Hello my friends, I regretfully inform that for this week I'm a bit late on my judging post. It's OK I will forgive myself eventually, but what matters is that I'm here, the post is happening and the music is sweet as honey. This closes week 86 for me.

Without any more delays, here we go:

First Place.-

@paintingangels - Fly (original song)

A little while ago I wrote a post about our beautiful cages. The idea that sometimes we find ourselves trapped in a place where we don't belong, broken, abused, attempting to find meaning. For one reason or another we cant leave the cage, we decorate it, we paint the walls, but never ceases to be a cage.

I once lived inside a cage, I too tried to decorate those walls and pretend everything was going to be fine if I made it pretty enough. When the illusion was broken, when I saw the bars and the rust, I had to recognize I was just a cage all along.

This song, this beautiful ballad took me back to my cage. To those years of my life where I felt trapped, and it reminded me of the painful departure. The moment I knew I had to leave, I had to rise....

Like I told Serena, she broke me... I cried like a little child, but felt grateful that I don't live inside that cage anymore.

Second Place.-

@dinoromanelli - Children of the Night (Original Song)

Man, I knew Dino was a storyteller by trade, I simply knew it. This song however, this song was crafted to draw you into the inescapable reality of our troubled youth with superb skill. I perceive Dino to be somewhat like me, in the sense that he can't help but to observe humanity and wonder how we ended up like this, how we consistently fail our young and how the cycles never get broken.

I'm sure that the image of the girl, the lost girl roaming around the apartments leaves him with more questions than answers. I'm sure he wishes there was a magic button that could fix it all, even if the cost was high. But his place has always been the same, the observer, the story teller. At least through these songs, their life will touch a few.

Third Place.-

@lecocoramos - Enemigo (original song)

What is going on with the world? When did people get so talented and where as I when this all started to happen? Do not be tricked by this beautiful face, @lecocoramos is a music powerhouse and in this performance she shows me why I should get with the times and possibly learn a thing or two about loops already.

Absolutely brilliant performance and stunning, stunning vocals.

Fourth Place.-

@dannyhamilton - Bar room Blues (original song)

What a treat, I simply love this style of playing, this fantastic genre that refuses to ever be irrelevant. Talk about SOUL people, this is how you do it. Chris, who is the guest musician on this track is an amazing vocalist on his own right and when the harmonies kick in... it feels as right as rain.

Great job gentlemen, great job!

Fifth Place.-
@moccamonica - Adentro (original song)

Absolutely Stunning performance. Monica's vocal control must be the envy of absolutely everyone in her home town, she hits those notes with the precision of a sniper. I have to ask, how is it that she was able to surround herself with such talented musicians? When the Latin Jazz elements kick in, I had to get up from my chair and move a little bit. Like we say back home... Sabroso!!!

Honorable Mentions

In no particular order, these are some of the performances I loved this week.... I'm super grateful for being someone who gets to listen to this talent.

@lillywilton - Bacchanal (original)

Darnit You LILLY WHY ARE YOU SOOOOO GOOD? <3

@breakoutthecrazy - Be there (original song)

Chris, brother... you and Katya are so talented its criminal. I think I just might call the cops on you guys.

@kjablonski - All I want (cover)

One question.- Where have you been, you beautiful angel? I missed your voice.

@darrenclaxton - Time (original)

Beautiful song brother, beautiful as always.

@moderndayjester - Classic Movement 2(original composition

Beautiful piece, brilliantly performed.

Other musicians that I really enjoyed this week

@lucybanks @melavie @andreabortone @honeymoon-1611 @josecabrerav @wilins @pechichemena @drewley @elliotjgardner @chaifm @claratymusic @silentscreamer @k0wsk1 @roman.musica @shookriya

Don't forget to checkout the official Steemit OpenMic judges picks from @passion-ground @krystle @soundlegion and @verbal-d. Winners selected and announced every Monday on @luzcypher's blog page.

And that is it for me and week 86, better late than never as they say. I hope this coming week I can not be the last judge (i think I am this week) to put out the post.

But hey friend, before you leave my post musical brother or musical sister, please know that despite the fact that we call this a competition, even though my post says first, second, third place, that is not what matters about the #openmic. In the end of the day the judges are just as human, as flawed and beautiful as everyone else on this planet. The ethos of this contest, of this community, is simply for us to have special place to share our passion for music, for us to laugh together, to cry together and explore emotions that everyday life seems to neglect in one way or another.

Every single one of you is valuable to me, so thank you for being part of my musical family...

Much love

Open Mic Week 86 - Top 5 Selection and Honorable Mentions