- At Redlight, legendary producer Don Zientara (pretty much the entire Dischord catalog, bitches) doing some sorta non-Dischord-y stuff, but the Attack are opening and, well, PUNK ROCK.
- At Back Booth: How Dare You, Off With Their Heads. PUNK ROCK!
- At the Social, Black Kids ... NOT REALLY PUNK ROCK. However, they're making another run at your respect and attention after both were exhausted by the hype-supernova that surrounded them the first time around.
- At Will's Pub, Yogurt Smoothness. NOT PUNK ROCK AT ALL.
by: Jason Ferguson on 7/1/2010
It’s an old truism that once Hollywood gets around to
immortalizing a social movement on film, said movement is well and truly over. Psych-Out did it for the ‘60s drug culture, Roller Boogie did it for roller
disco, and The American President did it for, um, representative democracy.
(Hey, de Tocqueville: Turn off your damn cell phone! I’m tryin’ to watch
trailers here!)
Now the impending release of The Social Network is
fixing to drive a stake through the heart of Facebook, completing a process
that began when we baby boomers figured out that our kids’ favorite virtual
hang could likewise be a great forum for giving it one last shot with the ’82 prom
queen. But as if ringing the death knell of FB wasn’t good enough, the movies are
bound and determined to do the same thing to its ubiquitous ancillary
activities – starting with a feature based on Mafia Wars.
Yes, Mafia Wars -- that highly addictive gangster game
that’s crying out for a cinematic interpretation, as it explores thematic
territory as yet uncharted by the medium of motion pictures. How, I wonder,
will the industry’s top art directors, costume designers and dialect coaches
begin to envision what a “Mafioso” looks and sounds like? There’s just so
little to go on. Not since John Leguizamo spent a summer fixing leaky toilets
to research his part in Super Mario Bros. has a game-to-screen translation entailed
so much artistic heavy lifting.
Now, I’ve never played Mafia Wars myself. Having grown
up in New Jersey and lately making my home on Staten Island, it just seems kind
of superfluous. But I have several “friends” who are obviously hooked on the
thing – unless the frequent notifications that they have risen a rank in La
Cosa Nostra are something I should be a lot more concerned by. (Likewise, I
know people who are addicted to FarmVille despite being actual
farmers/gardeners themselves. And yet somehow, their rutabaga crop thrives!)
This is one of those stories you can’t think about too hard,
lest your brain begin to seep out your ears. Is it really feasible to draw
people into a theater by aping the same activity that has heretofore discouraged
them from leaving the house, or even looking up? I can’t help but call up the example
of Dwight Schrute, whose doppelganger in Second Life was nearly
indistinguishable from himself. There has to be some new degree of post-Warholian
meta-idiocy going on when the entertainment biz’s idea of “improving” on an
interactive narrative is to take the player out of it.
Gimme a good, old-fashioned Lego movie any day, I say.
It forces you to think for yourself.
by: Steve Schneider on 6/30/2010
Hell yes! Coliseum is at the Back Booth. With VRGNS. AND Six Dead Horses. Some heavy-ass punk and metal shit going down. (OK, the new Coliseum album is throwing me off a bit, but damn, these guys bring it live.)
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/29/2010
WHAT YOU'RE DOING THIS WEEKEND
- This is one of the best soul/funk albums ever. "Boogie Wonderland" can suck it. EW&F is playing Universal Studios tonight.
- The Lagues are at Copper Rocket. They rock.
- Speaking of Copper Rocket, looks like one of their regular lineups been transplanted! There's an "Americana" showcase of local bands out at House of Blues. Damion Suomi, Nine Volts, Lonesome City Travelers, Southside Serenade. Good stuff, y'all.
- At Will's, Miami's excellent Jacuzzi Boys are playing, along with the Jameses, Sexcapades, and probably a whole lot of drunk, punk-rock decadence.
- Ex-Norwegian and Bob On Blonde (as a O.G. duo) are at Will's.
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/26/2010
- Junior Bruce (aka the best metal band in Orlando) is at Will's. They're playing with Miami's Furious Dudes who are, despite their name, pretty fantastic. In fact, I can't think of a better paring, since I described Furious Dudes as "Junior Bruce playing punk rock instead of metal." Fuck. Yes.
- Ms. Meka Nism is back from Japan, she's still awesome, and she's playing the Haven tonight with 5 Billion Dead (aka the other best metal band in Orlando) at the Haven.
- The Cook Trio swings it into Redlight. Jazz! Drinking! All of exceptional quality!
- Andy Matchett & the Minks will be doing some crazy shit at Back Booth. Sunbears is on the bill too.
- Skyline Underground is a solid melodic-alt-rock band. In this town, I know that's a pretty damning statement, but these guys are good. Not great (yet), but definitely solid and pointing in the right direction. They're playing Copper Rocket.
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/25/2010
BREAKING! LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST ANTI-HEALTHCARE AMENDMENT!!!!
Stop us if you didn’t see this one coming! Way back on April 22, the legislature approved House Joint Resolution 37, a wildly divisive bit of political hackery intended to save the great state of Florida from the evils of Obamacare. The bill, which passed both the House and Senate with more than the required 60 percent, allowed its main co-sponsors Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, and Sen Carey Baker, R-Eustis, to insert their knobby rhetoric into the general confusion of the “amendments” portion of this November’s general election ballot. To wit, “Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to ensure access to health care services without waiting lists, protect the doctor-patient relationship, guard against mandates that don’t work…” etc. Nothing slanted or confusing there, right?Wrong. Yesterday afternoon super Democrat attorney Mark Herron of Tallahassee filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief challenging the amendment’s place on the ballot.“It’s apparently obvious, at least to me, that the amendment addresses subjects that aren’t in it,” explains Herron.What he means is it’s full of lies.“The ballot title and summary include false and improper statements of the content of Amendment 9, whose only possible purpose is to mislead the public,” the complaint reads. It goes on to list those statements – the “waiting lists,” the “doctor-patient relationship,” the “mandates that won’t work” – following each with the concise realization that “this legislative statement is nothing more than political commentary on the federal health care reform act” and that the statements’ purposes are, again, only to “mislead voters.”Four plaintiffs are named in the suit – Mona Mangat of Pinellas County, Diana Demerest of Palm Beach County, Gracie Fowler of Orange County, and Louisa McQueeney of Palm Beach County. According to Herron, finding them was not difficult. “I just kind of worked at it,” he says.We contacted Plakon to find out his take on the whole takedown, and not surprisingly, he wasn’t surprised. Or, wait, he was surprised. “Has this been in any media yet?” he asked.While he couldn’t comment directly on Herron’s complaint because he hadn’t seen it, he says “It’s not unexpected. We’ve had discussions about possible challenges.”Meanwhile, Plakon and Baker this week – perhaps ironically – launched their fundraising efforts to promote Amendment 9, both at flhealthcarefreedom.org and on Facebook. Will there be big TV buys with long waiting lists full of sad old people?"We’re still feeling that out, what the fundraising possibilities are,” he says. “We’ve been talking to a number of groups about endorsing it.”What groups? He won’t say yet.As for Herron, he maintains that his aim virtually apolitical, focusing instead on the letter of the law and the rights of Floridians to know what they’re voting on.“From my point of view, and the lawsuit’s point of view, we’re not trying to replay healthcare,” he says. “What we’re trying to do is focus on what the voters are entitled to under the Florida constitution and statutes of ballot proposal.”
by: billymanes on 6/25/2010
Who says Orlando isn't home to great original music? ME! At least tonight.
- At the Social, there's a Guns N Roses tribute band.
- At the Plaza, there's an ABBA tribute band.
- Out at Epcot, there's an Eagles tribute band.
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/24/2010
THEATER: LAST CHANCE FOR SOME DELICIOUS SOUP!
Tonight and Saturday are your last chances to see "Reincarnation Soup", which actor/writer Viet Nguyen has revived after an acclaimed run at the 2010 Fringe Festival. Here was my "short take" on this wonderful show when it appeared at Fringe:
In author/actor Viet Nguyen's one-man show Reincarnation Soup, the afterlife is an endless queue is which you wait for an old lady to ladle you a bowl of pho that will wipe away your mortal memories, preparing you for you next incarnation. One soul clings to his ancestors while waiting for his soup, recalling previous existences an ancient warrior, flamboyant talk-show host, commie-fighting cowboy, and the titular prostitute from Miss Saigon. When these characters come to life, as they do in the agonizing tales of a prisoner-of-war and and boat refugee, Nguyen connects with his audience in an intensely personal way. In a Fringe filled with “cute” but disposable entertainment, Nugyen aims for something deeper, and succeeds.Viet Nguyen's Reincarnation Soup Where: Lowndes Shakespeare Center When: Thursday, June 24, 8pm Saturday, June 26, 2pm* *Talkbacks after matinee performances. Tickets: $10 at the door, cash only
by: skubersky on 6/24/2010
FIRST SHOT: WHO MOVED MY GOALPOST?
So the Oscars might be moving to January, to negate the Golden Globes. Not to be outdone, the HFPA will now start giving out the Globes before the winning movies have even been made. Thank you. You’ve been a great crowd of Eurotrash freeloaders.
by: Steve Schneider on 6/23/2010
FIRST SHOT: FLIGHT OF THE STUMBLEBEE
So the first trailer for The Green Hornet is out, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect: not funny enough to be comedy, but too “irreverent” to be a credible actioner, thanks to the basic premise of a capable Asian having to carry a slightly slimmer but still jowly Seth Rogen through all sorts of unlikely heroics. Apparently, the big calling card they’ve decided to ultimately hang around the neck of this albatross is something called “Kato vision” – and when a POV stunt from the nether regions of William Castle’s “to-do” list meets the 3D backlash, you can give up your seat at the Kodak. And AICN can point out all it wants that director Michel Gondry had a hand in creating “bullet time” – but the fact of the matter is that bullet time has been a joke for close to a decade now. (Exhibit A: Even the Epic Movie guys know to use it as visual shorthand.) I was going to say that Hornet is looking more like the Gondry of Human Nature than of Eternal Sunshine, except that at least HN wasn’t a lowest-common-denominator buddy flick aimed squarely at the vicarity glands of a nation of frat goons. Somewhere, there’s a Green Hornet movie ready to be made that confronts what it is head-on and manages to make a winning noir exercise out of its characters’ problematic cross-cultural dynamic. It’s right on my mental shelf next to that imaginary Lone Ranger pic I’ve been pining for, and neither of them is going anywhere as long as studios are still deciding their release slates over bong swats.
by: Steve Schneider on 6/22/2010
WHAT YOU'RE DOING THIS WEEKEND
TONIGHT
- Swamplord, the Dead Popes, Cryptidz, and Tri-Fives are playing Will's. In case you're a complete idiot, this is not a show for the easily offended or overly precious.
- Good Old War, Yukon Blonde and Audra Mae at Back Booth.
- Beautiful strangeness at Peacock with the Deep Field Now, Happy Valley and Room Full of Strangers.
- In the afternoon, make your way to Copper Rocket, because it's a special Father's Day version of Southern Fried Sunday. Well, technically, there's nothing special about it for Father's Day, but it'll still be great, with Thomas & Olivia Wynn, and The Fallen Sons (which includes Brian Chodorcoff, Charley Tichenor, Anthony Manzo and, maybe even Anthony Cole). Plus: FOOD!
- Great Deceivers, the Pauses, Introduction to Sunshine at the Social. Three of Orlando's best indie rock bands on one bill. And it's only $5.
- The Menzingers, How Dare You, Soul Control at Will's Pub. Also a pretty great show.
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/19/2010
FIRST SHOT: IN CASE YOU WERE WATCHING ...
... MSNBC's Chris Jansing just referred to the opening of Universal's new attraction, "The Grand Wizarding World of Harry Potter."Way to take care of the sister company, Chris. No word on whether the KKK is offended by the association with Uni.
by: Steve Schneider on 6/18/2010
ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM — NOW WITH FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS!
If you're the type of person (like me) who uses the library to expand his music collection, then you'll be happy to find out as I did that our beloved Orange County Library System now offers a free legal music downloading service through some unfortunately named outfit called Freegal (Get it?! Free + legal?!) Music.The service is owned and operated by Sony Library Ideas LLC, features music licensed from Sony, and requires you to log in with your library card number and its associated PIN. To log in, your card must not have any fines or fees (so be sure to return that Vonnegut book you've been holding onto for years, hipsters). When I tried it out yesterday, it took a few efforts to get the service to actually work: it kept thinking that I was already logged in and would deny me access.OCLS readily admits that "since we're still in beta there may be times where things act a little weird"—but once I was in, using Freegal was easy enough. You can search by artist, genre, or song to find what you want, and downloading the song of your choice requires one click. Be advised that once you click 'download,' though, you've used up one of your three weekly downloads—even if you don't actually download the file. The counter resets Sundays at midnight.Selection-wise, iTunes it ain't—the choices so far are pretty scant and somewhat obscure, though I was able to snag tracks from David Bowie, The Stooges, and Franz Ferdinand. The tracks are 256kbps MP3 files without any DRM restrictions, and I didn't notice anything in the metadata that would tie the file back to you.For what it's worth, Freegal's pretty decent. If/when the selection increases, it could be a great way to get some music through more solidly legal ways than ripping the library's CDs to your computer, not to mention the inconvenience of actually having to get up off your ass to go to the library in the first place.But nobody does that, anyway.
by: caseymorell on 6/18/2010
Last night's red carpet festivities at "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" didn't disappoint, with appearances by Daniel Radcliffe and John Williams, an amazing fireworks & projection display on the castle, and free-flowing scotch and smoked salmon. So forgive me if my tweeting was a bit slow this morning, but I'm back on the media bus now. This afternoon I skipped the canned Q&A sessions with the film stars (I've heard everything they have to say in the EPK already) in favor of interviewing show producer Mike Aiello and head chef Steve Jayson. Aiello shared insights on the insane detail they've gone into fleshing out the characters you'll meet in the park, and gave shout-outs to his hardworking show directors Anitra Pritchard, Patrick Braillard, and Lyle Moon. Jayson confided that the fish & chips sold in 3 Broomsticks use the same sustainably-caught fish as the rest of the restaurants, but has it's own ale-infused batter. Better yet, he dropped this bombshell: Universal and J.K. Rowling are making a deliberate statement by excluding corn syrup in favor of real sugar in all their custom-made Potter foods, including the Butterbeer and pumpkin juice. Jayson says they consider corn syrup to be "the next trans-fat" and hope to phase out its use throughout the parks. Now excuse me, I'm off for an evening of Blue Man Group and roller-coaster riding. Tomorrow morning: the big moment, live on the Today Show. Look for me! PS. The magical light-up wand I received for last night's ceremony still won't turn off. There's no switch or way into the battery compartment. Help, it's freaking my cats out!
by: skubersky on 6/17/2010
According to a Facebook post from the Empyres: "ATTN!! No show tonight. The Fleshtones are stuck in New York. Possible re-schedule for next Monday. Stay tuned for more info..."
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/17/2010
Wow. Summer is most definitely upon us. I'm not talking about the heat, I'm talking about the way that our little concert schedule has slowed to a complete crawl. Tonight's different, thankfully. Try these out:- The hellyeahgoddamned Fleshtones are at the Social with the Empyres and Hot Mouth. Not much more rock 'n' roll than that.
- There's a show at Back Booth that, I swear to god, starts in like an hour. Junior Doctor – who are really just the goddamned end of music as we know it – are playing, so that means the 13-year-old girls they're catering to can't be out downtown past ... I don't know, dark? This is a picture of their lead singer:
- SAVE THE MANATEES! Thomas & Olivia Wynn are playing a benefit for the adorable little sea cows tonight at the Plaza Theatre.
- There's something called "Americana Night" at the Cameo Theatre. But I have no idea who's playing.
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/17/2010
RESPOND TO THE URBAN RETHINK SURVEY
The Urban Think Bookstore in Thornton Park closed down its business space and morphed into the nonprofit Urban Think Foundation. As a means of determining how to best use the Central Avenue space owned by developer Craig Ustler, the foundation has launched its "Urban ReThink" campaign and wants input from the community via their online survey. Make sure to add your name and e-mail address at the bottom of the survey, and you'll be added to the list to receive the results.
by: Lindy on 6/16/2010
This is intrepid reporter Seth Kubersky, live-blogging from Universal Orlando's 3-day Harry Potter grand opening orgy. I'm writing on a complimentary computer inside the impressively-appointed "Media Center" (which the media are not allowed to photograph, as I discovered the hard way).This morning kicked off with a breakfast buffet (made-to-order omlets and pancakes, yum) followed by a brief keynote & q&a with UO Prez Bill Davis and Universal Creative godhead Mark Woodbury. Since then, I've been on a VIP tour of the parks, interviewing the attraction designers of Mummy and Spiderman.Tonight I'll be back in the park for an evening party with celebs inside the Wizarding World attraction. Keep following my twitter feed at @skubersky and I'll keep bringing you all the dirt (but no more backstage pics, I promise).
by: skubersky on 6/16/2010
FIRST SHOT: A GREAT SOURCE OF IRON, MAN
The world, you may have noticed, is not a fair place.
For instance, let’s say that, two decades ago, you had walked
into a Vegas betting parlor and decided to put down some money on the life
expectancy of various rock stars. Feeling somewhat frisky, you made a wager that,
by 2010, Keith Richards, Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley and Iggy Pop would all still
be alive.
At the same time, you bet that George Harrison, Michael
Jackson, Ronnie James Dio and Eric Carr would all be dead.
So, how rich would you be today? Trick question! If you had
tried to make a bet like that, any respectable gambling den WOULD NOT HAVE LET
YOU. Because they would have known that, if you somehow hit on odds that close
to impossibility, you would CLEAN THEM THE F*** OUT.
And now even medical science has acknowledged this rockin’ dichotomy.
Not content to let the philosophers wrestle with the great conundrums of our
time, they’re seeking a concrete answer to one of the thorniest – chiefly, “How
can 112 years of apparently clean living give Dio stomach cancer, while Ozzy spends
most of his adult life treating his neural system like a boardwalk shooting gallery
and gets a hit TV show as his reward?”
The answer, researchers feel, is somewhere in Osbourne’s
genetic code, which is why – I am not making this up – the Prince of Darkness has
agreed to put his body forward for study. Somewhere in his physiognomy, he and
his newfound buddies in the scientific community surmise, may lie the key to
why some people can survive so-called “excessive substance abuse” where the
rest of us would just dry up and blow away like set dressing on Deadwood.
My personal theory is that every natural survivor has a
bitch-queen of a wife who scares the toxins right out of her hubby’s system, threatening
them with legal action and/or the erasing of any drum tracks they may have
recorded while they were lodged in their host’s medulla oblongata. But that’s more of a hunch than anything.
While we all wait for the official results to come in, I’m
not taking any chances. I’m going to start conducting my every waking hour
according to the example set by this human marvel of chemical resiliency. My
new motto is going to be WWOD? – which could either stand for What Would Ozzy
Do or Who Wouldn’t O.D.? In this case, either one is equally pertinent.
It’s going to be a tough row to hoe, but my health is worth
it. So I’m going to drink nonstop. I’m going to take acid every day for a year,
to “see what happens.” I’m going to farm out the writing of this blog to Geezer
Butler while continuing to take credit for it. And if I’m ever forced to recite
passages from it in public, I’m going to get the order of sentences wrong, deliver
some of them twice, and finally shrug off the entire routine by exhorting my
audience at the Borders café to “show me [their] fuckin’ hands.”
by: Steve Schneider on 6/16/2010
In a few hours, I'll be starting my 3-day marathon of media-whoring at Universal's "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" grand opening junket, and I'm going to try to bring as much of it to you as my iPhone battery will allow. To follow my misadventures, check my Twitter feed @skubersky through the day. Here's my itinerary for tomorrow so you'll have an idea of what kind of theme-park overload I'm up against. And fear not, loyal readers: I'll be drinking a butterbeer in each of your honors... WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16 8:30am Receive Detailed Itinerary, Credential and Other Important Information at the Media Center Shuttle Departs from Media Center for Transfer to Welcome Breakfast 9:00am – 9:15am Check-in
- Please check-in at the tables located near the Hard Rock Café stairs (to the left of the Blue Man Group Theater)
- The day’s attire is resort casual
- Buffet breakfast will be served
- Remarks by Bill Davis, president and chief operating officer of Universal Orlando Resort, on the evolution of Universal Orlando Resort
- Remarks by Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative, on the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort
- Followed by a question and answer session
- You will be grouped with other event attendees, and meet your escort for the day
- Guided tour of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure theme parks
- Interview opportunities at select attractions, including Universal Studios’ Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (with Universal Creative’s Louis Alfieri), Revenge of the Mummy and The Simpsons Ride (with Universal Creative’s Mike West), and Islands of Adventures’ The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (with Universal Creative’s Thierry Coup)
- Buffet lunch is available in the media center from 11:30am to 2:00pm
-
Opportunity to experience the theme parks, to enjoy the hotel amenities, including a special “media respite” room, or to work from the media center
- The media respite room is located in Casa Dolce on the Harbor Level at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
- Enjoy special snacks, beverages and chair massages, compliments of Loews Hotels
- Attire is resort casual
- Authentic cuisine and drinks served throughout the evening
- Event features highly-visual “media moment;” video and still photography is encouraged from media platforms; all other video and still photography is not permitted
by: skubersky on 6/15/2010
Jimmy Dean, country music star and sausage magnate, died Sunday — "unexpectedly," according to his widow. Rest in peace, Jimmy. In your honor let's all listen once again to this cri de coeur from a passionate Jimmy Dean fan. In case you had forgotten, "Jimmy Dean sausage is for Southern people to eat with their breakfast, with the fried eggs and the T-bone steaks."
by: Jessica Bryce Young on 6/14/2010
FIRST SHOT: ALL SINGING, ALL DANCING, ALL ANNEXING
Well, that’s a major relief.
If you’re like me, you were saddened beyond belief when all
the Downfall-derived “Hitler reacts to …” videos were taken off YouTube. How
can we go on living if we’ll never know what Uncle Adolf thinks of, say, Persons Unknown? (“Mein Fuhrer, Steiner …stopped watching after Episode 2.
He says he already saw Identity, and he’s not about to sit through it
again.”)
But it turns out there was no reason to worry. Because Hitler,
as I had almost forgotten, is unflappable and eternal – existing forever on a
sideways plane of reality that’s just tangential to our own, and forever
searching for a way to cross back over onto our side.
He’s like Cthulhu in that regard. Or Foreigner.
And now, he’s come up with what could be his best idea yet.
(Yes, even better than Kristallnacht.) Tired of watching Mel Brooks have all
the fun, he’s staging his own re-emergence into the world of cinema.
Hitler’s dream vehicle? A Bollywood musical.
OK, it’s not a musical. Yet. According to the Times of London, director Rakesh Ranjan Kumar says there will be no songs in Dear
Friend Hitler, which takes as its focus the relationship between the mad
dictator and the illustrious Eva Braun. But the very concept of Hitler plus
Bollywood promises the lighthearted emotional catharsis the material demands. And
you and I know that, the closer the thing gets to release, the more the boys in
marketing are going to want a few joyous dance-offs thrown in to hook the Friday-night
date crowd. Think of it as Slumdog Ja, Mein Herr.
In the Pick Your Favorite Quote contest, the Times has
Kumar calling the movie “a romance, but not in the traditional sense” – sorry if
me slapping my forehead disturbed your reading, there – and saying the picture “aims
to capture the personality of Adolf Hitler.” (I guess we’ll learn he had daddy
issues or something.) But the director has stiff competition from former Miss
India Neha Dhupia, who’s already getting into character for her role as Braun: “How
do you marry the most hated man in the world?” she muses. “I think it’s by
taking each day at a time.” I’d also suggest avoiding empty carbs to manage
stress.
Oh, and an unnamed producer of the film also chimes in about
Hitler being the one to “thank” for Indian freedom, but that’s more sad than
funny. So I’m not going to dwell on it. It’s Saturday night, and my head is
filled with an imaginary two-shot of Hitler and his soulmate looking lovingly
into each other’s eyes. I wonder what the licensing rate on "Waiting for a
Girl Like You" looks like these days.
by: Steve Schneider on 6/12/2010
Well, it's Friday, so you know what that means ... trying to be everywhere at once because there's just too much stuff going on. Let me try and help.
- First, get thyself to Firestone Live ... and early. Music is gonna kick off before 7:30, with In Heaven and Hooray for Earth opening a show that, as far as I'm concerned is a double-headliner. Sure, West Palm's Surfer Blood have come a long way since they played Back Booth like, five minutes ago, and it's all well-deserved. But the noise-pop shoegazer in me has developed quite a soft spot for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It's a Firestone Friday, so this shit will be wrapping up early so folks can get their dance on; don't dawdle, y'all.
- Similarly early is the Screeching Weasel/Queers/Spears show out at Hard Rock Live. Maybe outside of my brain there's not that much crossover between fans of Ben Weasel and fans of jaunty indie rock, but maybe I'm wrong. (IT'S HAPPENED!) Whatever, both shows are pretty worthwhile, and it's something of a drag that they're happening at almost exactly the same time.
- Ahh, but what to do later? Easy! Over at Will's, you've got Magick Finger and Saint Sibian, and across the street at Peacock, the Actomatics are gonna be doing their thing. See, not so hard. Glad I could help.
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/11/2010
What is Doug Rhodehamel is up to now that his May 2010 Spore Project has wrapped up? We share his morning dispatch:"If you're like me, and i hope you're not ... then you've been wondering for years and years and years, will a baby ruth float in a pool as shown in the doody scene of caddyshack? since i have a little time on my hands, i thought i'd find out once and for all."
by: Lindy on 6/11/2010
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/10/2010
- If you're not familiar with the Colombian-infused indie/alt/groove/funk awesomeness of Miami group Locos Por Juana, a set by its Afro Kumbe alter-ego may not be the best introduction. (Although, with international acclaim, Latin Grammy nominations, and all sorts of buzz en espanol, there's little excuse to have not heard of them.) LPJ is a hard-hitting group of fun-loving freaks who meld soul-band brassiness, hip-hop funkiness, and a deep and abiding love for both '90s alt-rock and salsa into one hell of a party. Afro Kumbe is a more beats-and-breaks-centric, cumbia-oriented affair that would be what Sidestepper would sound like if that duo had a sense of humor. You should go to this show! [The Social]
- You should NOT go to this show! Cobra Starship, 3oh!3, Travis McCoy, I Fight Dragons [House of Blues]
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/9/2010
LIKE BEES TO HONEY: PINKLIGHT BAZAAR
Pinklight Bazaar June 6 at Redlight Redlight The clouds were still a bit gloomy around six-ish Sunday evening, especially on Bennett Road, near Colonial Drive, where rambling Redlight Redlight was looking washed out as it dried in the late-afternoon sun. Inside, however, color was high at the woman-powered Pinklight Bazaar, a combo happy hour, crafting and baking market, boutique shopping experience and great place to meet girls. The youngish crowd looked as dreamy as the frostings on the mini-cupcakes and as bubbly as the champagne decked out in edgy couture, vintage classes, and other odds and ends. Even the duo of dudes with wigs showing off their little numbers – one in black, one in red – earned their five minutes of iPhone-clicking fame. As promised, Emma Kruch, Jess Anderson and Erica Abalos-Hernandez brought together a harmonious convergence of creative energies, from the cool crafters and artists to the warming Tarot card readings by Holly Riggs to the burning hands of DJ Kittybat and his funk-grounded dancefloor skills the ladies love.It’s an engaging concept, and the Pinklight trio promises another edition in November, so make sure to friend the Facebook page, where you can fink links to all the area women vendors at last night's affair. Here are a few highlights from last night’s shopping front:-- Bars of handmade soap and other bathing goodies from Lola Blue in strong, true scents like Lemongrass Mint and Raspberry Patchouli. -- Antique skeleton key necklaces from Jess Anderson, the Stray Creative -- Cute if morbid "skeleton ghost" prints and hand-bound buttonhole journals by Courtney Matzke.
by: Lindy on 6/7/2010
FIRST SHOT: IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL YOU’RE FROM TAMPA
So what did we learn this past week? That Orlando expats are born survivors, that’s what. Exhibit A: The Bob DeRosa-penned Killers was nobody’s idea of a smash, but neither was it the underperformer of the weekend – not with Splice and Marmaduke pronounced D.O.A. and even Get Him to the Greek falling short of expectations. And anyway, it wasn’t exactly a secret that DeRosa’s Killers script had been extensively reworked, so it’s hardly a shock that his name wasn’t mentioned in any of the predominantly savage reviews that started to trickle in on opening day. If the thing is remembered as a failure, it’ll be as Robert Luketic’s failure; DeRosa, meanwhile, simply comes out of it as a guy who wrote a movie that opened on close to 3,000 screens. No worries. Exhibit B: Sitcom writer/creator Brian Bradley is just hanging in there like Terri Schiavo. (Too soon? Too late? Too regional?) Mere weeks after I relayed the news that neither of Bradley’s network pilots was going to series, one of them -- How to Be a Better American -- got a reprieve from ABC, in the form of a solid-sounding shot at midseason. Significant retooling is said to be on the cards -- which means, I’m guessing, that star Jason Jones is out. That’d be too bad, as I loved what the guy did a few years ago as host of Craft Corner Deathmatch. (Yeah, I know: It’s The Daily Show I’m supposed to mention. Too bad I’m an obscurantist.) But I’d gladly throw Jones over the side if it meant more Bradley business on my screen on a weekly basis. So it’s Teflon tuxes all around for Hollywood’s Orlando mafia. We breed ’em tough here – big, tough and congenitally unable to quit. Makes you wonder where all the pussies come from. (The answer: Sarasota.)
by: Steve Schneider on 6/7/2010
- There's this Alex Chilton Tribute show at Will's, which I'm quite partial to:
- Another sort of Chilton tribute - a.k.a, a Cheap Trick concert – will be going on at House of Blues.
- Also, the swoony folk-proggers in Plants and Animals will be at Back Booth, so looks like you've got a choice to make.
by: Jason Ferguson on 6/4/2010
FEELING CRAFTY? HEAD FOR 'HANDMADE NATION' TONIGHT
AIGA Orlando presents the film:Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and DesignDirected by Faith Levine 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 4 Valencia Community College, East Campus Performing Arts Center 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, 32825 orlando.aiga.org$10
by: Lindy on 6/4/2010
