of the upcoming album saw Julia let rip on the guitar for the first time of the night.  the trio stepped out from behind the microphones for a stripped back couple of songs “Just Say No” saw Daniel take the lead vocals and swap his bass for an acoustic guitar They have performed this song live for quite some time now and have never recorded it It’s a special easter egg for those who go to see them live.  The tour picks up again on May 12 in Philadelphia and runs through until May 20 with a hometown show in New York.  Queensryche at Saint Andrew’s Hall in Detroit The Residents at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro Jeff Beck was joined by Johnny Depp to bring songs from their album 18 to life on the stage of the Chicago Theatre.  Whilst the title of Never-Ending Summer Tour may not have aptly reflected the Fall-like weather the summer party atmosphere was very much still present Davy Knowles draws a crowd for his adopted hometown show There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here It’s always nice to see siblings who actually get along David and Julia Bailen are doing much more than that who have been singing since they were in diapers brought their talents together in 2014 to form the Bailen band folky style and original songs have them on a dream trajectory They sold out the Bowery Ballroom last month and begin a three-month tour of the U.S But before the rest of the country sees them have a show February 7th at their childhood middle school Congregation Rodeph Sholom on the Upper West Side also sing and handle bass (Daniel) and drums (David) their “brother from another mother,” as Daniel puts it Although the band’s success is solely their own are freelance musicians who taught at Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music while the siblings were growing up The Bailen’s childhood home was a regular stop sophisticated instrumentalists making the home “a cacophony of sounds,” said Daniel He recalled one time when he had a friend over and “[he] went to use the bathroom and there was literally a violinist practicing in the bathroom So that’s the house we grew up in.” For the Bailen kids a career in music seemed like the most normal thing in the world and Daniel spoke fondly of life on the Upper West Side “it was a wonderful place to grow up.” In fact the cover of the band’s debut record was shot in front of The Hungarian Pastry Shop which is their favorite spot to write song lyrics “A lot of amazing authors and writers go there and all the books that have been written there are on the wall.” who went to Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts on the Upper West Side Although the siblings get along for the most part Daniel said they all have strong personalities that can clash at times He described his drum-playing twin brother as “super organized and very detail oriented .. ‘Yeah we’re just driving twenty hours.’ [For David,] all the things that could go wrong are going wrong in his head and he’s planning for them .. [it] will be a complete mess and David will come organize it.” He also recognizes that their “little sis,” Julia The twins began writing songs together when they were around 5 Their first composition was called “Fire in the Kitchen.” Later they started singing professionally in the Metropolitan Opera that he and David “would go to Emmanuel Baptist Church [in Brooklyn] which is mostly a Haitian community Every Sunday we would go down there and play bass and drums.” The twins formed the Bailen Brothers in high school and promised Julia she could join once she got her braces removed when the band began to get serious in 2015 “I know that if you’ve heard about us it’s because you’ve heard us live,” said Daniel “And you’ve probably heard us in a really intimate environment are all people we’ve met and not [people] who stumbled upon us on Instagram or .. where everything is so quick and moves so fast That’s something that is so much more valuable than discovering us on a playlist Daniel called Bailen’s musical influences “a very wide range .. [we sang] New York gospel music growing up .. New York City had a huge influence on the eclectic sound that we have.” The band’s sold-out Bowery Ballroom show (opened by Elliott Skinner) included a poignant moment when Daniel introduced a new song called “Eyelashes.” Daniel told a story of a girl She grew up on the Lebanese border during the second Lebanon War in the 90s She was a child in the 90s.” He said that she told him “Her mom was worried because she kept pulling out her eyelashes So she asked ‘Why do you keep pulling on your eyelashes?’ And she said ‘because I want to make wishes.’ So her mom asked ‘What are you wishing for?’ And she said: ‘I’m wishing for the war to end.’ I thought that was a really beautiful story so I wrote a song about it.” the band announced the midnight release of their first single “I Was Wrong.” As Daniel explained the idea behind the song: “When there’s a problem you never see anyone stepping back and saying ‘Maybe there’s something I’m doing that’s triggering this or starting the problem.’ And it’s never right or wrong.” True enough is ded­i­cated to pro­duc­ing high-qual­ity olive oil with his com­pany win­ning mul­ti­ple awards at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition The com­pa­ny’s suc­cess is attrib­uted to their early-har­vest oils and com­mit­ment to main­tain­ing qual­ity stan­dards through sus­tain­able farm­ing prac­tices and con­tin­u­ous opti­miza­tion of processes “People often ask me whether I sleep at home or here at the olive oil mill. I cer­tainly sleep at home, but when you really like what you are doing it doesn’t feel like work,” says José Gálvez, man­ager of Oro Bailén Those extra hours and ded­i­ca­tion may have well paid off as his com­pany which started pro­duc­ing olive oil in 2005 is regarded as one of the best-estab­lished olive oil pro­duc­ers in Jaén In 2019, they won a Best in Class Award, two Gold Awards and one Silver at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition A per­for­mance that fol­lows a con­tin­u­ous path of awards that started in 2014 Placed at the foothills of the south side of Sierra Morena, the nat­ural bor­der between the plains of La Mancha and Andalusia Oro Bailén’s olive groves and olive mill lie within the lim­its of the so-called Sea of Olives “We are sur­rounded by over 60 mil­lion olive trees Jaén is the largest olive oil pro­ducer in the world More than 20 per­cent of the global pro­duc­tion comes from this province,” Gálvez proudly says as he shows Olive Oil Times his mill It’s mid-January and both the mill and the recep­tion area for the olives have are already been cleaned While some pro­duc­ers are still in the last days of the har­vest sea­son — which this year has been par­tic­u­larly short in Andalusia — Oro Bailén’s cam­paign has been over for almost two months already “One of our most remark­able traits is that 80 per­cent of the oils we make are early-har­vest oils Our oils are har­vested from mid-October to mid-November leav­ing some 20 per­cent until the end of November for riper oils which may also serve cus­tomers for other cook­ing pur­poses,” Gálvez explains the Gálvez fam­ily was ded­i­cated to the pro­duc­tion of bricks for con­struc­tion a tra­di­tional sec­tor in their home­town of Bailén José’s father decided to diver­sify their activ­ity by invest­ing in olive groves and olive oil pro­duc­tion “Being in a province with such a large olive oil pro­duc­tion where fam­i­lies have been pro­duc­ing olive oil for gen­er­a­tions our busi­ness strat­egy was based on doing some­thing dif­fer­ent to what was being done,” he recalls Early-har­vest olive oils are now regarded as the best in terms of health and organolep­tic qual­ity To start pro­duc­ing oil by mid-October was some­thing pretty risky at the begin­ning we didn’t know the mar­ket and how the consumer’s reac­tion was going to look like,” he says Oro Bailén’s oils come from some 2,000 hectares of olive groves and its pro­duc­tion has been steadily grow­ing through­out the years “We export to 38 coun­tries around the world and we pride our­selves on main­tain­ing the qual­ity of our olive oil every year I want a bot­tle of Oro Bailén to have the same qual­ity no mat­ter the year and regard­less of where you open it,” Gálvez tells “But early har­vest oils have a very tight dead­line when it comes to har­vest and pro­duc­tion you have to har­vest more amount of olives and to pro­duce more oil in the same period of time We have been increas­ing our capa­bil­i­ties of har­vest and pro­duc­tion accord­ing to the growth of our demand,” he adds Gálvez points the weeds grow­ing among them and the shred­ded prun­ing mate­ri­als on the ground Oro Bailén’s olive groves fol­low the prin­ci­ples of the inte­grated farm­ing sys­tem which, accord­ing to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, aims at long-term sus­tain­able pro­duc­tion using care­fully selected and con­trolled bio­log­i­cal and chem­i­cal meth­ods in order to make envi­ron­men­tal pro­tec­tion and farm­ing pro­duc­tiv­ity com­pat­i­ble between envi­ron­men­tal respect and farm­ing prof­itabil­ity weeds don’t com­pete with olive trees,” Gálvez sug­gests When asked about ​“the secret” to main­tain­ing a high-qual­ity stan­dard through­out the years It’s not the first time he’s got that ques­tion we must opti­mize every sin­gle process accord­ing to the growth we are expe­ri­enc­ing we are talk­ing about train­ing that staff They have to under­stand what we are doing,” he assures “And it’s basi­cally believ­ing in what you are doing (…) You get hooked to this sec­tor once you start doing things and you see a hint of grat­i­tude or recog­ni­tion That slap on the back may look so cliché: ​‘What do awards mean to you?’ ​‘Oh it’s a slap in the back to what we are doing…’ More articles on:  , Spanish Growers Eye Indian Market for Table Olives A report emphasizes catering to local consumer preferences to capitalize on India's rapidly expanding economy and demand for healthy foods New Deoleo CEO Inherits Legal and Financial Challenges will steer the world's largest olive oil bottler through legal challenges and debt restructuring Spain Bets on Comedy to Boost Olive Oil Sales stand-up stars will be promoting extra virgin olive oil in major cities across Spain Spanish Producers Celebrate Award-Winning Finish After Demanding Harvest Farmers and millers from the world’s largest olive oil-producing country earned 82 awards overcoming high temperatures and drought in the process Spanish Olive Oil Prices Fall as Production Recovers already at 1.38 million metric tons and rising has resulted in olive oil prices plummeting to levels not seen since mid-2022 Spain Moves to Mitigate Impacts of New U.S. Tariffs Spain's Minister of Agriculture reassured agri-food producers about potential impact of US tariffs emphasizing EU collaboration and market diversification Spanish Producers, Policy Makers Explore Strategies for Success in Chinese Market From an emphasis on quality and terroir to smaller packaging formats Spanish olive oil sector stakeholders identified several strategies to increase olive oil consumption in China Andalusian Officials Withdraw Sea of Olives Candidacy for UNESCO Recognition The move came after 8,500 olive growers signed a petition protesting the candidacy some are hopeful the decision will be overturned Vocal harmonies have long been a staple of popular music While the New York City trio of BAILEN may have a leg up with their familial connection that doesn’t make the blending of their voices any less impressive Although the Bailens share an obvious bond they are all unique individuals with distinct personalities This made the process of choosing a producer for their debut album the trio headed to Los Angeles to work with famed producer John Congleton (St It was Congleton who got the band to think on a larger scale adding elements to give the songs a grander feel This included strings provided by the Bailen parents' chamber group recorded in their living room in New York City BAILEN clearly has spend an infinite amount of time absorbing music of all kinds Whether it was their mother and father's music collection time spent singing in the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Choir or the hundreds of shows that the three played before ever releasing Thrilled to Be Here David and Daniel have taken all of these experiences and learned at every turn Seeing them live is an education in the power of harmony the brilliance of three highly-skilled musicians and the payoff of countless hours of practice Thrilled to Be Here does an excellent job of capturing the spirit and energy of their gigs showcasing their intuitive vocal magic and potent musicianship It also serves as a strong starting point to a career that should grow and flourish in the years to come Listen to a brand new FUV Live concert from BAILEN live from The Loft at City Winery on Monday during FUV's Summer Feastival on 90.7FM and streaming online This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Aptly named BAILEN Spanish for “dancing,” the rising sibling band shares another banger with “Call It Like It Is.” Daniel and Julia Bailen punctuate their songs with dazzling vocals and razor-sharp songwriting Anne Litt shares her take on the week in KCRW music Donate by midnight tomorrow and your $100 becomes $200 for KCRW thanks to a $10,000 match by music legend Moby DOuble dollars Get the latest from KCRW in your inbox 3x a week ‘Tired Hearts’ arrives May 5 via Fantasy Records Rising indie-pop trio Bailen has announced the release of their second full-length album The New York City based siblings have also shared the album’s first single the alt-pop anthem “Call It Like It Is,” along with its cult classic thriller style video The sparkling “Call It Like It Is,” co-written by Bailen and X Ambassadors’ Adam Levin and Sam Harris is “an anthem for anyone who refuses to be taken advantage of,” the band stated “It unmasks the ugly truth behind shiny veneers.” is a fictionalized account of a scary ‘catfishing’ episode Bailen recently experienced while on tour family and fans instead of staying in hotels,” the group explained “It goes to show what it takes to be in a touring band these days just to break even.” and Julia Bailen deliver a dazzling set of songs that navigates the space between the heart’s expectation and the head’s sober reality the album’s 12 original songs wrestle with an uncertain future where ethics and morality—both communal and personal—are constantly shifting synth-driven tracks are centered around Bailen’s radiant harmonies and adventurous arrangements furthering the group’s exhilarating avant-pop evolution Cook was instrumental in expanding the band’s ambition beyond what they initially envisioned “We played the last record live a hundred times before recording it so we tracked a lot of it live,” Daniel explains It freed us up to explore and be sonically adventurous.” Pre-order Tired Hearts. Romances on film sets go back to the silent era Rarely do we hear about romances like that of Gloria Bailen and Curt Worden Bailen and Worden had both worked behind the scenes for ABC television—Bailen as a producer Worden as a videographer—but didn’t really know each other Bailen’s friends recommended him and she hired him “I was a freelancer and I was doing a video Before the couple moved from New York City to Black Mountain they filled their lives making short news documentaries for TV They collaborated on a piece about deportation for Ted Koppel’s “Nightline.” They probed the trend of elderly people having to care for their grandchildren after the kids’ parents are imprisoned They spent a week in a monastery covering the challenges of enticing women to become nuns In all their years living and working together, they’ve made just one project from their own vision, from conception to screening—a documentary about Jack Kerouac’s novel “Big Sur.” Black Mountain College Art Center screens "One Fast Move or I’m Gone Bailen and Worden will talk with the audience after the screening “The reality is a lot of our work was done for capitalist interests,” Worden said Mentioning “I’ve covered wars all over the world We’ve done work for nonprofit organizations The kind of work we want to do in our future is more based on a moral compass doing things that are beneficial to our society and part of that is a little soul searching for ourselves.” Bailen found her way into television production after dancing professionally in New York ballet companies Worden started working in television 50 years ago they raised $750,000 for the film that became “One Fast Move or I’m Gone Kerouac’s Big Sur.” They were drawn to the back story of the Kerouac book and unlike the book “On the Road,” in which Francis Ford Coppola owned the film rights Bailen and Worden took on a project designed not for television The film mixes archival footage and fresh cinematography of Big Sur with interviews and selected readings from the novel by Patti Smith “We had to change our mindset going into this film so it wasn’t just a broadcast television documentary,” Worden said “ Working in broadcast—the short soundbite the quick cuts—there’s zooming and a lot of things that happen that aren’t necessarily (like film work) We put our settings in places that helped tell the story and took our time with each individual and let them expand to tell the story.” Atlantic Records—a music company—distributed the film which only made it into about 50 arthouse cinemas around the country while Atlantic put more marketing muscle into the soundtrack by pop artist Ben Gibbard But it lit a pilot light for Bailen and Worden who determined with their move to Western North Carolina to fully step away from work for television and find a way to realize their own shared vision “I almost do not tell people I was in the news business because it has a bad connotation,” Worden said when we were in our heyday of filmmaking for news organizations we felt it was a journalist calling and we were doing things we felt had integrity.” They’re looking into producing a documentary exploring women’s choice of whether to have children Bailen and Worden have two adopted children who are now grown “We want to do things that are socially beneficial,” Worden said “We want to do projects that have real meaning and can shape people’s lives for the positive.” Bailen in Studio A (photo by Gus Philippas/WFUV) David and Daniel Bailen have grown up surrounded by music raised with creativity by classically-trained musician parents The New York City-based trio were writing songs as early as the age of five and were singing in the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Choir sharing the stage with the likes of Luciano Pavarotti all of their outside influences fully shape their debut album Thrilled to Be Here (out on April 26 via Fantasy) When I attended a recent Bailen show at Bowery Ballroom I was so impressed by the band’s harmonies and musicianship and knew we had to bring them to Studio A I talked with them about their artistic upbringing and the influence of producer John Congleton on their debut album I also found out which sibling is the "responsible" one when the band is on the road Have a listen to that conversation and watch their talents in full display with live versions of “Something Tells Me” and “I Was Wrong.” [Recorded: 2/6/19; Engineer: Jim O'Hara; Producer: Sarah Wardrop] Watch Bailen perform in our first On The Road video from SXSW 2019 With BAILEN’s debut Thrilled To Be Here arriving in April and the building buzz, our On The Road crew was pumped to spend some time with NYC-based band in Austin during SXSW for a stellar performance filmed at Amy’s Ice Cream on South Congress Check back this week for more intimate performance from SXSW recorded by the On The Road team FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube[email protected]214-871-1390 | 972-263-3151 (metro) Shelby Bram and Nicholas Bailen were united in marriage on May 19 2018 at an outdoor wedding at the Club at the Strand in Naples The officiant for the double ring ceremony was the groom’s brother The bride is the daughter of Bill and Bonnie Bram of Ste She wore a Chic Lace Sheath Wedding gown with a low open back spaghetti straps and Damask corded lace on top of fine stretch jersey The dress had a light airy feel for their Florida wedding Her bridal bouquet was white and peach-colored roses with Eucalyptus greenery The bride’s honor attendant was her sister They were attired in a variety of different styles of ice blue cocktail dresses The groom chose his brother Eric Bailen as his best man Ushers/groomsmen were Brock Bram (twin brother of the bride) The reception was held at the Club at the Strand The bride earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercyhurst University in Exercise Science previously having played for the Buffalo Beauts (NWHL) and in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SWHL) The groom is the son of James and Mary Lou Bailen of Fredonia He graduated from RPI — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Economics he is a professional ice hockey player in the KHL (Russian Hockey League) for Tractor in Chelyabinsk The couple took a wedding journey to Antigua BAILEN KOCUREK AND Cort Hildebrand show their pigs as Judge Ian Schaefer observes during the swine judging JUDGE ANTHONY BELL judges these rabbits on Thursday during the Burleson County Fair JUDGE CHAD COBORN judges the lambs on Thursday HADLEIGH NOVOSAD SHOWS her steer during the showmanship division in steer judging on Thursday night at the fair JALYNN URBANOSKY SHOWS her steer as Judge Chad Coborn observes during the showmanship division of the steer judging contest Premium Content is available to subscribers only. Please login here to access content or go here to purchase a subscription. © 2025 Burleson County Tribune Support local news by joining as a member! Receive unfettered access to our digital content, including our Examiner+ bonus content newsletter, and get other perks like free tickets to local performing arts, complimentary advertising for your favorite local charity, restaurant deals, and much more! Three-part harmonies written and sung by three siblings is rare, but that is the concept behind the band BAILEN. The group is led by a trio of siblings making music that includes artists David, Daniel and Julia Bailen. David and Daniel, who are twins, play the drums and the bass respectively, while Julia is their guitarist. Their parents are classically-trained musicians based in New York City, where the children were born and raised. “They have been amazing inspirations to our music and they are also on our record,” Daniel Bailen said of their parents. The music that the band makes is influenced by artists such as Simon and Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and Joni Mitchell, with a more modern sound, he said. BAILEN released their debut album “Thrilled to Be Here” in April, have toured with Hozier, an Irish musician and singer-songwriter, for 18 shows and headlined at the famed Troubadour in Los Angeles. They also finished their first headline tour in Europe last month where they had two sold-out shows in London and Brighton. They are currently on a short break where they plan on relaxing and writing some new music. Performing with your brother and sister means there’s a connection on stage. Daniel said although they are siblings, they each have distinct voices. “I don’t think it’s a sibling band where we’re all similar,” Daniel said. “I think we pull each other in different directions that balances each other out pretty nice.” The three band members each have a unique writing style and one can hear the differences in the songs they have written. The band is looking forward to joining the festival circuit next year. “We’re working on the next record already and just getting out there and playing for new people who are hearing us for the first time, growing our fan base and maturing as songwriters and our sound,” Daniel said. BAILEN’s keyboardist, Pierre Piscitelli of Eastchester, who helped found the group, grew up attending the Pleasantville Music Festival and was excited to share this experience with the band. Daniel said that the band is looking forward to Saturday, especially with their local connection. They are scheduled for the 3 p.m. slot on the Main Stage. BAILEN has been unconventional with the way it has spread their music. The band has eschewed putting their music online to be streamed because they believe that discovering music that way can be fleeting, making it difficult for a listener to actually retain the sound and become a fan. “We really saw a huge reaction to that,” Daniel said. “The fans that we would make were really long lasting.” Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage. We'd love for you to support our work by joining as a free, partial access subscriber, or by registering as a full access member. Members get full access to all of our content, and receive a variety of bonus perks like free show tickets. Learn more here. Copyright © 2025 The Examiner News