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Softening housing market sends San Antonio and Bexar County scramblingThe Keystone graduate and Majestic Empire Foundation leader shares her journey and her early struggles with rejection Pickup Lines: San Antonio performer Jaselyn Blanchard reflects on Broadway dreams, resilience and the power of theater Read full article: Pickup Lines: San Antonio performer Jaselyn Blanchard reflects on Broadway dreams, resilience and the power of theater One fan’s car horn now sounds like a clown horn after honking all night down Commerce Street.
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‘My horn just gave out’: Spurs fans breaking car horns amid playoff celebrations, resulting in costly repairs Read full article: ‘My horn just gave out’: Spurs fans breaking car horns amid playoff celebrations, resulting in costly repairs State program rewards highly effective teachers with increased pay based on performance and student growthEntertainmentLinda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song"Liekinheitin" during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song"Liekinheitin" during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, who compete as Liekinheitin for Finland at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, sit in a Finnish sauna after an interview with The Associated Press in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, May 14, 2026. Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, who compete as Liekinheitin for Finland at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, watch the camera after an interview with The Associated Press in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, May 14, 2026.
Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, who compete as Liekinheitin for Finland at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, talk during an interview with The Associated Press in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, May 14, 2026. Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song"Liekinheitin" during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
In the case of this year’s favorites to win, the Finnish duo of pop singer Pete Parkkonen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius, that involves jets of flame, a valuable 18th-century violin and a team of “ninjas” working to avert disaster. The pair’s song “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” is a favorite with both fans and betting markets with its melding of pop and classical influences — and its spectacular staging.
Parkkonen and Lampenius dub their sound “new pop with a classical touch.
" Their song of burning love is an explosion of energy in which Parkkonen’s passionate vocals act as counterpoint to Lampenius’ frenetic fiddling. The Finnish delegation had to secure special permission for Lampenius to play live. Eurovision rules state that lead vocals must be performed live, but instruments are prerecorded, to help speed changeovers between songs. Lampenius says “Flamethrower” was “written as a duet,” and both performers need to be live for it to work.
“It’s a woman and a man, it’s a female voice and a male voice. So I do all my lyrics through my violin, by playing, and you are singing it with words. But we are talking. We are as important, both of us.
” The pair were not certain when they arrived in Vienna that Eurovision organizers would allow the request. They were only given final approval after performing in front of an audience in a live rehearsal. The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, said contest rules allow that “live audio capture of instruments may exceptionally be permitted where artistically justified.
” Lampenius had brought two violins just in case – a treasured Gagliano made in 1781 so live performance would “sound perfect,” and a cheaper instrument to use if she had to rely on playback. That would remove any risk to the Gagliano from the slightly hazardous staging. Lampenius and Parkkonen say they have been rehearsing for this moment since November.
They won Finland’s national selection contest for Eurovision in February and say by now they have performed the song hundreds of times. It is crucial to get it right. The performance builds to a climax that sees jets of flame spurt from a stage on which Lampenius, fanned by a leaf blower and wearing a flowing dress, is playing her precious violin.
But she says she is secure in the knowledge she has black-clad stagehands who call themselves “ninjas” on hand to keep her dress away from the flames – an essential piece of the performance that goes unseen by viewers watching at home.
“They’re running with me – first one guy carrying my dress when I’m running, then the other one catching me during my run,” she said. “And he helps me also when I jump up on the stage and do the pirouette. ” For the striking final pose in which Lampenius perches atop chairs in high heels, violin aloft, Parkkonen combines singing with his role as a security spotter, there to catch her if she topples over.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. You applied for a texas education freedom account—Now what?
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