Instagram story viewer> @lostcheddar3> Posts

Brandon Paster

@lostcheddar3

830

followers

1529

following

Believer in love and equality 🖤♾️
Together we rise, divided we fall ✊🏼✊🏿✊🏽✊🏾✊🏻
Anti-Establishment ~ Pro-Humanity
Founder @getweird_sd

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

On Sunday, I competed in my first swim meet in 15(literally!!) years, and it was a fuckin blast.

It was wild walking around the pool deck in a competitive setting again. With my suit on underneath my sweats and flip flops on my feet, my brain immediately transported back to my years of competitive swimming, in a way i never expected. My walk slowed and I felt a sense of calm as a little swagger infiltrated my step. Then each time as the heat before me swam, a current of nerves swept through me like I hadn't experienced in years, more intense than I'd maybe felt in sports since being an age group swimmer. I had to take some deeeeeep breaths to TRY to settle myself each time I got behind the block. Funny, because it was purely for fun, but that competitive side has just never left.

My goal was basically to just beat my self-determined seed times, and I blew those out of the water pretty hard 😄 I hadn't even competed in a non-freestyle event since I was 18, so my 100 IM (pictured here in lane 1) was particularly fun and satisfying.

The times:

100 Free 52.58 (seed 55.0)
100 IM 1:02.01 (1:08 😝)
50 Free 23.77 (25.5)

My best friend Evan has been competing in masters events for the last few years, and since I'd gone an unexpected 56 in the 100 free from a push this summer on a random day at the pool, I'd been thinking of swimming in a meet. With an event right down the road in Annapolis, it seemed like the perfect chance. My goal was to train 2-3 times a week for a couple months going in...but in the end I barely managed once a week, making my swims all the more satisfying (and painful 😜).

What I didn't expect was how good I would feel the next day, and over the course of the week the afterglow has continued to significantly boost my mood and confidence. I feel re-connected to a part of me that was so integral in my childhood all the way through college. Its left me chomping at the bit for more.

Definitely looking forward to beating those times in the future, and actually getting some training in...😏

Vid 1: 100 IM (closest lane)
Pic 1: 100 IM time (w nostalgic scoreboard)
Vid 2: 200 medley relay (Evan swims fly into my free)
Pic 2: On blocks for 100 Free taken in Arundel Olympic Swim Center by @lostcheddar3

63

9

5 years ago

687,000+ lives lost in the US.

687,000+ goodbyes.

Last weekend my sister, my mother, and I went into DC to visit the Covid Memorial and plant a flag for my father.

Immersed in a sea of loss and heartbreak, I wondered to myself how we were still fighting over this. Haven’t we suffered enough, hasn’t enough pain been caused?

I no longer wish for anyone to abide by my ideals, or to sway to my side. I only wish for peace. In this moment, as I read for the first time my mom’s tribute to my father, whom she loved so endlessly, I was overwhelmed with a grief that wasn’t just my own, but a nation’s, a world’s. And while I grieved the loss of actual lives, I also grieved the lives of those still living, but living in a world of fear and division, a world where our so-called differences dared to overshadow our collective humanity.

In this moment, I felt a distinct sense of unity with my fellow human, because what this memorial drove home to me was how much we are all in this together. How my personal loss was but one loss in a vast ocean.

As we go forward, I don’t ask you to do as I do, but I ask you to see as I see. I ask you to honor the dead and to honor your fellow living, and to spread the love that they are no longer able to spread to your fellow human.

I love you Dad, and I strive to be better everyday in your memory. 🙏

Peace and love to all my fellow humans, we are in this together. May we re-build and re-shape this world into one that allows for peace, love, and security for all, not just the privileged. It is up to us, and its now or never.

🙏❤️🙏 taken in Washington Monument by @lostcheddar3

37

11

5 years ago

Dad,

I was thinking of you all day today. Mom sent me this picture last night.

Its crazy to be turning 37, the same age as you were when you had me. We are at such different places in our lives. You were a ridiculously hard working chemical engineer your whole life. I've, well, I've gone different routes 😏 You were raising a family in a home in Amherst, MA. I'm single af in a chill little studio across the whole country in San Diego, CA. I wonder how much we look alike to other people.

But you were a weirdo and your mustache says it all. As did your fro in college. And let's be real Mom is one hell of a weirdo. I know if you were here you would be proud of me and what we managed to create this weekend. I know if you could see the love and the music you would understand.

Cousin Simone reached out to me before the show, the first time anyone in the family has ever openly supported my music ventures, and told me you would be watching over me. I felt that. I know you just always wanted whats best for me and music was a scary territory for everyone. Its not anymore. I have balance in my life and I am your son and I know how to work hard at something I am incredibly passionate about. You can trust me.

And we did it. We made a scene of beautiful blissful chaos for everyone to play and dance in and get wild and it was everything I could've dreamed it could be.

I love you Dad, and appreciate more and more about you all the time. Thank you tor making me who I am and leaving me a legacy to follow in, and showing me how to love my friends and my family.

I think 37 is going to be the best year of my life.

There is a lot of crazy shit going on in the world, but its feeling like it might be time for a movement.

I love you Dad! Always and forever ❤️
Your son,
Brandon by @lostcheddar3

56

8

3 years ago

Show week is always a little nerveracking...well maybe more than a little 🙃 Especially when you're still starting off and newer to a city.

I usually go back and forth each day of being really fucking excited and really fucking terrified - our Saturday bass events are pretty damn big productions, and I am a poor ass substitute teacher after all 😂

But I am so fucking stoked to be throwing this event on Saturday 😊🥵 I had this lineup more or less planned out since before we threw our first show. @djnaughtyprincess has been on a short list of DJs I've wanted to book since back in 2016 in my LA days. I came across @beatkittymusic through her connection to the homie @soohansoohan a few years back and knowing she had a close relationship w Naughty Princess thought they would be the perfect pairing. I LOVE both of their styles so much, so bringing this to fruition and getting to put their music in front of people is so damn exciting.

I am a dancer and music lover first and foremost, and that is what led me into the realm of event production. People always ask me first what music I play when I tell them I throw shows. I tell them nothing at all, although I am a pretty stellar Spotify DJ imho, I just have a lot of incredibly talented friends and an extended network of badass DJs and collectives. My goal is to let these people shine and to throw a party that people will remember for the incredible time that it was and all the joy that it brings.

The idea for Goddess Gang came the first time I heard the sick @sarocthemc track, I felt it would bring some incredible energy throwing an all-female lineup w that title (if I ever threw shows again). The song is empowering af (as a fucking white man lol 🤷‍♂️).

Having @afromantiscollective repped by @weirdowithsoul, our @globaltherapy_ family with us with @djijo17, @circuitsystem repped by @vibewithdesi143, and @_calli3fornia all just felt like the perfect synergy 🙏

I cant wait to see everyone pour it out on the dancefloor on Saturday, its truly gonna be something special 😊 See yall out there! 🔊🔥💃🕺🥳🫡 taken in The Hole in the Wall by @lostcheddar3

61

6

3 years ago

So many different emotions have arose in the last several weeks, but one thing I can say is that I am so incredibly excited and grateful to be given this opportunity to host Wednesday night events at The Hole In The Wall.

Event curation is one of my greatest passions in life (right up alongside working with children - and well, rap music 😂) so to be able to host such a wide variety of events is truly a dream come true.

The goal is to bring all sorts of different culture, art, music, food, and activities to this dope ass space. I want to create a place that people love to go to every Wednesday, like my old happy hour spot Mister Days when I was just out of college, where they know the vibes will be good, there's always gonna be something new and fun going on, and they're surrounded by friends and community.

Creating joy is such a beauitful thing, so it felt right to share pics of some of my closest friends here coming together to share space and celebrate back in October.

And also to give a HUGE shoutout to our little Get Weird team. When I did this before in LA, I for sure had supporters but no true "team." No one I could lean on for content, seek their recommendations and opinions, have actual team meetings!

@mirandavibesart and @lindaaa_d, I often get tears in my eyes when I think about how grateful I am for you two. Not only do you create such incredible graphic content, I trust you both completely and value you both so much 🙏 You are amazing friends. Linda, you have talked me down multiple times from really anxious moments and I can't thank you enough for your support and friendship 🥲

And it doesn't stop there. My newfound brother @domblossoms you have been such a source of support, love, generosity, and guidance. We are in this for the same reasons and I can't wait to see what we can create together. @dannig and the whole @afromantiscollective / @globaltherapy_ family - what an honor it is to call you all friends and family 🙏❤️🫡 Your hearts shine through so beautifully.

We have so much in store for you 😊

Lets get it. taken in San Diego, California by @lostcheddar3

102

20

3 years ago

Announcing this show this week has been such a surreal full circle moment for me, I don't think its fully sunk in yet.

It has been over 6 years since I threw my last show in LA, and I wasn't sure if I'd ever come back to this. We threw some incredible parties, but I wasn't sustaining myself mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, or financially, and I had to get away from it completely to heal myself.

Even after re-connecting powerfully with my love for music at @libfestival this year, the idea of throwing another show was still just a whisper, as it had been for the last couple years. After being blown away by a couple dope djs Monday morning @grandartique (slides 2/3), I hunted them down simply to find their music (and I literally stalked the Grand Artique IG page for a week until I found them). I was stoked to find that both @dannig and @passthevibe.sd were in San Diego so I could go see them some more. I even reached out to Pass The Vibe just to thank him and give him props. I told him if I ever threw another show I'd love to have him in it, but I had no plans in the works...

And here we are. Talking about it with a friend, I stumbled upon an investor, and catching @sdunion I walked into a chill ass venue that just felt RIGHT.

And the legwork began, having all the conversations, checking out shows, receving incredibly valuable mentorship (🙏 @charles_rebellion @admrl.555tar @vibewithdesi143), reaching out to the agent, finalizing the venue, flier design, eventbrite, new IG page (@getweird_sd)...🥵 sooooo much thought and time and effort has gone into this.

And I could not be prouder of what we are presenting for our first show 🥲 and furthermore how we are represented. By a group of incredibly talented and versatile musicians and fucking awesome human beings.

A huge ass thank you to my friends who have supported me along the way, I truly could not have done this without you 🙏❤️🫡

Now lets get fuckin weeeeeeeirrrrd. 🤘🤙🕺💃🥳

And have a whole hell of a lot of fun. taken in San Diego, California by @lostcheddar3

58

21

3 years ago

Well, its been an incredible last month of music in SoCal and it keeps on rollin...

A buddy asked me how I was doing the other day, and I was like honestly, really damn good. My homie Jackson goes "You know why? It's the music." And he was dead right.

After throwing shows off and on from 2015-2017, I disappeared from the music scene completely for 6 years, straight up Irish goodybing LA and a slew of awesome friends, so the reunion has been pure bliss.

I waited a month after LIB, fasting for @momentive.dnb up in LA w @nickatz and it did not disappoint. Big ups to @chiefjesta and the squad for what they're doin up there 🙏 and it was amazing to run into so many people I hadn't seen in years, and to shock the hell out of them to boot, a phantom drifting back through 😏

Ran it back w @sdunion Daydream 🔥 the next weekend followed by my first Pride event w the bestie @vibezbysam_e thrown by @thebadinfluencerss which even though hard techno throws me for a loop had immaculate vibes 👌

But the true revelation was perhaps the squad from @globaltherapy_ and @afromantiscollective holding it downnn in San Diego w some music I'd never been exposed to before, Afrohouse and Amapiano and a bunch of international beats and hip-hop/rnb samples (🙏🙌 bless) that have had the crowds bouncin'

Everywhere I've been there have been incredible people having an incredible time, and I am LOVING what this community is cooking up.

And looking forward to cooking up a thing or two myself again 😶🫣😉 #returnoftheweird #whatbettertimethannow @getweirdcreations by @lostcheddar3

57

10

3 years ago

Lightning in a Bottle was my first festival back in 6 years and the first festival I've ever attended "solo." I knew I would have a bunch of old friends there somewhere, but I was determined to challenge myself to have a new experience and push myself outside my comfort zone. So I didn't tell anyone I was going until the day before I left, when I hopped on FB long enough to drop a quick post, discover my long-lost LIB fam (from previous post) was going to my ecstaaaatic glee, and that a couple of my OG fest family Sami and Matt were going before I dipped out for the festival.

I opted to camp in the Lightning Team Camp as I was volunteering, and I met the homie @nickatz there on Day 2, and he was THE homie of the festival (who I will be seein real soon in LA too 🤟). We quickly became friends w our neighbors and established a little renegade crew for ourselves, a little fam we checked in on and kicked it with whenever we were back at camp. Through the extra-social antics of Nick 😜 we met @mirandavibesart who was THE homegirl of the festival who I kicked it with all weekend. I've always made friends really easily at festivals, but without a default camp to fall back on, these relationships took on a special light of their own. My weekend wouldn't have been anywhere near the same without Nick and Miranda 😉❤️🫡.

I don't like to use my phone at festivals, so I set out to take some random photos and videos in moments of random inspiration (or that absolutely COMPELLED me to take my phone out) that I hoped would turn into a fun snapshot of what I experienced. I ended up taking 35 pics and vids in total and kinda love the story it told. It is extremely lacking in the people that I experienced it with (standard for my camera roll) but offers these fun little glimpses into a ridiculously joyous and beautiful weekend.

Part 1 is here 🙂 This covers my first 3 days of the festival...and is all but 3 of the images I even had from it. The musical moment (slide 10) that demanded my phone came from @beatkittymusic who was absolutely throwing it downnn in the Unicorn Palace 🥵. I took it real easy the first few days before we unleashed into party mode Sunday night... taken in Lightning in a Bottle by @lostcheddar3

46

9

3 years ago

Every year I've come back from LIB I've said that I would write about it. I went in 2014 and 2015 and had such incredibly eye-opening, uplifting, and inspirational experiences that I wanted to share them with the world, and instead didn't even share them with myself (i.e. journal). It was honestly tough with LIB always leading directly into the WSOP, but now that I'm coming back to a normal job and not speeding off to Vegas to see tons of friends and grind tons of poker, I'm holding my ass accountable.

I will get to the full LIB post(s) soon, but I don't think the story can start anywhere else than these boys right here. I met Jesse, Chukk, Bryce and fam at LIB '15 when they happened to camp directly next to us. We all fell in love with each other and their camp was my second home. We have not seen each other since, in no small part bc this was my first festival back in 6 years (we'll get to that later). In spite of having only met each other once, when I was at rock bottom in 2017 they reached out to me and offered a place for me to live in PNW, to heal, to find shelter from the chaotic, embattled life I was leading. I never made it up there (instead retreated to a mental health facility in NH) but their outreach of love meant the world to me, and finally being able to thank them in person, once I was able to fight back the tears enough to finish my sentences, was cathartic af. Healing in its own right.

With my busy LIB work schedule we never linked til Sunday, but spending the day with these fellas in their camp was EVERYTHING. In a few hours I felt so grounded, so healed, so rejuvenated - it couldn't have been a more joyous reunion. And then out on the dancefloor, pouring it on to LSDream and others, and the hugs all over...just 🙏❤️🙏

So first things first, before I share more of my story, thank you to these beautiful sweet human beings for sharing their love with me. You all embody what the human spirit is supposed to be and I can't wait to visit yall for Equinox in September ☺️ love you to the moon and back 🌝💞

🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡 taken in Lightning in a Bottle by @lostcheddar3

48

4

3 years ago

It has long been a passion of mine to share music with friends and my community. From 2015-2017 I had the outlet of my @getweirdcreations endeavor - sharing mixes, the occassional hip-hop playlist, shows I attended, and the ultimate form of shows I created, basking in the joy we created on the dancefloor together through the music selection of my friends and extended network.

Over the years I have created countless playlists on Spotify, occassionally sharing them with a few friends, mostly just listening to them myself, and always feeling like a lot more people would enjoy them if I could get them in their ears. Yet playlist after playlist went unshared, due to some combination of shyness and perfectionism, or wishes for a larger audience (without doing anything to create it).

Recently I had the idea of creating little mini-playlists of just five songs I threw on and sharing those. Finally, I put one together instead of just queueing it up. I have started mini-projects like this a million times and rarely carried on past the first step or two, letting my inspiration drift out of focus. This time, I hope to hold myself accountable and continue to share music I love with whatever audience comes of it, be it just one or many.

So without further ado, my first Fast Five of song selections I put on last night, featuring my favorite song of all time by my favorite artist @kendricklamar and some soulful favorites by @blackpumas. I plan to share these in my stories from time to time and start sharing some playlists I'm sitting on - if you're lookin for a few songs to groove to, I hope you listen along 🤘😎🎧 taken in San Diego, California by @lostcheddar3

18

2

3 years ago

Hangin tight as we enter 2022.

I'm feeling really good today and felt like sharing the love w my friends out there. Its saying something that I feel this good on a day where I had my first 8:30 shift (I know its not that early but to me it is) for a job (lifeguarding) that I could care less about.

Maybe its the afterglow of watching my little brother marry his soulmate this past weekend, maybe its the Christmas cheer, or maybe its just a general content with my life, knowing I'm in control and the options going forward are unlimited.

Its been just over 4 years since my last bout of depression/mania, something that would've seemed inconceivable in 2017. 2011-2017 was a massive rollercoaster for me, a series of disastrous highs and all but insurmountable lows. When I entered a recovery program in August 2017, I wondered aloud if I even knew what my baseline looked like. Today, I can confidently say that I do, and that my grasp on it is firm (while never guaranteed). My sense of ambition has returned in full force, but with it a strong foundation of patience, consistency in my decision-making, and an overall thread of purpose running through it all.

Since returning to the DMV (the DC-area to the undoctrinated 😜), I've been surrounded by a community of friends and family that are endlessly loving and supportive, that keep me tethered to my true self, and enable me to grow and succeed. I feel more connected to those around me than ever before, and look forward to re-connecting with even more of you out on the West Coast when I return in April for @deserthearts 😁

I know 2022 will take me to new pastures and return me to some much-missed old ones, to be seen in a clearer and healthier light, and that they will happen in due time, when I am fully ready and committed.

Wishing love and happiness to everyone over the holidays and in the upcoming year! ❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️

And shoutout to @zadakahemp for the duds (and the MCT oil I took this morning).

(P.S Mother Nature has our back, its beyond time we had her's) taken in Rock Solid Climbing + Fitness by @lostcheddar3

35

8

5 years ago

35 🤷‍♂️

Feeling grateful af to be back living in the DMV and to be so close to so many awesome friends again, and being with my family far more often.

A couple months ago I was feeling kinda lonely and realized I was severely lacking a sense of community in my life. Its amazing how much it has changed since then after putting some intention into it. Ive been able to connect w best friends from HS and college as well as meet some great new people in the local area through my new bartending job and relocation to the Ellicott City Y.

The sense of fulfillment I have from this connection is just 🙏

Being 35 has its benefits, I’ve had a long time to grow and figure out what I want and need in my life, so hey here’s to another great year on this planet we call Earth 🍻

Photo credit: Mom
Styling: @brandon__jenkins__ @___.hannahmarie.___
Outfit: @la.rams.nfl taken in Annapolis, Maryland by @lostcheddar3

53

3

5 years ago