C+C Music Factory celebrates Mac and Cheese’s fourth anniversary at Independent Bar
C+C Music Factory – which actually stands for “Cookies and Cream,” not the last names of the two founding members (Clivillés and Cole) – haven’t released anything since 1995. Nothing. Not a damn thing. And, honestly, nobody cares. “Things That Make You Go Hmmm” is such an everlasting club heater, people will be using that…
The Daily City’s Cardboard Art Festival moves out of Mills 50 and into SoDo
Over the past three years, the Daily City’s Cardboard Art Festival has grown from an interesting party to one of our favorite art events. Local artists take the packing material of thousands of Amazon Prime deliveries (or whatever) and use it to create sculptures, paintings, moving installations, props, costumes and a host of other things.…
Rhode Island’s Downtown Boys give you a sweaty experience at the Space Station
Back in March, Rhode Island’s Downtown Boys came through and impressed as an opener for label mates Screaming Females at the Social. Though the hard-left punk-rock rainbow coalition showed some pretty notable live fire then, this return has all the kindling for a much more intense, sweaty and pure experience. First, they’re now touring on…
Phantasmagoria brings ‘Wicked Little Tales’ to the Shakes this weekend before heading to Atlanta
Who doesn’t love a wicked good story? Especially when it’s told with acrobatics and puppets and dance and staged combat (and occasionally open flames), presented by a bunch of performers who throw themselves with gusto into their Victorian-era gypsy storyteller roles. If you haven’t yet seen a show by Phantasmagoria, a steampunk storytelling troupe created…
Orlando planning board approves skyscraper near Lake Eola
Orlando’s Municipal Planning Board unanimously approved plans for a 28-story tower near Lake Eola Park Tuesday, despite crowds of residents protesting its impact on neighbors and the lake. The building, which would replace two historic buildings on East Central Boulevard, plans to house 215 residential units, an area for commercial use and a parking garage.…
The complex case of Idina Menzel: The Broadway and film star brings her ‘Frozen’ gold hit and impressive range of tunes to Dr. Phillips Center
AN EVENING WITH IDINA MENZEL 8 p.m. Saturday, July 25 | Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave. | drphillipscenter.org | $55 Ask a young fan of Disney’s Frozen (the insistently popular princess flick from 2013), “Who is Idina Menzel?” If you’re spared an on-the-spot rendition of the film’s hit song “Let…
Grooveshark co-founder Josh Greenberg passed away Sunday
Josh Greenberg, one of the two co-founders of music streaming site Grooveshark, was found dead in his home in Gainesville, Florida, Sunday evening. According to the Gainesville Sun, a medical examiner’s autopsy found no evidence of drugs or foul play. However, the toxicology report, which will take at least 2 weeks, should provide more answers. Greenberg’s…
Ten10 Brewing on Virginia Drive opens tonight
We’ve been waiting sooooo long for Orlando’s newest brewery to open, and now the time has finally come! Late last year, we told you that Ten 10 Brewing had finally cleared the bureaucratic hurdles in its way to begin buildout on the brewery it had planned to open at 1010 Virginia Drive. Today the brewery…
Floridians are getting leprosy from armadillos at a higher rate than normal
Reported cases of leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, are higher than normal in Florida this year, and experts are blaming armadillos. On average, the state of Florida sees 10 cases of leprosy a year. So far in 2015, 9 cases of leprosy have already been confirmed in Florida, as reported by WJAX. According to the CDC, armadillos…
Florida gun store owner declares his shop a ‘Muslim-free zone’
Andy Hallinan, the owner of Florida Gun Supply in Inverness, Florida, posted a video last weekend to his business’s Facebook page announcing that effective immediately his store is now a “Muslim-free zone.” Hallinan claims the new policy comes after the recent Chattanooga shootings. “Our leaders are telling us that islam is a peaceful religion, full of…
Pawsitive Shelter Photography founders given Citizen of the Year award from Orange County
Every week, we post galleries of pets available for adoption at Orange County Animal Services (here are the most recent ones we’ve put up on our site dogs | cats). Those photos, in case you don’t read the info we include in each gallery, are taken by volunteer photographers who trek to shelters around the…
Florida legislators headed back to work in August for redistricting special session
August will be back-to-Tallahassee time for state lawmakers. Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli sent a joint memo to lawmakers Monday announcing that a court-ordered special session to redraw eight of the state’s 27 congressional districts will begin Aug. 10 and run until Aug. 21 or until the completion of the new…
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist says he intends to run for Congress
Florida’s favorite tanned man, Charlie Crist, announced Monday that he could jump into the political race again, this time for U.S. Rep. David Jolly’s seat. Crist, who lost last year’s race for the governor’s seat to incumbent Gov. Rick Scott, tweeted this afternoon: "If the new congressional map includes my home, I intend on running…
An old-timey WWII bomb was found and safely detonated on a St. Petersburg beach Sunday
Authorities were able to safely dispose of a barnacle-covered WWII bomb that washed up on a St. Petersburg beach Sunday afternoon, July 19. The flash bomb, which were once used to illuminate the night sky, was found near the 22nd Avenue beach access point. According to Bay News 9, bomb experts cleared about 60 homes…
Brian Kilmeade of Fox & Friends wonders why we don’t just clear sharks from our beaches
Brian Kilmeade has a solution for keeping our beaches safe. Kilmeade, a Fox News host and dispenser of inane chatter, wondered out loud on Monday’s episode of Fox & Friends, why sharks aren’t simply cleared from the ocean. According to Raw Story (who, apparently were the only ones watching the June 20 episode), Kilmeade’s shark-removal epiphany…
Inside look: Salty-sweet treats at the IKEA candy bar
Sunday-afternoon trips to IKEA Orlando just got a little bit sweeter (or at least a little more tolerable). A couple of weeks ago, IKEA installed a new bulk candy bar right outside the grocery section, next to the ground-floor café. On your next trip, before you hop on that escalator and start your journey through…
UCF and Orlando City SC come together to give a 6-year-old a new bionic arm
Last Friday, UCF, the Orlando City Soccer Club, and Limitless Solutions came together to give a Brazilian boy a new 3D printed bionic arm. As reported by UCF Today, Paulo Boa Nova, a Brazillian child who was born without a part of his arm from a genetic defect, and his father, Claudio, were flown in by Orlando…
Employee at Winter Park’s Preferred Guest Resorts allegedly sold “bags of reservation documents” to identity thieves
Chrystie Hall, an employee who worked at Preferred Guest Resorts in Winter Park for 12 years, was arrested on allegations that she sold bags of reservation documents to a pair of local identity thieves. Police picked up Hall on July 14, after Jacob Nesson, an 85-year-old resident of Indiantown, Florida, informed OPD that his credit…
OCSO raids Commissioner Regina Hill’s home, arrests her son
Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill’s son was arrested Friday after Orange County Sheriff’s Office raided a home owned by Hill. Rakeem Hill and four other people were arrested at the home on Baywood Avenue, which OCSO says it was surveilling for months, WFTV 9 reports. His charges include trafficking meth and possession of a firearm by…
Lord Huron and Widowspeak create a deep, beckoning lake of indie rock atmosphere at the Beacham Tuesday
Either band on its own would be noteworthy but, together, the Lord Huron and Widowspeak bill is a deep, beckoning lake of indie-rock atmosphere. With sonics that are quietly grand and melodies that are persistently lovely, headliner Lord Huron is the picture of pastoral nobility. A cinematic ideal of trail and horizon, they draw their…
This Little Underground: On the Mills strip with Good Graeff, Coeds, Plastic Pinks and Someday River
Sarasota twin-fronted band Good Graeff just celebrated the fresh drop of their new EP Good Job Go with a typically lively performance of their fresh-faced, folk-edged indie pop at their Orlando release event (July 16, Will’s Pub). Despite their ready combination of talent, marketability and tireless road-dogging, they haven’t exactly broken out yet. But hopefully…
Customs nabs woman at Sanford airport trying to bring magic mushrooms into the country
If you were waiting for your friendly neighborhood hookup to bring you that psychedelic mushroom grow kit you asked about recently, take note: U.S. Customs and Border Protection emailed today to let us know that it totally nabbed a 37-year-old woman trying to smuggle “approximately three ounces” of marijuana, hashish, marijuana cookies and psychedelic mushroom kits…
A woman had bleach thrown in her face at a Winter Park Publix
It’s been a wild couple of days for the grocery store chain with the slogan “Where shopping is a pleasure.” Only a few days after a brawl went down at the Baldwin Park Publix, it would appear a 68-year-old woman was attacked with a cup of bleach during an attempted robbery at the Winter Park…
It’s World Emoji Day: Challenge yourself to make dinner with an emoji recipe 🍆🍅🍝🍞
It's #WorldEmojiDay! Still no #TacoEmoji, but I'mma shake that off, make 🍄🌿🍝 for dinner or maybe get some 🐙 at @TxokosKitchen — jessica bryce young (@jby789) July 17, 2015 You may be used to seeing the eggplant used to signal something else, but as Freud said, sometimes an eggplant is just an eggplant. Unicode’s greatest invention…
Shanghai Disneyland gives us a glimpse at the future of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland
With rumors of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland getting a major upgrade, many have wondered what it would look like. Well, earlier this week Disney unveiled details of their newest theme park, Shanghai Disneyland. Here Tomorrowland takes on a look that has never been seen at a Disney Park before. The new futuristic look includes sleek, curved…
Orlando City Commissioners racked up close to $47K on city credit cards
Orlando’s elected representatives charged nearly $47,000 in a year to city-issued credit cards funded by taxpayer dollars. An investigation by WFTV 9 found that Commissioners Sam Ings and Regina Hill made the bulk of the transactions, collectively spending close to $42,000. Ings spent $27,600, of which about half was for traveling, meals and entertainment expenses,…
Chiquita Brands bringing offices, jobs and bananas to Orlando area
Banana lovers everywhere: Chiquita Brands International is bringing two of its division to Florida, one of which will be in the Orlando area. The company is moving its banana division to South Florida and its Fresh Express administrative offices to Central Florida, WKMG Local 6 reports. The move puts the company closer to one of…
Some stoner thought the new images of Pluto contain the actual silhouette of Disney’s Pluto
“Walt Disney, rest in peace, clearly had a vision, man (takes massive bong rip and holds it in). He wanted to create a solar system so fantastic (exhales huge plume of smoke) that generations of families would experience the magic long after he was gone,” said the stoner that made this mildly interesting image comparison.…
Audubon Park Garden District creating an Eco-District
We’ve long admired the community-based initiatives that spring from the minds of those living and working in the Audubon Park Garden District – we love the Monday night local-vendors-only market, and the cool community events (like the recent Bastille Day celebration), and the whole concept behind the East End Market. And we just learned about…
Gun-rights advocates argue students should be allowed to keep guns in University of Florida dorm rooms
As if universities weren’t wild enough already, a Florida gun-rights group argued before a court this week that students and other people who live on college campuses should be allowed to possess firearms. Florida Carry Inc. filed a case against the University of Florida, saying the school’s prohibition of firearms in university housing violates the…
This Little Underground: The Wilderness; Reverist; Pathos, Pathos; Young Mothers (Will’s Pub)
Last night was a reminder that not all young shows are the same. Vastly different pictures emerge depending on whether you measure age or scene maturity. I’ve seen both experienced all ages crowds and incredibly juvenile 18+ crowds. My latest outing (July 15, Will’s Pub) was the boisterously awkward world of the latter, which was…
Market report: Fresh dragonfruit at Freshfield Farms
Now that we’ve settled into the dead of summer, exotic fruits will be increasingly available. Freshfields Farm is currently overrun with dragonfruit, a dramatic fuchsia fruit about the size of your hand. They’re going for about $5 a pound, and these babies are so full of juice, they weigh about that much apiece. If you’ve…
Breaking: Chef Dustin Haney leaves Scratch
In very sad news for locals with tastebuds, chef Dustin Haney has announced he will leave Scratch. Chef Haney developed the menu at Scratch and has been behind the stove since the start. His duties will be assumed by one of his sous-chefs. Brittany Byrd, Scratch’s front-of-house and Haney’s girlfriend of many years, told us…
33 free concerts in Orlando this week (7/16-7/21)
[Editor’s note: My apologies for missing Wednesday’s free shows this week. Computer glitches, curses!] Thursday, July 16 Dave Sheffield Trio 9 p.m. at Winter Park Beer Company Dumberbunnies, Plastic Pinks, Sterling Schroeder & the Chosen Ones 10 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Tavern Jeff Two-Names and the Born Agains, Tam Tam the Sandwich Man, Radicalized Youth 6…
ESPN’s Wide World of Sports will host Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in 2016
This week, the Invictus Games Foundation, an organization founded by Great Britain’s Prince Harry to support wounded and sick servicemen and women, announced that it will bring the Invictus Games to Orlando in 2016. In 2014, the organization held its first Invictus Games, at which injured veterans compete in everything from archery to rowing to wheelchair…
Four upcoming events for food lovers (two are total steals)
Treat yourself this month! Two of these events are priced much lower than the other two, but all of them are really pretty reasonable for what you’re getting. Eat 2 pounds of steamed lobster for a mere $35 at the Oceanaire Seafood Room Friday, July 24. You must call (407-363-4801) and RSVP on or before July…
Thornton Park makes golf fun at their Putt N’ Crawl on Saturday
Let’s face it, yuppies: Golf sucks. Quietly trudging through the Florida heat while trying to knock a tiny ball into a tiny hole hundreds of yards away and repeating the process 17 more times is, as Mark Twain said, “a good walk spoiled.” The only redeeming part of the trip is having beer delivered to…
Unite the Triforce and save Hyrule (again) at The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses
There’s no virtual phenomenon quite like the legend of Zelda game series. Over the years, Nintendo’s console-selling flagship franchise has won over the hearts of millions of children and adults worldwide. Now the Symphony of the Goddesses concert series returns to Orlando to remind us why we love Link, our green tunic-clad silent protagonist. The…
Break the Chains focuses on the elements of hip-hop instead of the trappings
Hip-hop events are easy to find – there’s one in an Orlando club every weekend. But finding a true hip-hop dance/cypher competition that’s not in a club or a bar? That’s a little harder to come by, which makes this event a good one for anybody who loves hip-hop dance battles and a good MC,…
Head to Tin Roof this Saturday to give your costume a test run at Halloween in July
Halloween is the only holiday where it is socially acceptable to go out at night in creepy costumes and scare people. Too bad it only comes once a year, right? For the first time in its eight-year history, Tin Roof’s Halloween in July, which the chain has previously run as an invite-only event in other…
New allegations against Zimmerman shooter say he peed on neighbor’s door
George Zimmerman’s accused shooter, Matthew Apperson, is in hot water again after being arrested a second time on allegations that he urinated on his neighbor’s door. Apperson, of Winter Springs, was arrested in May on attempted murder charges after he shot at Zimmerman in a road-rage incident. The man is now facing a misdemeanor disorderly…
Rifle Paper Co. sidewalk sale boasts pretty paper and popsicles Friday-Saturday
Did someone say sale? We know it’s a little out of the ordinary for us to blog about sidewalk sales, but we would never forgive ourselves if we failed to mention this one. Rifle Paper Co., the Winter Park-based shop that’s internationally admired for its stationery, prints, calendars and more, is having an event Friday,…
That insane Baldwin Park Publix brawl was over a shopping cart
Apparently, the most “World Star” brawl to ever go down at a Publix grocery store was all because of a shopping cart. According to OPD, the fight occurred around 5:30 p.m. July 13 at the Baldwin Park Publix, and started because a pregnant woman’s shopping cart was blocking a man from pulling into his spot. Here’s what…
Put the South in your mouth at the “South Meets South” dinner tomorrow
No matter which side of the “Orlando is the South” line you fall on, there’s no denying we have some killer Southern cuisine around these parts. You don’t have to go far to find fried okra, black-eyed peas, pimiento cheese and so, so many iterations of fried yardbird. Tomorrow, July 16, two of O-town’s finest…
A new social media challenge is encouraging people to steal Confederate flags
A new trend is gaining traction via two hashtags #NoFlagginChallenge and #DestroyConfederateFlag, both are calling for the theft of Confederate flags from cars, homes, or wherever the rebel flag is flying. At the moment, one of the most popular videos was uploaded by Facebook user Jamari Williams, who, according to his profile, is a resident…
Universal’s Islands of Adventure top attraction worldwide, according to TripAdvisor
It looks like the Mouse is losing some of his ground in Orlando. Universal’s Islands of Adventure placed first in the 2015 Traveler’s Choice awards for amusement parks and water parks worldwide, beating out 24 other attractions, including eight from Orlando. The list, put together annually by TripAdvisor, puts SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove in the No.…
Puerto Rican financial crisis drives migration to Central Florida
Myrta Mariani is struggling. The 40-year-old Puerto Rican native arrived in Kissimmee from the island six months ago with nothing except for her 16-year-old son and the dream of opportunity. Mariani has a master’s degree in education that she can’t use right now because she doesn’t speak English well enough, and therefore can’t find a…
Outpost Neighborhood Kitchen is a throwback – in a good way
Corrugated aluminum, reclaimed wood, Edison light bulbs – we’ve seen it all before in other restaurants around town, but Outpost Neighborhood Kitchen on Edgewater Drive in College Park has taken the concept a couple of steps further to great result. Themed restaurants don’t have to be kitschy; at 1900s-themed Outpost, you’ll feel like you stepped…
Shantell takes a rest, ABC’s ‘The Chew’ comes to Epcot, Cityfish closes and more in our weekly food news roundup
Shantell’s Cafe in Sanford is not closing July 20, as was earlier reported. Chef-owner Shantell Williams (who has a killer singing voice, BTW) announced on the café’s Facebook page that she would “take a small break to catch up on rest, motherhood and sleep. But Shantell’s Café will be open for business” with help from her…
Southern Nights knows what a good gay bar needs to succeed
Southern Nights 375 S. Bumby Ave., 407-412-5039; southernnightsorl.com After work or after hours? Happy hour is good, but the place is usually really hopping on weekend nights. Beer/wine or liquor too? All of the above Check all that apply: ☐ fancy cocktails ☒ make ’em strong and keep ’em coming ☐ wine list (5 choices…
Speakeasy, Orlando’s oldest spoken word open mic, closes down after 13 years
For literary-minded Orlandoans, there is a host of options to listen to writers read their work or even step up to the mic and share something they’ve been toiling on. As of Tuesday, July 21, however, that slate is one event shorter. Speakeasy, the spoken word night that has been running in one form or…
Art hits the streets of Orlando this fall with the Creative City Project and Art in Odd Places
As I type these words, it is 91 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with 60 percent humidity and a 30 percent chance of rain, making it feel like 111 degrees (aka “Africa hot”). It will still feel like 85 degrees at midnight. So the idea of doing anything outdoors on un-air-conditioned asphalt is probably pretty unappealing at…
Opening in Orlando: Antman, The Farewell Party, The Little Death, Trainwreck
Ant-Man When director Edgar Wright walked out on Ant-Man right before production began, the writing was on the wall that the picture might end up being the first out-and-out bomb for Marvel in many a moon. Now, just 14 months later, the film is being talked up as one of the potential smashes of the…
‘Mr. Holmes’ imagines Sherlock’s final mystery
4 stars Few fictional characters have captivated us as much as Sherlock Holmes. Few feel as real, as evidenced by the disturbingly large number of people who actually believe he is real. Perhaps that helps explain the instant affection one feels for director Bill Condon’s Mr. Holmes, a touching, dramatic imagining of the final, feeble…
This Little Underground: The hip-hop dream team of E-Turn & SPS
When you’re as individually talented as both MC E-Turn and DJ SPS are, it would be easy to be a prima donna. E-Turn’s rapping is so dazzling that she could electrify as just a track act. Likewise, as a decorated battle champ who can ignite a room by himself, SPS doesn’t necessarily need a partner…
Savage Love (7/14/15)
I have been happily married for 12 years. I’m deeply in love with my wife. I used to be jealous, but about six years ago, I lost my feelings of jealousy. In their place, I developed a strong desire to share my wife with other men. It’s my only fantasy. She knows about this, but…
Free Will Astrology (7/15/15)
ARIES (March 21-April 1) Stop Making Sense was the name of the film and music soundtrack produced by the Talking Heads in the 1980s. Now it is the central theme of your horoscope. Your brain would benefit from a thorough washing, so I invite you to scour it clean of all the dust and cobwebs…
Gimme Shelter (7/15/15)
Looking for a new social friend? Tumblr (Animal ID# A323800) fits the bill! This 3-month-old kitten loves to talk. He was recently found as a stray and was a little shy at first, but with time he has become comfortable at the shelter and will now talk up a storm. Tumblr also really enjoys being…
Lulu Eightball (7/15/15)
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When Michael DeFilippi, a Miami Beach sustainability committee member, proposed that his city ban the use of polystyrene products to protect the city’s waterways, some people said it couldn’t be done. “The American Chemistry Council, the ones who go round trying to fight the plastic bag bans, sent us a letter and said, ‘You can’t…
