Rarely has freedom of speech in the modern era faced such adversity.

Local imam said he’d like to see ‘additional prayer rooms around campus’ If you’re familiar with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), you’ll soon realize it’s not really a place for in-depth discussion, and many users’ posts and/or comments are of the trollish, offensive variety. Last month, Muslim students at Indiana University took issue with an X post which featured a photo… Source

Sounds like one heck of a way to lay out your tour schedule. On the latest episode of the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast (which was actually a double episode), Leon Majcen talked to us about being raised by Bosnian refugee parents, almost quitting music altogether during 2020, his ambitious plans for future music releases, and one of his career goals being that he does well enough to give back to his parents. Majcen was born in the Czech Republic to Bosnian and Croatian parents who had fled there from Bosnia during the Yugoslav War in mid-90s. Before he turned two, he and his parents relocated to Clearwater, Florida. Once they made the move, they wished the best for their son, and encouraged him to pursue whatever he felt passionate about. Majcen (whose last name is pronounced “might-sin”) was passionate about music. So he set off on trying to make a name for himself as a country music artist. And in classic, grind-your-way-there fashion, Leon started living the road dog life. He started driving all across the country by himself, and booking bar gigs wherever he could. Well… he actually chose to book bar gigs a bit strategically, as he explained to us: “I do kind of miss the early days of me touring. I was pretty much just booking shows around places that I wanted to fish. It was just me and my truck. It was like bar gigs. I was still booking myself. I knew I wanted to fish this spot, this spot and this spot. So I’d just book these bars in those towns and sleep in the back of my car and fish when I wasn’t playing. Those days were really simple, and I do kind of miss touring that way.” @whiskeyriff @Leon Majcen #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff Sounds like the life. Fishing by day, and playing by night? Like Leon Majcen said himself, it’s a simple life, but an enjoyable one… that he now misses. Last year, the “I Have Found My Love Today” singer brought his band out on the road with him for the very first time. That’s been enjoyable in it’s own right, though naturally, it’s complicated the travel aspect of touring a bit. Translation: he can’t just pick and choose fishing destinations anymore. That being said, he still tries to fish – both fly fishing and conventional – and enjoys wetting lines and ripping lips when he has the time. And fortunately for Leon, he can technically work while he’s fishing: “Sometimes (songwriting works) going fishing… fishing for me, especially fishing alone. I just like going out to the Caney, and just being out there and wading through the water. You’ll hum stuff to yourself.” So his tour schedule might not be based on desired fishing spots and honey holes anymore… but fishing is still very much connected to his rising country music career. To hear more from Leon Majcen, make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post “Those Days Were Really Simple”: Leon Majcen Used To Plan His Early Gigs Around Where He Wanted To Fish first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Nashville getting no love from our northern neighbors. Music City continues to be one of the premiere tourist destinations in the United States. 16.9 million people visited Nashville in 2024, and that annual visitor number crept up to 17 million tourists in 2025. That’s not a substantial increase, but it’s an increase nonetheless. People evidently can’t get enough of the pedal taverns, artist-owned bars, hot chicken, and $15 beers. Though millions flock to “Music City” to immerse themselves in the country music and “culture” of Nashville, those that used to visit a decade ago barely recognize what the city has become. It’s safe to say that much of the Broadway strip and surrounding Downtown Nashville area have gone corporate, and the charm that used to draw in the masses has been replaced with charmless establishments (that often have a country music star’s name slapped on the outside). Why is that happening? Well, a lot of it has to do with “Old Nashville” establishments being priced out. Rent for properties continues to rise in the area, and thanks to new property appraisals that have raised property taxes tremendously in Nashville, there’s a concern that a lot of the bars and restaurants located on Broadway and elsewhere in Downtown Music City could soon shutter. That’s a real concern for locals… but doesn’t seem to be bothering Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell all that much. At the end of the day, millions of visitors are still traveling to Middle Tennessee to see Broadway and take in all of the country music culture that it has to offer… regardless of what buildings are or are not open. Could that change over the next decade or so? Sure, it could, but the numbers don’t seem to be affected in the modern day. In fact, according to WTVF 5, a recent Metro Nashville Tourism and Convention Commission meeting spoke about the slight uptick in visitors from 2024 to 2025. The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp (NCVC) noted that the annual visitor numbers had gone from 16.9 million in 2024 to 17 million in 2025… but there was just one issue. And it had to do with Canadian visitation statistics: “The NCVC reported to the commission that international visitors have dropped 13%. Visitation for Canadians, which make up nearly half the city’s international tourists, is down 20%. A spokesperson for NCVC confirmed geopolitical issues, like tariffs and other political tensions, may be among the reasons why.” So much for Canadians being the polite type, eh? Over the past couple of years, the friendly relationship between the United States and Canada has slowly but surely shifted into a heated rivalry. Whether it be the tariffs, Team USA beating Canada in hockey, or the whole “51st state” thing that President Trump was floating there for a little while… there’s been a lot of love lost between the two countries. And that love lost has apparently also translated into Canadians not having much interest in visiting Nashville. Could that just be summed up by Canada residents not wanting to visit the U.S. in general? Or could it have something to do with a lot of country music leaning into the pro-America messaging? I’d say it’s a mixture of both… but it doesn’t sound like the NCVC is too worried about it. The post Nashville Tourism Is Slightly Increasing… But One Country Isn’t Flocking To Music City Like They Used To first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Clash of styles. The post “Big deal”: The guitarist Eddie Van Halen was at odds with first appeared on Far Out Magazine.