Great Good Fine OK – Profile

Luke Moellman and Jon Sandler - Great Good Fine OK
Luke Moellman and Jon Sandler – Great Good Fine OK

Jon Sandler and Luke Moellman have discussed combining their passions of music and creating a song together before, but it was not until the two ran into each other on a busy Brooklyn street one afternoon that Great Good Fine OK was created.

Luke was busy creating music with other musicians and Jon was writing and performing music for himself at the time. According to Sandler, the two put their talents together immediately after their run-in and their first hit titled “You’re the One For Me” was created that night. After liking what they heard, they realized there was no turning back.

(Audio clip 1)

Great Good Fine Ok’s sound is something that fits the unofficial requirements of today’s indie-pop bands, a strong synth influence with an 80’s vibe. According to Sandler, they both “have a lot of early R&B in their blood, while Luke has a stronger jazz background making his music more complex and interesting.” A mix between a multi-instrumentalist and Jon’s funky, smooth falsetto vocals is what sets them apart from other current indie bands by giving the listener something unlike any song they heard on their local radio station this week.

(Audio clip 2)

Another thing that sets Great Good Fine OK apart from other modern bands is the process they go through when producing a new tune. Sandler explains that Luke produces a track on his own and then sends this to Sandler to write the lyrics and melody on top, and then they get together to give input on both parts. Sandler says, “Working separately on the things we’re both best at and the things that we both love to do works the best for us.” The duo has shown that they put nothing but genuine passion and effort into their work.

(Audio clip 3)

The eccentric vibe continues in Great Good Fine Ok’s live performance. They strive to be a live performing band that can put on a good show; and according to fans, they have succeeded in this.

Appearance alone lets the audience know that they are in for a treat. The stage outfits are the epitome of a successful day at the thrift shop. Sandler’s shimmering, gold kimono paired on top of silky Aztec print pants pair perfectly with Moellman’s famous “maps on maps” outfit: an all-over map printed shirt layered under a vintage, all-over printed map jacket. The second these two walk on stage, the audience knows that they have something to look forward to.

Jon Sandler performing with Great Good Fine OK
Jon Sandler performing with Great Good Fine OK
Luke Moellman performing in his "maps on maps" outfit
Luke Moellman performing in his “maps on maps” outfit

A first time Great Good Fine OK concertgoer is quickly drawn in by the seemingly flawless falsetto tunes filling the room. The music lines up exactly the way it was meant to be and the synths give the listener a smooth 80’s vibe that they cannot turn away from. Sam Yager of Chicago, Illinois says, “The first time I saw Great Good Fine OK, they were opening for another band and I hadn’t heard of them before; by the second song of their set, I was in love with them.” Thus showing just how important the band’s live performance is.

The future for Great Good Fine OK is looking to be just as bright as the duo’s stage outfits. New music for the band is being written every day, according to Sandler. As far as a new album being released goes, they are just enjoying making music that they are proud of and constantly releasing new music – whether that be through more singles, another EP, or eventually an album.

(Audio clip 4)

While Great Good Fine OK may not yet be a household name, there is certainly a demand for new music from their not-unexpectedly dedicated fan base. Em Berger of Minneapolis, Minnesota refers to the band as “some of the most talented and humble people she has ever met” saying, “they go out of their way to make their fans happy whether that be posing for a ton of photos, hanging out before and after the shows, or constantly going on tour.” She then ends with a statement that the two have lived up to in so many ways, “they are truly one in a million!”

(listen to music from Great Good Fine Ok by clicking here)

Story #2 – Final Draft

All Day McDonald’s Breakfast

 

People all over the United States are celebrating McDonald’s newest promotion of “all day breakfast” and the Morningside location is showing better than expected results.

The change officially went in to place on October 6th across the country, but the Morningside location started one-week prior, and preparations for the change have been going on for months.

According to a shift manager at the Morningside branch of McDonald’s, Ivan Yager, this location went through with a trial period last summer. During the trial, breakfast time was extended from 10:30am to 11:00am. The results showed well for the company and is said to have something to do with the early change in Sioux City.

Yager explained that nationwide, the corporation expected a trend in sales the first few months after the change and “the Morningside location is doing much better than was even expected.” The location being so close to Morningside College is thought to have a big affect on this trend. Yager says he has noticed that now students are coming in for breakfast after sleeping in or finishing their morning classes.

Morningside student, Brett Kies, agrees with Yager’s thought on college students taking advantage of all day breakfast. Kies says he appreciates it the most when he runs into late night hunger and referred to the change as, “the best idea McDonald’s has ever had.”

Callan Smith, of Sioux City, is enthusiastic about the change. He says that all day breakfast is something he has seen coming for a while now. He noticed that Taco Bell has been promoting their all day breakfast for a while, possibly pushing McDonald’s to make their move.

Enthusiastically, Smith explained that he has so far loved having the ability to wake up at any time or stop in to the Morningside McDonald’s on his lunch break and freely order an Egg McMuffin. Smith’s reasoning for feeling so strongly about the topic is, “people fought for all day breakfast, we should use it.”

Smith’s only complaint is that the wait time for every breakfast order after the usual breakfast hours is three to four minutes. This wait is due to all breakfast items having to be made to order and Yager explained the way that this has changed the kitchen life in the store.

Everything had to be changed because the grills are only set up to cook meat. A separate grill was purchased to cook the eggs on. Since things have to be done separately, and the change has brought in a rush, Yager explained that all employees have had to jump in to help in order to get everything done.

While there has been a positive reaction to the all day change, there are people who still are not happy. Rhonda Blundell, also of Sioux City, says that she has never enjoyed McDonald’s breakfast and just does not understand the vivid excitement over the change. She went even further to explain that she wishes the opposite had been executed: making hamburgers and fries also available all day. She says that she would much rather been given the opportunity to have a McChicken for breakfast than a McMuffin for lunch.

Overall, not everyone can be happy. Due to the limited kitchen space, only certain breakfast items made it to the all day breakfast menu and Monte Hansen, of Sioux City, is not pleased with the choices. Upon being denied scrambled eggs at two in the afternoon, he exclaimed, “you call this breakfast? Take the sign down.”

There are definitely opinions from every end of the spectrum to be had on this unexpected topic. Overall, McDonald’s is doing their best to make customers happy and the change is showing well. The change is something that looks like is here to stay thanks to the positive trend in sales.

Story #2 Assignment – 1st draft – All Day McDonald’s Breakfast

People all over the United States are celebrating McDonald’s newest promotion of “all day breakfast” and the Morningside location is showing better than expected results.

The change officially went in to place on October 6th across the country, but the Morningside location started one-week prior, and preparations for the change have been going on for months. According to a shift manager at the Morningside branch of McDonald’s, Ivan, this location went through with a trial period last summer. During the trial, breakfast time was extended from 10:30am to 11:00am. The results showed well for the company and is said to have something to do with the early change in Sioux City.

Ivan explained that nationwide, the corporation expected a trend in sales the first few months after the change and “the Morningside location is doing much better than was even expected.” The location being so close to Morningside College is thought to have a big affect on this trend. Ivan says he has noticed that now students are coming in for breakfast after sleeping in or finishing their morning classes.

Callan Smith, of Sioux City, is very enthusiastic about the change. He says that all day breakfast is something he has seen coming for a while now. He noticed that Taco Bell has been promoting their all day breakfast for a while, possibly pushing McDonald’s to make their move. Enthusiastically, he explained that he has so far loved having the ability to wake up at any time or stop in to the Morningside McDonald’s on his lunch break and freely order an Egg McMuffin. Smith’s reasoning for feeling so strongly about the topic is, “people fought for it, we should use it.”

Smith’s only complaint is that the wait time for every breakfast order after the usual breakfast hours is three to four minutes. This wait is due to all breakfast items having to be made to order and Ivan explained the way that this has changed the kitchen life in the store. Everything had to be changed because the grills are only set up to cook meat. A separate grill was purchased to cook the eggs on. Since things have to be done separately, and the change has brought in a rush, Ivan explained that all employees have had to jump in to help in order to get everything done.

While there has shown to be a positive reaction to the all day change, there are people who still are not happy. Rhonda, also of Sioux City, says that she has never enjoyed McDonald’s breakfast and just does not understand the vivid excitement over the change. She went even further to explain that she wishes the opposite had been executed: making hamburgers and fries also available all day. She says that she would much rather been given the opportunity to have a McChicken for breakfast than a McMuffin for lunch.

Overall, not everyone can be happy. Due to the limited kitchen space, only certain breakfast items made it to the all day breakfast menu and Monte Hansen, of Sioux City, is not pleased with the choices. Upon being denied scrambled eggs at two in the afternoon, he exclaimed, “you call this breakfast? Take the sign down.”

There are definitely opinions from every end of the spectrum to be had on this unexpected topic. Overall, McDonald’s is doing their best to make customers happy and the change is showing well. The change is something that looks like is here to stay thanks to the positive trend in sales.