From Mount Kailash to the Egyptian pyramids, these are some of the most sacred places in the world.

In early February 2024, Beyoncé rocked the music world by releasing a surprise new album of country tunes. The album, Renaissance: Act II, includes a song called “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which shot up the country charts—with a few bumps along the way—and landed Queen Bey at the No.1 spot. As the first Black female artist to have a song hit No. 1 on Billboard’s country music charts, Beyoncé once again proved her popularity, versatility, and ability to break barriers without missing a beat. In one fell swoop, she got people who had zero interest in country music to give it a second look, forced country music fans to broaden their own ideas about what country music looks like, prompted conversations about bending and blending musical genres and styles, and gave the Internet a crash course on the Black roots of country music. And she inspired the Gardiner Brothers to add yet another element to the mix—Irish step dance. In a TikTok that’s been viewed over 42 million times, the Gardiner Brothers don cowboy hats while they step in time to “Texas Hold ‘Em,” much to the delight of viewers everywhere. Watch: @gardinerbrothers Beyoncé ? Irish dancing #beyonce #countrymusic ♬ TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé Michael and Matthew Gardiner are professional Irish-American step dancers and choreographers who have gained international fame with their award-winning performances. They’ve also built a following of millions on social media with videos like this one, where they dance to popular songs, usually in an outdoor environment. The melding of Irish dance with country music sung by a Black American female artist may seem unlikely, but it could be viewed merely as country music coming back to its roots. As mentioned, country music has roots in Black culture and tradition. One major staple of the country music genre, the banjo, was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants during the colonial era, according to The Smithsonian. The genre also has deep roots in the ballad tradition of the Irish, English and Scottish settlers in the Appalachian region of the U.S. Despite modern country music’s struggle to break free from “music for white people” stereotypes, it’s much more diverse than many realize or care to admit, and Queen Bey is simply following tradition. Man playing banjo. Canva Photos People are loving the blending of genres and culture that the TikTok exemplifies. “Never thought I’d see Irish step dancing while Beyoncé sings country,” wrote on commenter. “My life is complete. ” “So happy Beyoncé dropped this song and exposed my timeline to diversified talent ,” wrote another. “Beyoncé brought the world together with this song ,” offered another person. “Ayeeee Irish Dancing has entered the BeyHive chatroom… WELCOME!! ” exclaimed another. “I don’t think I can explain how many of my interests are intersecting here,” wrote one commenter, reflecting what several others shared as well. The Beyoncé/Gardiner Brothers combo and the reactions to it are a good reminder that none of us fit into one box of interest or identity. We’re all an eclectic mix of tastes and styles, so we can almost always find a way to connect with others over something we enjoy. What better way to be reminded of that fact than through an unexpected mashup that blends the magic of music with the delight of dance? Truly, the arts are a powerful uniting force we should utilize more often. And for an extra bit of fun, the Gardiner Brothers also shared their bloopers from filming the video. Turns out stepping in the rain isn’t as easy as they make it look. @gardinerbrothers Beyoncé Bloopers #texasholdem #gardinerbrothers ♬ TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé   This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.The post Video of two brothers Irish step dancing to Beyoncé’s country hit ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ is pure delight appeared first on Upworthy.

The sinister side of politics. The post “A bunch of bastards”: The Traveling Wilburys song used to attack politicians first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Not ready to show his chops off. The post “It was a real shock”: The one musician Eric Clapton hated touring with first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

The half-slice of cheese on McDonald's Filet-O-Fish may induce eye rolls from customers, especially when it's crookedly placed on the bun. This might be why.

Rise Against has announced a new leg of headlining tour dates this fall across the U.S. with support from Alkaline Trio.  They will kick off the tour in Dallas, TX on September 22nd. Rise Against’s tenth and most recent album was “Ricochet.” According to lead vocalist Tim McIlrath the album is about “our collective inter-connectedness. We’re connected to other countries, other economies; we’re connected to undocumented immigrants. We’re connected to every decision our leaders make. It’s all one big ricochet effect. That idea is the backbone of this album.” Founded in 1996, Alkaline Trio has also released ten albums with “Blood, Hair And Eyeballs” dropping in ’24. Rise Against Tour w/ Alkaline Trio: September 22 – Dallas, TX – South Side BallroomSeptember 23 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo ParkSeptember 27 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat AmphitheaterSeptember 30 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17October 3 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer StageOctober 4 – Philadelphia, PA – The FillmoreOctober 6 – St. Louis, MO – The FactoryOctober 7 – Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music HallOctober 9 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir CoveOctober 10 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave / Eagles ClubOctober 12 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks AmphitheatreOctober 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial TheatreOctober 15 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment CenterOctober 17 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort Rise Against 2026 Tour October 18 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event CenterOctober 20 – Seattle, WA – WAMU TheaterOctober 22 – San Francisco, CA – The MasonicOctober 23 – Irvine, CA – Great Park Live Ticket Information Rise Against is currently on tour across Canada and in select U.S. cities. ### The post Rise Against Add A Leg appeared first on RockinTown.

Xi Jinping himself essentially declared the conquest as a Chinese New Year’s Resolution of sorts.