"Rock 'n' Roll Remix: Brandon Flowers's Weenie Roast 2004 Look Gets a Modern Makeover!

Hey, Victims! Get ready to party like it's 2003-2005 because The Killers are in Vegas and better than ever! With their recently announced Vegas residency celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Hot Fuss, we've got some iconic shows to attend. But wait, what's a killer concert without some killer outfits, right? It's time to dust off those Hot Fuss-era-inspired looks and show the world what true rock 'n' roll fashion is all about! Let's dive into the wardrobe of yesteryear and bring the heat to these epic shows!

Picture this: Brandon Flowers, frontman extraordinaire of The Killers, strutting onto the stage at Weenie Roast like he owns the place (spoiler alert: he does). What's he wearing?

Business casual.

So naturally, we will also roll up in our best business casual.

Let's start with the pants. Brandon is rocking a pair of pinstripe slacks as if it were another day in the office. Let's aim for a modern straight-leg pinstripe pant with an elastic waistband for comfort and ease of movement during the concert.

https://amzn.to/3UhrMea

These pants offer a contemporary twist on the classic pinstripe style, allowing you to rock out all night without sacrificing style.

Brandon paired his slacks with a pair of black canvas sneakers boasting a gum rubber sole; it's a daring mix of sophistication and street style that we can try to replicate with this pair of canvas sneakers from Amazon.

https://amzn.to/48QXFP4

But let's break it down further. On top, Flowers is sporting a crisp button-down shirt, maybe in classic white (or is it pale pink? My eyes can't tell), adding a touch of understated elegance to the look. Tying it all together is a skinny black tie, lending a dash of rock 'n' roll attitude to his indie-inspired ensemble.

Let's embrace the oversized trend with a roomy button-down shirt that can be worn open and untucked for a relaxed yet stylish look with a classic white shirt. (Or make it pink if your eyes can see better than mine.) Just make sure it's roomy enough to channel that indie coolness.

https://amzn.to/47Uf346

Remember to layer something underneath.

https://amzn.to/47TgRL1

Indie Brandon is missing one defining detail that the frontman has become iconically known for, and that is sparkle. Just for the heck of it, we'll turn the skinny tie into a rhinestone tie necklace!

https://amzn.to/48PVWtx

And what's that on his wrist? A bright red, square-face, Swatch Watch, injecting a pop of color and playful charm into the outfit. It's the perfect finishing touch, showcasing Flowers's knack for combining unexpected elements to create a look as captivating as his stage presence.

Now let's see. We could recreate this by simply wearing a similar Swatch Watch.

https://shorturl.at/buAM6

Or we can choose to be frugal and find ourselves a cheaper alternative.

https://amzn.to/499nslh

You could even take it a step further if you already have an Apple watch - which conveniently is already square - by getting yourself a red watchband and putting your own Swatch Watch wallpaper!

https://amzn.to/3HC1pba

But let's not forget about makeup and accessories! To complete the look and pay homage to The Killers' Hot Fuss album, here are some suggestions:

Line your eyes with bold black eyeliner to add intensity and drama to your look, just like Flowers's stage presence.

https://amzn.to/3uctZgn

Coat your lashes with black mascara for added volume and definition, making your eyes pop against the backdrop of your indie-inspired ensemble.

https://amzn.to/3vRT3db

Paint your nails with sleek black nail polish to complement the edgy vibe of your outfit, adding a chic finishing touch to your overall look.

https://amzn.to/47QGgF1

Swipe on a sheer (or not so sheer) blue lip gloss to match the color scheme of The Killers' Hot Fuss album, adding a touch of whimsy and playfulness to your makeup look.

https://amzn.to/3UdltIr

If the rhinestone tie wasn't enough, add some more sparkle and shine with rhinestone dangle earrings to match. These earrings will catch the light and elevate your ensemble with a touch of glamour and sophistication.

https://amzn.to/47ZM4ME

With these key pieces, you'll be ready to rock your own indie-inspired business casual ensemble and pay homage to Brandon Flowers's iconic style. So, grab your outfit, cue up your favorite Killers' tracks, and get ready to show the world what actual fashion Victims look like!

Keep reading for links!

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blueberry | theme by sage

get the code: $8 - static preview / version 2 as suggested, a theme inspired by windows 95/old windows versions!

features (more info below the cut):

nothing needs to be changed in the code, everything can be changed in the customize panel!

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Toothache Theme by negg (RE-RELEASE)

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It's officially June and Janelle Monáe is dropping her new album on June 9th so we thought we’d drop some custom themes for you to ~ float ~ into June.

As always, it’s super easy to use. Just log into desktop web, head on over here to our Themes page, hit “Install,” customize your color scheme and enjoy your Age of Pleasure. 😎

Theme — Am I Dreaming by vitaminholland Preview/Download

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Mr. Brightside / Red and Black / Moodboards

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Raising the Stakes

Sometimes when reading over my work, I find that the story feels…dull. Recently, I’ve come to realize that it’s because I’m not giving my story high enough stakes! Without a solid risk to back up your conflict, what is the point of your conflict at all? High stakes are a necessity to grip your reading and keep them engaged in the story, so what can you do to raise those stakes if they’re feeling flat?

At the end of the day, raising the stakes = giving a character more reasons to care. If you can make it matter intensely to your character, you can make it matter intensely to your reader.

εїз Happy Writing, Creative Minds!  εїз

Guide to Writing Mystery Thrillers

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Horror vs. Thriller: Fear vs. Suspense

The main difference between thrillers and horror is the effect it has on the reader. Yes, both genres are meant to “scare” the reader, but with a thriller, the ending is less predictable. It’s about the building tension that comes with the unknown. The writer’s goal is to unsettle the reader, make the fear of the unknown be the main aspect and make their heart rate rise steadily over the course of the plot. Horror is repeatedly scaring the reader, though the tension is lesser because a horror story is one of inevitable doom. It’s not so much about if, but rather when and how. Thriller is about that sweet, slow dribble of ice water down the reader’s back, while horror is splashing them repeatedly in creative and shocking ways. 

Balancing the Tension

With the tension being the most important element in a thriller, you must balance this carefully and you can do so by utilizing the mystery aspect. You can build the tension with events and the steady state of unknowing, but you can also use the mystery to relieve or ramp up the suspense. Mysteries introduce time-sensitivity into the plot, as well as identifiable risk and payoff, but it also preserves that feeling of unpredictability. You need to be careful to keep the tension thick enough that the plot twist is surprising, but not unexpected. Readers should expect a dramatic shift in the trajectory, but they should be completely shocked at what it actually is. 

Suspension of Disbelief

Mysteries and thrillers do not have the luxury that thriller does of a reader coming in with their sense of what is and isn’t “realistic” being thrown out the window. Readers of the mystery thriller genre expect an air of credibility and when their predictions and deductions are thwarted for something completely illogical, it isn’t a pleasant surprise. The suspension of disbelief comes in the details that may or may not be stretched for fictional purposes, but the meat of the story, the mystery and all the steps within, do not have that wiggle room. Exercise deep, critical thought when developing the plot development and the characters themselves because the reader is paying attention. 

Choose the Right Antagonist

Antagonists in mystery thrillers are a great opportunity for creative freedom. Yes, readers expect the antagonist to surprise them or be clever, but your job isn’t to fool the reader, it’s to impress them with how cleverly you masked or built up the reveal of the antagonist; the result of their sleuthing. You don’t always have to choose some minor, seemingly insignificant character to be the antagonist at the end. There’s so many roads you can choose, such as making the protagonist the murderer, a family member the thief, the romantic partner the deceiver, etc. Don’t try to avoid cliches in this part of the plot, because it’s impossible. Every possible ending has been done in some way or another. Try to be original in the way you reveal them and be clever about developing the antagonist to have as much impact on the reader as possible. 

Meaningful Death

Death isn’t as rampant in thrillers as in other suspenseful genres, but it’s still important to note that all death should have a purpose and a consequence. It should always serve the plot, and it should always have an observable effect on the characters. Killing characters (especially main characters) to build suspense or stakes doesn’t work and it reads as lazy. Keep the purpose and consequence in mind, and be open to death and where it takes the story. 

Common Struggles

~ How do you create a good mystery thriller plot?… It depends on what you like about the genre. If you prefer to have the majority of the story surround the actual mystery and the development of its nuance, then focus the plot around that and sprinkle the suspense throughout. If you want the mystery to be the catalyst for a bigger, more complicated emotional conflict, then structure accordingly. It’s really about what you want to say and how you would want to hear it. 

~ How do you balance a subtle build up without making the twist look like it came out of nowhere?… Action and reaction. Every twist and turn should be traceable to a series of identifiable events throughout the previous chapters. Your readers should be able to see the breadcrumbs when they read the story a second time. That’s how you know the subtlety works, rather than dropping two or three breadcrumbs throughout 16 chapters and then drop the whole remaining loaf in chapter 17. 

~ How do you create a spooky, thrilling atmosphere?… Writing style. It’s all about writing style, I promise. Utilize some of the staples, like shorter sentences leading up to an explosive moment, visceral vocabulary about something seemingly mundane, etc. Over-describing things to have that “this normal thing doesn’t seem so harmless anymore” or under-describing things that the reader would assume requires more focus. Either turn up the volume or turn it way down. These little aspects in the vocabulary and structure you use add up and work wonders for tension and suspense. Also:

~ How can I make the reader like the villain, despite their actions?… I have a couple resources for this, which you may find helpful:

Other Resources

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