Cover Story
‘Orlando Weekly’ purchased by Tribune Media
Twenty-five years ago, when Orlando Weekly was just a pup, the publication was actually Canadian. Believe it or not, the Toronto Sun owned the weekly – called, back then, just the Weekly – and had transformed it from a humble weekly shopper (called the Orange Shopper) into the predecessor of the magazine you hold in your…
Mates of State show you what it’s like on a fantasy at the Social
Whether you’re in it for the angsty dance-off Mates of State compel live or are a true admirer of the complex pop songwriting that’s made fans “Like U Crazy” since the duo pushed listeners into 2000 with My Solo Project, this show’s one you won’t want to miss. It’s been four years since their last…
MegaCon brings heroes of all stripes to International Drive this weekend
It’s that time of year again when those who are into superheroes, anime and science fiction of all types flock to I-Drive and post updates from the annual traffic jam about how far they haven’t moved in an hour. Seriously, though, MegaCon has set up two new off-site parking lots this year in an effort…
Enter the brand-new Lion’s Den at Red Lion Pub with Leisure Chief, the Groove Orient and more
The Red Lion Pub has been holding down the live music scene on Howell Branch Road ever since Odin’s Den shut down, but as anyone who’s been to their Twisted Tuesday events knows, you’re just as likely to see someone spinning flaming poi sticks around or hula-hooping as you are to see a band. This…
Sauron’s never looked sexier than at Tolkien It Off: A Tribute to ‘The Lord of the Rings’
If you go to MegaCon and leave feeling like the cosplayers were a little too dressed up, with nary a tasseled pasty in sight, the Venue has the remedy for your hankering for high-fantasy boobies. An all-star cast of local burlesque stars open all three volumes of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic to present a tribute to…
Bike around Lake Ivanhoe before popping into the Hammered Lamb for pancakes and pilsners at Pedalpalooza
You need incentive to dust off your bike, get out into the sun and cycle around the ’hood, right? Well, Ivanhoe Village Main Street is giving it to you. First, head to Retro City Cycles at 9 a.m. for a bike safety check – they’ll make sure your tired old Schwinn is road-ready for your adventure. Then…
Fiesta in the Park returns to Lake Eola this weekend
It’s officially spring, and what better way to celebrate than spending it out at Lake Eola? There will be more than 200 craft booths and plenty of tasty food for the whole family, along with the stunning views of the lake. Pack whatever your little heart desires, like a blanket and maybe even a picnic…
Rollins College invites you to party at their place for Fox Fest
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Rollins is actually a private college and not just a Winter Park playground for all of us. They’re just so darn generous to the community – home of the Cornell Museum of Fine Arts; host to cultural organizations like the Bach Festival Society and the Winter Park Institute; and…
From the racks and stacks, it’s the best on wax at the annual Record and CD Show at the fairgrounds
If you’re a serious music fan, the only event you need to flag this weekend isn’t any old concert; it’s the massive Record & CD Show at Central Florida Fairgrounds. Determined collectors will get there for early admission at 7:30 a.m. (that costs $10, which is $7 more than general admission at 10 a.m.) and…
ARFF and other animal welfare groups want citizens to tell FWC not to reopen bear hunting in Florida
On April 15, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission will issue its decision about whether or not it will open up bear hunting in the state. Florida hasn’t allowed bear hunting in 20 years, but recent interactions between humans and bears (see: Bear enters home, eats Easter candy, bear bites woman on arm, woman walking…
Brace yourself: Bumby Avenue between Colonial and Corrine is closing for 22 months
The city of Orlando announced today that beginning on Monday, April 20, the heavily traveled (and pothole-riddled) stretch of Bumby Avenue between Colonial and Corrine drives will be closed for drainage improvements. The closure is expected to last approximately two years while construction crews make improvements to the storm sewer system and roadway. Northbound traffic…
Jimmy Buffett, Carl Hiaasen, parrotheads and politicians gather for concert in support of Everglades land purchase
With musician Jimmy Buffett singing about “changes in latitudes” Tuesday outside Florida’s Capitol, proponents of buying Everglades land from U.S. Sugar Corp. hope in the next few weeks to change the attitudes of lawmakers opposed to the deal. Introduced by writer Carl Hiaasen, Buffett played a 25-minute mid-day acoustic set as part of an Everglades…
Cryos International, world’s largest sperm bank, sets up shop in Orlando, seeks local donors
The world’s largest international sperm bank, Cryos International, opened in Orlando yesterday. The company, which was founded in Denmark in 1987 after founder Ole Schou “had a dream about frozen sperm,” recently relocated from New York to a spot just outside the UCF campus and Central Florida Research Park – the perfect place for a…
Friday: Eco-Critical Mass ride to help save Constitution Green Park
Orlando’s monthly Critical Mass rides generally exist to force drivers to acknowledge the fact that they have to share the streets with bicycles, at least theoretically. But this Friday, April 10, Critical Mass and Wunderground Cycling Group are organizing a special ride dedicated to saving Constitution Green Park. As you may have heard, Constitution Green is…
‘Bloodborne’ is a brutal jerk-ass of a game — and we love it!
I’ll admit this right now: I owned Dark Souls II for all of two days and then returned it. I have a serious problem with a game that demands high-risk and only provides an emotional reward. Sure you’ll get a new piece of armor or a new weapon every now and then, but I just…
This Little Underground: tUnE-yArDs and Son Lux (The Beacham)
I wasn’t always on the tUnE-yArDs train. Judging from the polarization around them, I’m not alone. From head to toe, this is a pretty labored act, sometimes to the point of high contrivance. Just look at their excruciatingly capitalized name – I’m pretty sure my copy editor is straight-up seizing right now. But step by…
Meet the owners of Cut the Cake, the Longwood bakery attacked by Josh Feuerstein’s followers
We reported last week on former televangelist Joshua Feuerstein’s pro-RFRA stunt video. To make some point about how an Indiana pizzeria should be allowed to say they’d refuse to cater a gay wedding because they don’t support gay marriage, he called a bakery at random, asked them to make a cake that said “We do…
What to expect from the Rolling Stones at the Citrus Bowl, according to Rolling Stone
If you’re geeking out about the upcoming Rolling Stones date at the Citrus Bowl (Friday, June 12), know you’re not alone. Mick Jagger gave a pretty dorky interview to Rolling Stone where he talks about singing during cross-training (lol) and how he’s not sure if fans would want the band to play all of Sticky Fingers front…
Some possible explanations for the FDLE’s freakout over some Beatles lyrics
So this happened: Beatles lyrics used in a column critical of Gov. Rick Scott inspire Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation of pesky blogger. Why the overreaction? Maybe they listened to the lyrics played backward. Maybe the they know the Beatles are Illuminati mind controllers. Maybe they heard that the Beatles were one of Charles…
Prepare to buy bigger pants, East Orlando: Fresh Dabba Indian delivery launches; Insomnia Cookies soon to follow
Residents of the UCF area will soon have two new ways to indulge their cravings — whether it’s a fresh South Asian lunch or a nighttime sweets fix they’re after. Both services were launched by college students, for college students, though anyone’s free to partake. Fresh Dabba’s delivery service for fresh-cooked Indian lunches launched today.…
FYI: FMF is free this year; Florida Music Festival tests out a new format
Florida Music Festival (April 16-18) made a huge decision this year that’s frankly intriguing and sincerely pretty cool. In keeping with the festival’s original focus on promoting unsigned acts: They cut out the headliners. So this year (sorry if you had a late ’90s alt-rock joke dusted off and prepared), music snobs can’t snicker at…
You should see Alanis Morissette ‘intimate and acoustic,’ don’t you think?
If you’re still singing singles from Jagged Little Pill into your hairbrush on occasional mornings (or self-pitying/self-indulgent evenings, not judging), you should bookmark Alanis Morissette’s upcoming date at Hard Rock Live (part of her Intimate and Acoustic tour) on Wednesday, April 29. (Be warned: Tickets are kinda pricey.) Morissette took a break from music and touring…
COUNCIL WATCH: Paying attention to city government so you don’t have to
HELLO! WE’RE LIVEBLOGGING BEFORE RUNNING AWAY TO CALIFORNIA FOR A MONTH!!!! Buddy Dyer says he “got in trouble” for making people stand for the invocation, because religion. There is a Methodist minister with a Fu Man Chu invoking the LORD right now. Dyer is standing, as is everyone else. Today should be fun. We don’t…
I-Drive, baby: Vanilla Ice hosts McFadden’s grand opening party on Saturday
International Drive’s Vue at 360 entertainment complex (formerly the Gooding’s Plaza) has a new tenant, Florida’s first McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon. Promising to be an ideal venue for private events, serving up good Irish-American cuisine and situated with an intriguing view of the Orlando Eye, McFadden’s opens its doors officially for their grand opening this…
Stop toying with us, OLV
This grows tiresome. OLV Cafe, one of the few places for a decent brunch in the SoDo area (key for Conway/South Orlando residents), has opened and closed so many times we’re considering a moratorium on reporting on their current state. They opened. They closed. They re-opened. They closed again. Now apparently they’ve risen once more…
Two Florida prison guards who are members of the KKK arrested for alleged plot to kill a former inmate
The Florida Department of Corrections already had plenty of problems without the ghosts of the state’s past haunting efforts to reform the agency. But history is always hard to shake in the South, and a particularly ugly feature of Florida’s past re-emerged Thursday, when two Florida prison guards and a former prison worker who are…
This Little Underground: Why the Space Station is Orlando’s next great DIY hope
As ganglia for some entire underground scenes, DIY venues are a vital, incubating component to any broader scene worth its salt. Now imagine if they were sustainable. The Space Station, recently covered in Orlando Music News, is a relative newcomer that might just be. At the terminus of a street in the western industrial fringe…
Former televangelist sics angry followers on local bakery to make a point about religious freedom
Former televangelist Joshua Feuerstein, who claims to be a Christian who loves Jesus, did a remarkably un-Christian, un-Jesuslike thing on April 1. To make a point about why he supports controversial religious freedom bills, like the one recently passed in Indiana, he called a local bakery in Longwood, asked them to make a sheet cake with…
Avoid the bunny trail: 7 things to do on Easter that don’t suck
This upcoming Sunday is Easter, and while there are lots of traditional ways to celebrate, including some listed below, we found ourselves getting a little jumpy at the thought of stereotypical happy-face bunny invasions, whether they’re bringing chocolate or not. So we took a look at the calendar to see what sort of compromises might…
Tea Party Miami hires actors to protest environmental land buy
Oh, this is too good. A couple of weeks ago, we told you about how the state of Florida has an opportunity to purchase 46,000 acres of land, just southwest of Lake Okeechobee, currently owned by Big Sugar companies. The state has an option to purchase the land, but that option expires in October. Environmentalists…
Beer:30 Friday: Crowlers at Swine & Sons, bottles from Hourglass Brewery and a Farm Ale Project event at St. Matt’s
The work week’s almost over for most of us and that means that our thoughts are drifting toward weekend plans: plans which often involve beer. This week has been full of news for local beer fans, starting with the opening this morning of Swine & Sons Provisions in Winter Park. If you haven’t stopped by…
Covet this: Top 9 Disney collectibles, priced from free to baller
Nothing says vacation like buying useless garbage, and Walt Disney World’s grip on some folks has them (read: me) buying that useless garbage long after vacation is over, trying to relive those “magical” memories. This week, I’ve put together a list of the nine Disney collectibles that can best serve as your sacramental talisman as…
“Furious 7”: Not quite as fast as its six older bros
Furious 7 is the tersely named septquel to Universal’s 2000 remake of The Fast and the Furious, but you’ll be forgiven if for the first few minutes of this film you think you’ve mistakenly stumbled into Transporter 4 or Crank 3. That’s because it opens on Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, a rogue English secret agent…
Shelfy schtick: Toast Bookmark It’s new digs and catch a Laura van den Berg reading tonight/tomorrow
Well, we’re movin’ on down … Right, OK, not everyone’s brain immediately associates a ’70s TV theme song with every event. But when I heard that Bookmark It was moving downstairs to a dee-luxe apartment (sorry, doing it again) to the space currently occupied by Old, Inc. across from Lineage at the East End Market,…
Sea Life Orlando’s first fishes are arriving
Of all the new attractions opening on I-Drive this year, the one we’re most excited about is Sea Life Orlando, the aquarium that’s planned for the I-Drive 360 complex. Sea Life is owned by Merlin Entertainments (which also owns LegoLand, Madame Tussauds Wax Museums and the Orlando Eye, among other things), and it has aquariums…
PHOTOS: Stars of Hulk Hogan’s Micro Championship Wrestling at Independent Bar
Six tiny wrestlers and one surprise former WWE star battled it out in a series of matches culminating in a Royal Rumble on Wednesday, April 1, at Independent Bar for Stars of Hulk Hogan’s Micro Championship Wrestling. Check out some photos from the match:
A transwoman’s response to HB 583, Florida’s attack on transgender citizens
Everyone remembers the name Stonewall, but it seems like most people forgot the details. In 1969 it was illegal for members of the LGBTQ+ community to gather openly in New York. During raids the NYPD’s standard procedure was to line customers up, verify their identity and then verify the gender of anyone dressed as a…
Nauseating anti-gay bill clears Florida House hearing, has yet to find boyfriend in the Senate
Joyless hate-mongering State Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, is apparently seeking to outdo himself today. During a House Judiciary Committee meeting, he fell just a hair short of sending gay people to the back of the bus on the issue of private agencies refusing gay adoptions. BECAUSE PRIVATE INDUSTRIES – RE: CHURCHES – SHOULD BE IN…
WHAT!!! Dave Chappelle performs at Bob Carr in April
We are not on crack! At 10 a.m. Friday, April 3, tickets officially go on sale to see Dave Chappelle at Bob Carr Theater on Wednesday, April 15. It’s legit, we swear, no more jokes. If you haven’t caught up with Chappelle since he made his return to comedy, watch this clip from The Tonight…
Boca Winter Park adds brunch, Fleming’s wants you to get extra-happy, and Noodles & Co. expands their reach
Boca Kitchen Bar & Market in Winter Park announced today that Jake Brenchley, their original “concept chef” recently named executive chef, will add Sunday brunch, launching this weekend on April 5. Considering Boca’s airy open-patio feel and the beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying (not to mention our constant hunger for new brunch spots), the timing couldn’t…
N.W.A. origin film ‘Straight Outta Compton’ hits theaters Aug. 14. Here’s the trailer
Looks kinda cheesy, but we can’t wait to see how they pull this off. Get the details here. Related Stories
No, Billy Manes is not moving to California, we have not been bought by Tribune and DPAC was not tagged by graffiti artists
Some people who were reading yesterday may have caught on to our little joke – it was April Fools Day, and in addition to a bunch of legit content, we peppered the issue with fake stories. For those who didn’t catch on, here are the things that aren’t happening: Tribune did not buy Orlando Weekly, nobody…
VIDEO: Highlights from the Great Orlando Mixer 2015 at Cheyenne Saloon
We can’t stop buzzing about the hotsy-totsy time we had at the Great Orlando Mixer at the Cheyenne Saloon, and now we have video from the costumed affair where Orlando partied like it was 1929, getting a wiggle on while the area’s top bartenders shook up the night. While there were most definitely winners, nobody was…
OLV is closed AGAIN
Bungalower.com and Scott Joseph have both reported that the phone number for OLV cafe in SoDo has been disconnected and that the place appeared to have closed again. The last time this happened was back in October, but it reopened again in December. We drove by last night, and not only was OLV shuttered tight,…
Behold, the glory of ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ on PC!
Now, I’m not one to tout the whole “PC Master Race” thing all over forums and comment threads…oh, who the hell am I kidding? Of course I am! I’m still a console gamer at heart, but owning a PC as compared to a console is the difference between driving a stick shift and an automatic:…
‘Wild Tales’: Damián Szifrón’s Oscar-nominated movie is provocative, violent, daring
Violence has been a subject drilled into film study since a bandit first aimed his pistol directly at the camera in 1903’s The Great Train Robbery. Fast-forward more than a century, and the Oscar-nominated film Wild Tales is having its way with the Enzian, ejaculating all of its violent and gleefully guile ways across Central…
Opening in Orlando: ‘Danny Collins,’ ‘Effie Gray,’ ‘Furious 7’ and more
Danny Collins: Do you have a natural aversion to movies where everyone in the trailer is laughing good-naturedly but you can’t hear a word of what’s being said? If so, GOOD CALL! The setup to this one: Al Pacino plays an aging rock star who takes his life in a new direction after he learns…
Savage Love (4/1/15)
I think my husband is addicted to porn. I find porn in his browser history almost every single day. He says I’m the only one he wants, but I find that hard to believe knowing he watches nonstop porn before fucking me. He also parties every time he goes on a business trip. Needless to…
A newly focused menu awaits the seafood lover in you at Red Lobster
When Darden sold Red Lobster last year to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion, the restaurant announced it would return to its roots – lobster, that is – in an effort to reinvigorate the brand. Turns out the menu changes instituted last year spawned a turnaround in this chain-iest of chain restaurants.…
Swine & Sons to open on Friday, Caffe Positano gets a new name from the ‘Restaurant Impossible’ team, plus more
Swine & Sons Provisions, the latest culinary endeavor from James and Julie Petrakis, opens Friday next door to Cask & Larder. Smoked and cured meats, made-to-order sandwiches, fresh-churned ice cream and crowlers – 32-ounce cans of beer brewed at C&L – are just some of the takeout offerings, though there will be limited seating inside…
Our remix of the Sidecar will make you want to be anywhere but the driver’s seat
Like most classic cocktails, the Sidecar has a history swirling with myriad conflicting origin tales and explanations of its name. Since I’m not planning a trip to the Library of Congress any time soon to make a ruling on what’s correct (note: “Congress’ research arm” does in fact possess a treasure trove of a collection…
Gimme Shelter (4/1/15)
Meet Bruiser (A314552). He’s a friendly 3-year-old dog, and he’s 83 pounds of puppy love! He really enjoys being petted and he’ll rub up against your legs like a cat to show you affection. He was recently surrendered by his family because they no longer had time to take care of him. Bruiser is strong,…
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts bombed
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is now home to a massive new piece of graffiti art, but it’s not what you might think. This is not a case of the Dr. Phil hopping on the street art trend, like the colorful murals found adorning businesses throughout Mills 50 and the Milk District.…
Powerful Kara Walker exhibit at CFAM closes Sunday, April 5 – get there while you can
First thing you need to know (if you don’t already): Kara Walker is a rock star. Tickets to a recent talk between Walker and Selma director Ava DuVernay at Los Angeles’ Broad Museum sold out in a matter of hours. Hundreds of people waited in long lines to see her massive (75 feet long!) mammy-sphinx…
Good night. And good luck.
Quote of the Week: “I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as senior staff writer, I must put the interests of Orlando first. Orlando needs a full-time staff writer and a full-time editorial staff, particularly at this time with…
This Little Underground: Milk Lines, Cobalt Cranes and Mantar form a stampede of promising bands
The story this week was an early peek at some exciting young bands – Milk Lines, Cobalt Cranes and Mantar – with both the substance and the positioning to make legit waves. The Beat It’s nice to see the King Khan & BBQ Show (March 23, Will’s Pub) on the comeback road with their first…
Visits to Trader Sam’s Grotto Grog, ‘The Republic’ and NBCUniversal’s Hackathon
When I arrived in Orlando, theme park queues consisted of endless boring switchbacks, and the closest thing to an immersive adult attraction was Club Juana. Today, new advances in interactive entertainment are exploding in area theme parks, bars and even a soon-to-be demolished warehouse. Last weekend I spent 24 hours in the future, getting three…
Mills 50 district stuns the city by renaming Mills Avenue to honor Will’s Pub
Knocking back beers during live concerts at Will’s Pub is certainly an Orlando tradition, but as the venue approaches 20 years as one of our city’s most celebrated indie clubs, the Mills 50 district is looking to make the action downright historic. In a stunning move that has former Orlando bands across the nation boasting,…
Rick Scott plans Senate campaign to represent North Florida
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The colorful cacophony of Tune-Yards splashes Florida for the first time
Certain things in this world are nearly impossible to describe: what water tastes like, how déjà vu works, the smell of freshly cut grass on a wet Florida summer afternoon. In the musical realm, Tune-Yards fits that bill. A clattering combination of lo-fi folk, kaleidoscopic dance-pop and primitive hip-hop dreamed up in the late 2000s…
Colonial Drive’s Mr. Gold is moving on
On most days, Mr. Gold was the brightest thing you could find on the stretch of Colonial Drive near Fashion Square Mall – both literally and figuratively. Dressed in a shiny gold lamé suit, a gold top hat and a shiny gold face mask, he was more than just another guy on the side of…
Picks This Week: Immortal Technique, Bill Orcutt, E-Turn and more
Fox Fest Pre-Party There are discount tickets for Rollins students at this party preamble to Fox Fest that features the Groove Orient, Dynohunter, Bells and Robes, and the Strange Trip. 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, at Will’s Pub, $10-$12 E-Turn Taking Beth McKee’s 1st Thursday Songwriter Series to the next level is explosive MC E-Turn,…
‘It Follows’ puts a whole new spin on the horror genre, not to mention the horrors of teen sex
Horror films have, for the most part, run out of original ideas. Now that J-horror has become passé and mumblegore found-footage flicks have proved maddeningly resilient (and redundant), the genre has become little more than a proving ground for fledgling filmmakers who are looking for a B-movie calling card to prove their technical and stylistic…
Watermelon or Twinkies? Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology for April 2-8
We’ve all got problems. Maybe you’re having trouble deciding whether or not to just bite that head off your chocolate bunny. Maybe you’re having trouble choosing healthy snacks over Twinkies. Maybe you’re a physicist from the future who finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping…
