Cover Story
Local punks Bubble Boys to play album release show this weekend
Orlando’s Bubble Boys are set to release their new album this weekend through local cassette hustlers Godless America and are throwing a show at Stardust to mark the occasion! Our own Bao Lu-Huu of This Little Underground has praised the group as “a punk band that can really rock & roll, generously streaking their hot…
Op-ed: Developing best practices in early child care can help prevent prenatal opioid addiction
Quality early child care can make a huge difference over the course of a person’s life. Positive child care habits and decisions made by parents early on can help put a child on an upward trajectory toward strong mental and physical health. For these reasons, my office has been honored to work with Nemours Hospital…
Orange County Mayor Jacobs will announce decision on rumored school board run
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs will keep us waiting until tomorrow to find out whether she’s running for Orange County School Board Chair. The term-limited mayor has scheduled a press conference to announce her decision at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson. Jacobs, who was elected as Orange County…
Synth-pop royalty Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark find their way to the Beacham this week
British synth-pop legends OMD – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – have been bleep-blooping and melting hearts since 1978. The Mancunian group was part of a wave of young art students and musicians – that also included Cabaret Voltaire, Daniel Miller and Human League – who were inspired by the DIY immediacy of punk, but…
Drivin N Cryin to play anniversary show in Orlando this May
Southern rock legends Drivin N Cryin are heading out on the open road to celebrate over three decades of rockin’ n’ rollin’ and they’ve just announced an upcoming Orlando show at a new outdoor venue. Drivin N Cryin play a 30th anniversary celebration at the Veranda on Thornton Park with Pylon Reenactment Soc. as well…
IOA Corporate 5k to take over the streets of downtown Orlando this week
Stretch out those legs and limbs for a 5K race to be the best corporate company to cross the finish line! Insurance Office of America is hosting their annual Corporate 3.1-mile run/walk through downtown Orlando, where they have been encouraging health and wellness for employees in the corporate world since 1995. Participants in the race…
Washburn Imports will open new furniture and bar outpost in Winter Park
Washburn Imports, along with its popular wine bar The Imperial, will open a new location just off Park Avenue in Winter Park. As first reported by the Orlando Sentinel, the new Washburn outpost plans to open at some point this summer at 170 Morse Blvd., in the former Clean Beauty Bar spot. No exact opening…
This is the only good video of Florida Gov. Rick Scott
Yesterday, I saw the greatest campaign announcement ever. See for yourselves! pic.twitter.com/hvYb78hb21 — Dylan Baierlein (@dylbaier) April 10, 2018 Yesterday, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced he will run for U.S. Senate against longtime incumbent Senator Bill Nelson. Shortly after, Scott released a brief campaign video explaining to the public why he’s running. This one is much…
Everything we know about Florida DOT’s $2.3 billion plan to fix traffic in the tourist district
With years still to go on the I-4 Ultimate project it might come as a surprise that yet another 40 miles of Interstate 4 are about to become a construction site. The “Beyond the Ultimate” project will take the toll lane-focused rebuild of I-4, stretching the rebuild well into Volusia County, to the east (or…
Universal Orlando is offering Florida residents $42 per day tickets
Universal Orlando is offering Florida residents a pretty sweet deal on a four pack of tickets from now until April 30. Rather than shelling out $260 for a season pass, Florida residents can now buy a pack of four tickets for $165 for single park passes, or $205 for a two park passes. That works…
Charlie Kirk, who ‘owns the libs’ with adult diapers, will speak at UCF today
Charlie Kirk, founder of conservative diaper-wearing group Turning Point USA, will be speaking at University of Central Florida tonight for his “Hard Truths Tour.” Kirk will be speaking at UCF’s Psychology building at 7 p.m. The UCF chapter of Turning Point USA will host Kirk’s 45 minute speech, followed by a 45 minute Q&A, which…
Florida women will lose more than $46 billion a year due to wage gap, says study
According to a new report by the National Partnership for Women & Families, Florida has the nation’s third-smallest cents-on-the-dollar gap. The analysis, which was measured on a state-by-state basis, shows that a woman employed full-time, year-round in the Sunshine State is typically paid 87 cents for every dollar paid to a man, amounting to a…
Trump expected to loom large in Scott-Nelson battle for Florida’s Senate seat
More than $100 million will likely be spent during the next seven months as two of Florida’s top elected officials go head-to-head in the mid-term contest for a spot in the U.S. Senate. The long-anticipated contest in which Gov. Rick Scott will try to unseat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson became official on Monday. Key issues…
ACLU Florida leader retiring after decades of battles
Howard Simon began his career fighting for voting rights, and he’ll end more than four decades of civil-rights advocacy championing the same issue. Along the way, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has plagued the Republican-dominated Legislature and more than one GOP governor, emerging victorious in court battles involving abortion,…
Abortion provider, reproductive advocate Willie Parker will speak in Orlando Wednesday
Dr. Willie Parker, an abortion provider and reproductive justice advocate, will speak in Orlando this Wednesday. Parker is a nationally recognized physician who provides abortion care for people in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois and perhaps most famously in Mississippi, where he treats patients in the state’s only abortion clinic. Parker was the physician plaintiff in…
Disney’s iconic barbershop quartet The Dapper Dans are looking to add new members
Disney parks are filled with plenty of “streetmosphere” entertainers. Many, including large swaths of the Citizens of Hollywood at Hollywood Studios, have been cut, but there’s one group that will likely never get cut. The famed Barbershop Quartet known as the Dapper Dans have called Disney parks home since 1959. They helped open the Magic Kingdom in…
Rubio asks followers to vote for Rick Scott after promise not to campaign against Bill Nelson
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio promised last month not to campaign against his best chum and fellow Florida Sen. Bill Nelson. But about 10 minutes before Gov. Rick Scott officially launched his campaign for the Democratic incumbent’s seat, Rubio seemingly reversed course and asked his followers to vote for his frenemy Scott. One of most important roles…
Steve Spurrier wants Tim Tebow to play for Orlando’s new pro football team
Tim Tebow, a Double-A baseball player and the last NFL player white people allowed to take a knee, has been invited to join Orlando’s professional football team in the new Alliance of American Football league. Speaking to Mike Bianchi on the Open Mike radio show Monday afternoon, 72-year-old Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier, who was just…
The 2018 March for Science rally returns to Orlando this month
Last year on Earth Day, more than 1 million people worldwide took to the streets in support of science. This year’s second annual March for Science will take place on Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Lake Eola on the corner of East Robinson Street and North Eola Drive. Although over…
Five people were struck by lightning this weekend in Florida
Lightning struck down in Hamilton County on Saturday afternoon killing one person and injuring four. The Bradford resident Kourtney Lambert, 23, died after lightning struck a tree that was 25 feet away from a nearby trailer where she and others were taking shelter, Hamilton County Sheriff J. Harrel Reid told Palm Beach Post. No one else was…
Disney releases full menu for Woody’s Lunch Box at Toy Story Land
This morning Disney unveiled their full menu for Woody’s Lunch Box, set to open at Toy Story Land this summer. According to the Disney Parks Blog, the Toy Story-themed counter-service restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which will be included in the Disney Dining Plan. Meals will range from $8.99 to around $12.99. And for the…
Florida GOP says it can fend off Democratic ‘blue wave’ this November
Florida Republican leaders who gathered this weekend in Tampa believe they can hold back a Democratic wave in November to keep the “Trump agenda alive.” But to retain congressional and legislative majorities and to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, that means ramping up messaging about economic growth, boosting turnout, particularly among voters who request…
Florida AG Bondi asks appeals court for stay in voting rights restoration fight
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office Friday asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order that would require the state to quickly revamp its process for restoring the voting rights of ex-felons. Bondi’s office filed a 24-page motion at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking a stay of the March 27 order…
Orlando Weekly parent company Euclid Media purchases Creative Loafing Tampa
Orlando Weekly parent company Euclid Media Group announced this morning it has bought Creative Loafing Tampa. The award-winning Tampa Bay alternative weekly publication, formerly owned by SouthComm Inc, is now the ninth property for Euclid Media Group, which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1988, Creative Loafing has been committed to providing Tampa Bay with an independent…
Disney World debuts new ‘Avatar’ mech suit to teach guests about nature
To help ring in the one-year anniversary of Animal Kingdom’s “Pandora: The World of Avatar,” Disney released a short clip of a new mech suit, which they plan to have walk around the park, greet guests and teach everyone about plants and animals. The Pandora Utility Suit is designed by Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, Disney Parks Live…
Op-Ed: Rick Scott does not care about us
This year’s worst kept secret is out and trust me, it’s a flop. Florida’s completely ineffective governor, Rick Scott, has announced that he’s not done begging for our approval. He has officially entered the ring for a U.S. Senate seat. Like everything else he has done in our state, Scott’s announcement shows just how out…
Lord of the Rings, a Jurassic Park roller coaster, and every other rumored attraction coming to Universal Orlando
Rumors of a new Universal-owned theme park heading to Orlando have been around since even before Islands of Adventure opened in 1999. Recently, the rumors cranked into high gear when new land clearing permits were filed for 200 acres of Universal Orlando’s southern property. The 570 acres south of Kirkman is mostly to the east…
It’s official, Florida Gov. Rick Scott announces run for U.S. Senate
On Monday, two-term Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced in Orlando that he plans to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson for his seat in the U.S. Senate. Expected to be one of the most expensive and closely watched races of the 2018 midterm election season, Scott’s announcement comes as little surprise. The term-limited governor, who’s…
Medieval Times Orlando will debut new updated show that’s all about the queen
For more than three decades, the Medieval Times dinner show has always focused on the king, but times are changing, and now a new queen-focused show is set to debut. The new show is a continuation of the current one with the queen being the daughter of the former king. Medieval Times stated that the…
Band of the Week: Oklahoma Stackhouse
Welcome to Orlando Weekly’s “Band of the Week.” Every week, we highlight one of our favorite local bands. This week, we’re pleased to bring you Oklahoma Stackhouse. Oklahoma Stackhouse are playing Blackstar on Friday, April 13. Just the facts: When did the band form? 2011 Who’s in the band? Jack Hinz: Guitar/Vocals Nick Muccigrosso: Drums…
Moonwalks bring Detroit garage rock to Iron Cow
Young Detroit trio Moonwalks are living, feral proof that even when the “garage rock boom” money disappeared a few years back, the DIY underground in that city kept moving forward like nobody’s business. Somewhere between the sneer of the Dirtbombs and the wide-eyed bliss of Spacemen 3, it’s sure to be a heavy comedown. Along…
Steve Spurrier will coach new Orlando pro football team
Former University of Florida head coach and Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier has officially signed on to lead Orlando’s brand-spankin’-new professional football team. The Alliance of American Football league made the big announcement Saturday morning, stating that the 72-year-old Spurrier is “fired up and ready to go.” The new eight-team league run by Charlie Ebersol will make…
Rick Scott rejects ‘toilet-to-tap’ proposal to pump treated waste water back into aquifer
Wrapping up work from the 2018 legislative session, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed 17 bills and vetoed one measure, which he said could “muddle” Florida’s efforts to protect its underground water system. The most contentious legislation was a bill (HB 1149) that would have allowed chemically treated, recycled water to be pumped into the…
New law makes it easier for Florida property owners to kick people off the beach
Ever enjoy that cozy little beach spot behind a hotel you’re not staying at? That might be a thing of the past under a new Florida law that makes it easier for beachfront property owners to kick people off their private beach. Starting July 1, the law restricts local governments from adopting ordinances regarding customary…
Kissimmee will get its first LGBTQ support center this summer
The LGBT+ Center of Orlando, also known as The Center, will open a second location in Kissimmee, thanks to a $26,148 grant from the Contigo Fund, an initiative of Our Fund Foundation. “For all those directly and deeply affected by the Pulse massacre, it’s still very real. The trauma is still there,” says Contigo Fund…
Avalon Park is getting a specialty grilled cheese restaurant
33 & Melt, the gourmet grilled-cheese joint, just announced the opening of a second location in downtown Avalon Park. The new location is expected to open sometime in late May and will be at 12001 Avalon Lake Drive, Suite H. “We’ve seen a tremendous success with this concept in Windermere and are ready to bring 33…
Royal Caribbean releases hyper-lapse video of world’s largest cruise ship
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, a 228,081-ton, 1,188-foot-long mega ship, will be coming to Florida later this year, and the company released a video showing pretty much the whole thing. The world’s largest cruise ship is set to dock in Miami in the fall of 2018. The gigantic floating resort holds 5,535 passengers and…
MegaCon Orlando adds Elijah Wood, Billy Dee Williams, Karl Urban and more
Lord of the Rings and Star Wars fans have something to get excited about at MegaCon this year. The annual convention announced Elijah Wood, Billy Dee Williams and Karl Urban (Judge Dredd!) as part of this year’s celebrity lineup. The announcement also included Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor, stars of Xena: Warrior Princess, and Joonas…
Sprouts Farmers Market will open a new location in Oviedo
Niche grocery chain Sprouts Farmers Market plans to open its second Orlando-area location, the company announced today. The new location will be in Oviedo, at West Mitchell Hammock Road and Alafaya Trail. No opening date was announced. Speaking of opening dates, the company has yet to say when exactly the new Winter Park location will…
The state of Florida will file an opioid lawsuit against drug companies
Due to the heinous toll the opioid epidemic has taken on Florida, Attorney General Pam Bondi says the state plans to file a lawsuit against the drug companies, the News Service of Florida reports. Bondi says the pharmaceutical industry has played an influential role in both the nation’s and Florida’s opioid problem. Her office is…
Stormy Daniels is bringing her ‘Make America Horny Again’ tour to a strip club in Satellite Beach
Stormy Daniels, who was paid $130,000 by Donald Trump’s lawyer in 2016 to keep quiet about their alleged affair, is scheduled to perform a cabaret show at a strip club in Satellite Beach next week. The Red Leopard will be hosting Daniels on April 12 as part of her “Make America Horny Again” tour. Tickets are…
A Winter Haven student took a gun, ammunition and knives to school to feel ‘powerful,’ says police
A 14-year-old student was taken into custody Thursday after he was caught with a gun, ammunition and knives at Winter Haven Christian School, according to authorities. The weapons and ammunition – a Kimel AP-9 semiautomatic pistol, 11 rounds of ammunition, a butterfly-style knife and a folding pocketknife – were reportedly in the student’s backpack, which…
Kid Rock is coming to Central Florida in October
Central Floridians need to get ready to bom diggie bom di bam de bam diggie diggie and up jump the boogie because Kid Rock has just announced the dates for his “Red Blooded Rock N’ Roll Redneck Extravaganza” tour later this year and there’s a Central Florida show right at the tail end of it!…
Just a reminder that Gov. Rick Scott has never worn a Pulse ribbon
Since the tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas that left 17 students and faculty dead, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has been seen wearing a maroon ribbon to show solidarity and support to the victims and survivors. While this is absolutely the right thing to do, it’s hard to ignore the fact he hasn’t done the…
Universal Orlando releases first glimpse of upcoming Fast and Furious attraction
This morning, Universal Orlando gave Fast & Furious fans their first look at the new Fast & Furious – Supercharged attraction, which is just a quarter-mile away from opening. According to Universal, the new high-speed chase attraction will feature Dom’s iconic Dodge Charger parked in front of the Fast family’s new headquarters. Once inside, you become a…
Ho99o9 forge industrial alliance with Street Sects and 3Teeth
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Ho99o9, 3Teeth and Street Sects, Blackstar, Apr. 4 Punk-rap provocateurs Ho99o9 have made this column pretty often in the past year and a half, and for good reason. Crystallizing into a juggernaut that hits somewhere between Gravediggaz and Body Count, they’re certifiably exciting, on the rise and have been playing Orlando like…
Black farmer drops lawsuit against Florida’s medical marijuana law
After Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill last week that resolved the case, a Panama City farmer has dropped a constitutional challenge to a 2017 law that included criteria for awarding a potentially lucrative medical-marijuana license to a black farmer. Attorneys for Columbus Smith filed a notice Tuesday in Leon County circuit court that they…
Florida Supreme Court tosses out death sentence in Carlie Brucia murder
A divided Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ordered resentencing for a Death Row inmate who was convicted in the 2004 sexual assault and murder of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia —- a Sarasota County case that drew national attention. The 4-3 decision vacating the death sentence of Joseph P. Smith came in one of dozens of appeals…
Blackstar hosts the Juan Maclean for a night of disco house funk
Blackstar’s Saturday night weekly, Fang, scores a coup this week by bringing in DFA Records’ John Maclean – better known as the Juan MacLean – for a DJ set. The sometime bandmate of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy has a flair for disco-house singles with a distinctive edge. Expect big things this night. 10 p.m. Saturday;…
Bands & Brew Fest raises money for the American Cancer Society at Deadly Sins Brewing
Winter Park’s Deadly Sins Brewing hosts a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society this week. Combining live music, beer and food, the Bands & Brew Festival offers live music from the likes of Amp’d, Skin Deep and Evil Genius. Plus, attendees get to sample bites from restaurants like Sonny’s BBQ, the Olive Garden and Teak…
Port Canaveral hosts the Brewmasters Invitational Beer Fest this weekend
The Space Coast throws a bellybuster this weekend at the Brewmasters Invitational Beerfest. Sample the wares of more than 50 breweries with unlimited tastings, and then sate your hunger with a selection of food trucks. Live music and local art set the atmosphere for this fete. 4-7 p.m. Saturday; Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal No. 1,…
Drive Shack will open its first location this weekend in Orlando
Drive Shack, a multilevel driving range that serves booze and food (similar to Topgolf), will open its first ever location in Orlando this Saturday. Located at 7576 Lake Nona Blvd, the new 60,000-square foot entertainment complex will officially open for business April 7, at 3 p.m. The Orlando Drive Shack will sport 90 hitting bays, a…
Pod Tours America brings podcast stars to the Bob Carr
“Pod Tours America” is one of the looser podcasts among the flourishing cottage industry of political pods our horror-show news cycle has encouraged, consisting of four former aides to President Obama – Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor – grabassing around on whatever fresh can of hell was opened in the past…
Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniforms are the worst in the NFL, says sports reporter
Are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ uniforms really that bad? Apparently one California-based journalist thinks so. In fact, Sacramento Bee reporter Matt Barrows thinks the Bucs’ uniforms are so bad that he ranked them last out of 32 teams in the NFL. That means, at least in Barrows’ opinion, that the Bucs’ uniforms are even worse…
‘Stranger Things’ star David Harbour says he’ll dress up as Eleven at Halloween Horror Nights
In response to this week’s announcement that Netflix’s Stranger Things will join the roster at Halloween Horror Nights 28, actor David Harbour says he’ll attend this year’s event if his tweet gets 300K retweets, which is a very attainable request. The local theme park blog Orlando Informer threw a Twitter Hail Mary on Tuesday to Harbour, asking, “how…
Orlando astrologer RJ Speiser unpacks your horoscopes for April
Editor’s note: This week we debut a new monthly column by local astrologer RJ Speiser. Below, she explains her take on what astrology actually is – proof of predestination? tool for self-evaluation? secret decoder ring? – then gives her horoscopes for April for all 12 sun signs. Read it and weep! or, er, rejoice! “I…
Gov. Rick Scott signs animal-abuse law named after puppy from Ponce Inlet
This afternoon, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed Ponce’s Law, named after a puppy that was found beaten to death in Ponce Inlet. The bill, which was ceremoniously signed into law Thursday in Ponce Inlet, will allow a judge to bar someone previously convicted of animal cruelty from owning a pet, and also makes it more likely…
Florida metal bands fight it out for a slot on the Wacken Festival this weekend
Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival has become the fest destination of choice for connoisseurs of metal in all its varying shades of heaviness over nearly three decades of events. And this year there’s a fight to the (musical) death for a spot on the lineup, and the final round of Florida competition is taking place…
Twelve more proposals could land on Florida ballot in November
When they go to the polls in November, voters could face a dozen ballot measures from the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, under a plan advanced Wednesday. The plan, which received preliminary approval from the commission’s Style and Drafting Committee, groups 24 proposed changes to the state Constitution into 12 ballot measures for the Nov. 6…
Universal announces details on new lower-price resort, Endless Summer
This morning, Universal Orlando announced the name and a few tidbits about their upcoming resort and hotel complex, Endless Summer. The resort will be a combination of two hotels, Surfside Inn & Suites and Dockside Inn & Suites. These two hotels will be Universal’s first lower price-point properties, with one-bedrooms starting at $73 a night,…
Bill Nelson, Marco Rubio seek answers to ongoing power outages in Puerto Rico
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and a group of their colleagues Wednesday called for an investigation into ongoing power outages in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. The request also seeks information about a reported U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to scale back the number of utility workers on…
UCP of Central Florida throws a star-studded poker tournament fundraiser
United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida throws its biggest fundraising gala of the year this week. But the night before the gala is where the real fun takes place. Hosted by celebrities like Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad), the charity poker tournament has plenty to offer even if you’re not…
Spooky Empire returns for annual spring horror convention this weekend
Perhaps this time more than ever, the guest list at the semi-annual Spooky Empire convention reads like a genre-crazed autograph hound’s bucket list. Linda Blair! The cast of Animal House! (Well, four of them, anyway!) And most of all, ’80s guitar wizard Vinnie Vincent, making only his second public appearance after two decades of mysterious…
City of Orlando debuts new concert and food truck event at Lake Eola
The city of Orlando is bringing a new “signature event” to Lake Eola Park called Orlando Sound Bites, combining “Orlando’s hip contemporary culinary scene” with live concerts. The event is scheduled for April, 7, starting at 5 p.m. Performances include Sean Holcomb, The Sh-Booms and headliner The Cadillac Three. The event is free to attend,…
Florida will likely experience another awful hurricane season in 2018
Following 2017’s historically destructive fall and summer, scientists are now predicting the upcoming 2018 hurricane season will again be above average. This morning, researchers at Colorado State University released their first report for the 2018 hurricane season, predicting that it will include at least 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, which will…
Federal judge claps back hard after Florida challenges ruling on felons’ voting rights
U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker has had it, officially. In a searing clapback of the kind usually reserved for especially trifling people, Walker struck down a challenge from Gov. Rick Scott’s administration against overhauling Florida’s controversial voting rights restoration process for former felons. “Rather than comply with the requirements of the United States Constitution,…
WPRK and Blackstar team up for a night of varying frequencies
Originally intended as a celebration of the return of Rollins College radio station WPRK to the FM airwaves – sadly delayed again due to the almost improbable discovery of an eagle’s nest in the new transmitter’s location – Blackstar will instead play host to the first in a series of WPRK-curated events dubbed Frequencies, featuring…
Florida Gov. Rick Scott challenges order to create new system for restoring felon rights
Gov. Rick Scott is challenging a judge’s ruling that requires him to overhaul Florida’s system for restoring the voting rights of former felons. The motion, filed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office, requested a stay of the order issued by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker last month while the case moves to the federal appeals court.…
Florida authorities are investigating Von Miller after posing with what is probably a very dead shark
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller due to a recent Instagram post posing with what appears to be a very dead or severely injured hammerhead shark. Miller and friends took a recent fishing trip where they were surprised to have “fished out” a 9-and-a-half foot hammerhead shark.…
Florida DNC member takes his wife’s advice and resigns after racist remark
Democratic National Committee member John Parker resigned Wednesday after he reportedly referred to African Americans as “colored people.” Parker blamed his Jim Crow-sounding slip of tongue as a casual instance of twisting the phrase “people of color” during a Jan. 22 party meeting at the Burrito Gallery in Jacksonville. He also allegedly said something along…
Justin Timberlake’s biggest fan is probably this Orlando grandma
An Orlando grandma will be living her best life at a Justin Timberlake concert this spring. Bette Maloney, 88 years old, will be front and center at Timberlake’s Orlando stop of his “Man of the Woods Tour” at the Amway Center, thanks to a surprise gift from her granddaughters Sarah and Elizabeth Watson. Sarah and Elizabeth…
31 free shows happening in Orlando this week
Wednesday, April 4 Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints of Truth 10 pm at Lil Indies, 1036 N. Mills Ave. The Daniel Heitz Band 10:30 pm at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Thursday, April 5 Leisure Chief 10:30 pm at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Raleigh Estes and Friends 8 pm at Muldoon’s Saloon, 7439 Aloma Ave.,…
A Volusia County teen bit the head off a live chicken this past weekend
A high-school prank got out of hand when a University High School student decided to bite the head off a live chicken early Saturday morning. Seventeen-year-old David Andrew Jimenez and others allegedly trespassed at University High on Saturday, March 31, with intentions of stealing the chicken eggs and “egging” the school, WESH 2 reports. Jimenez…
Domu opening second area restaurant in Southwest Orlando
Last month, we told you Domu would be expanding their empire east to Waterford Lakes with their quick-service Domu Chibi Ramen. Today, on National Ramen Noodle Day, everybody’s favorite ramen-ya announced they’d be opening their second area full-service Domu in Southwest Orlando. “We’re coming your way in 2019!” came the proclamation. “We feel that this is…
Calls for curbing gun violence continue at South Florida town hall
With students, teachers and family members of victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in attendance, Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch hosted a town-hall meeting Tuesday evening to address legislation to prevent gun violence. “We are here because the brave families who lost loved ones at Stoneman Douglas have stood up and…
Health advocates blast $98 million Medicaid cut proposed by Florida lawmakers
A push by the Florida Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott to trim nearly $100 million from the state’s main safety-net health care program for the poor is coming under fire by health-care providers and advocates for low-income families. The state wants to reduce from three months to 30 days the grace period for retroactively paying…
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks about his latest book at Rollins College
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA all-time leading scorer and both a six-time NBA champion and six-time league MVP, yes, but he’s also one of the most powerful black intellectuals in America, and he’s coming to Rollins College for a talk on his new book, Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black…
Local composer Charlie Griffin will premiere a new work at the Orlando Philharmonic Saturday
I first heard music by Orlando-based composer Charlie Griffin at the 2014 Central Florida Composers Salon, an annual event that showcases music by members of the Central Florida Composers Forum, which Griffin founded in 2011. Among the selections for that evening’s program was Shifting Coastlines, a three-movement song cycle in which Griffin applies a modern…
Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz sets up her ‘Pietà’ project at the UCF Student Union today
In Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz’s powerful durational performance Pietà, the artist opens her arms and invites those in pain to lay down their burdens. “We live in a world where we’re [people of color] told to ‘get over it’ and ‘move on’ while at the same time we constantly see our brothers and sisters lost to injustice,”…
Chef Wang’s Kitchen serves the best Chinese food in Orlando
Wang’s dang noodle
Claddagh Cottage will reopen in the Hourglass District any day, El Bodegon has closed, plus more in local foodie news
OPENINGS: Your Champagne wishes and caviar dreams have come true: Bites & Bubbles will open in the Brooklyn Coffee Shop space on Mills Avenue with an emphasis on bubbly and fancy fare (everything from oysters and caviar to escargots and porterhouse steaks). Local restaurateurs Eddie Nickell and Nick Olivieri, who ran Restaurant Ash and Funky…
Black coconut ice cream inspires us to take (another) Painkiller
Remix: The Painkiller
Legal Public Notices 4/4 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION EXTRASPACE STORAGE – STORE 1335 1101 MARSHALL FARMS RD, OCOEE FL 34761 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1101 Marshall Farms Rd, Ocoee FL 34761, 04/20/2018 @ 12:30pm Janet Howell, Unity…
Here’s how SeaWorld can stay above water
Last week, while all the good Jews were busy preparing matzo-ball soup for the seder, I was noshing on roasted pork and other delicious (though decidedly non-kosher) Latin dishes during a media preview of SeaWorld Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival. The second annual event, which has been extended for an additional two weekends through April…
Pam Grier opens up about her career ahead of her appearance at the Florida Film Festival
Pam Grier will attend a Florida Film Festival screening of Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Maitland’s Enzian Theater, and participate in a Q&A session. For modern audiences, that movie might be the defining moment in Grier’s career, but for the actress herself, it’s just another memorable stop on a long…
Savage Love: ‘Royal Oak Music Theatre’
I visited Royal Oak, Michigan, for Savage Love Live at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. I didn’t get to all of the questions submitted by the large and tipsy crowd – a crowd that skipped the Stormy Daniels interview on 60 Minutes to spend the evening with me (so honored, you guys!) – so I’m…
Opening this week: Chappaquiddick, Blockers, and more
THIS WEEK: Blockers A group of killjoy parents try to prevent their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. Silly old fogies: Don’t they understand that making physical intimacy an arbitrary personal milestone is the only way to get empowered? (R) Chappaquiddick In its never-ending quest for “fairness,” so-called liberal Hollywood bails out (sorry!)…
Gimme Shelter: Meet Cookie!
Looking for a new furry friend? Meet Cookie! Cookie (A391002) is 3 years old and has found herself looking for a new home. She is a little shy at first, but she is a friendly girl and will come out of her shell quickly. She is loving and enjoys attention, and is pretty easygoing. She would…
ICYMI: A costumed vigilante at UCF, the fight against poop water and more
Noor Salman found not guilty on all counts in Pulse shooting: A federal jury has found Noor Salman not guilty of helping her husband in his plans to murder 49 people at the gay nightclub Pulse. After deliberating for almost 12 hours over the course of three days, jurors unanimously acquitted Salman of aiding and…
Ho99o9 are the soundtrack to a revolution
There’s a riot goin’ on
The best concerts coming to Orlando this week
Thelma and the Sleaze, Craig Brown Band A show heavy on filthy boogie and hard-luck tales starring two of Nashville’s loudest on a little spring break jaunt south. 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, at Will’s Pub, $8-$10 Kaleigh Baker The Thursday residency from this local soul-rock belter continues to gain steam like a particularly tuneful locomotive.…
The movies not to miss at the 2018 Florida Film Festival
Here are some of the flicks we’re most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Florida Film Festival American Animals 7 p.m. Friday, April 6 This year’s opening night film is an intriguing docu-drama from English director Bart Layton, following the true story of four college guys who plan and execute a heist involving rare…
Marco Rubio’s guide to surviving the Trump White House
Don’t worry, be happy (and oblivious!)
For old-school shred-heads, the return of Vinnie Vincent at Spooky Empire is the best surprise of 2018
Ankh if you love a comeback
