Best Of 2023

Best After the Flood: Swamp Sistas hurricane relief show
Swamp Sistas hoto by Jim Leatherman

Oct. 29-30, 2022

Winter Park's Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts was buzzing with activity over Halloween weekend, as the venue teamed up with Swamp Sistas La La Foundation to hold a two-day benefit show for local hurricane relief efforts. The Blue Bamboo Festival for Hurricane Relief, organized and curated by Blue Bamboo's Chris Cortez and Beth McKee of the Swamp Sistas, raised funds for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida's efforts to get food into the hands of locals impacted by Hurricane Ian. The two-day event featured a Swamp Sistas jam and a mammoth Cortez-led jam. The musician-led benefit featured star-spangled performances and raised money to help provide meals to our disaster-stricken neighbors.

Best of Orlando 2023: Local Music

Best of Orlando 2023: Local Music
Best Local Composer
Photo courtesy Julian Bond/Facebook
1st: Julian Bond, facebook.com/julianbondmusic

2nd: Jeremy Birdsall, jeremybirdsall.com

3rd: Thomas Milovac, thomasmilovacmusic.com
Best Live Music Venue
Photo via Jim Leatherman
1st: Will's Pub, willspub.org

2nd: Hard Rock Live, hardrock.com/live/locations/orlando

3rd: The Plaza Live, plazaliveorlando.org

Marshal Rones of Montgomery Drive (left) and Nigel John
Photo by Michael Lothrop
Marshal Rones of Montgomery Drive (left) and Nigel John

1st: Montgomery Drive, montgomerydrive.com

2nd: Jessica Pawli, facebook.com/jessicapawli

3rd: 407 Booking, instagram.com/407booking

Best Local Music Festival
Photo via SanfordPorchfest.org

1st: Sanford Porchfest, sanfordporchfest.org

2nd: Electric Daisy Carnival, orlando.electricdaisycarnival.com

3rd: WJRR Earthday Birthday, wjrr.iheart.com/featured/earthday-birthday

Best Local Record Label
Courtesy image via Smartpunk

1st: Smartpunk Records, smartpunk.com

2nd: Swamp Cabbage Records, swampcabbagerecords.storenvy.com

3rd: Popnihil, facebook.com/popnihilpress

Best Local Recording Studio
Photo via Red Lion Recording Studio/Facebook

1st: Red Lion Recording Studio, redlionrecordingstudio.com

2nd: Studio 1509, studio1509music.com

3rd: Phat Planet Studios, phatplanetstudios.com

Best Open Mic
Photo by Jessica Bryce Young

1st: Austin's Coffee, austinscoffee.com

2nd: The Alley, facebook.com/thealleylive

3rd: Renaissance Theatre Co., rentheatre.com

Best Chamber Music Group
Photo courtesy Orlando Sings/Facebook

1st: Orlando Sings Solaria Singers, orlandosings.org/choirs

2nd: Violectric, violectric.net

3rd: Anthology String Quartet, anthologyquartet.com

Best Club DJ
Photo courtesy It's Official Angel/Instagram

1st: Angel of Boom, instagram.com/itsoffcialangel

2nd: DJ Edil Hernandez, djedilhernandez.com

3rd: DJ Richie Rich, facebook.com/iamdjrichierich