Black Friday (shopping) stories resurface year upon year at this time, portraying hysteria and shortage of stock, creating a state of positive feedback. In 2014, spending volume on Black Friday fell for the first time since the 2008 recession. $50.9 billion was spent during the 4-day Black Friday weekend, down 11% from the previous year. However, the U.S. economy was not in a recession. Christmas creep has been cited as a factor in the diminishing importance of Black Friday, as many retailers now spread out their promotions over the entire months of November and December rather than concentrate them on a single shopping
Year of the Black Rainbow the band, who had been playing alongside Sanchez, lead guitarist Travis Stever and bassist Michael Todd since 2007. Sanchez stated that: "[Pennie] really kicked ass on this record. There are a lot of tunes on this album that I'm not so sure we would've been able to execute had we not have had him." "Year of the Black Rainbow" also completed the main tetralogy of The Amory Wars: "Year of the Black Rainbow"'s release was preceded by a series of eight intimate club gigs in the northeastern United States, all of which sold out. The band announced a U.S. tour