Cover Story
Concert calendars are in full bloom across Orlando, and the next six weeks are gonna be epic
Spring Concert Guide 2022
Industrial band KMFDM cancel Thursday show at Orlando’s Hard Rock Live
UPDATE: KMFDM have canceled their Thursday show at Orlando’s Hard Rock Live. The venue released the following statement Tuesday afternoon: Unfortunately, due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Ian to the state of Florida, the KMFDM concert on Thursday, September 29th is cancelled. Refunds are on the way. Please stay safe. What does KMFDM stand…
Orlando Shakes announces new apprenticeship program for local high-schoolers
The Orlando Shakes theater company this week announced a new apprenticeship program that will provide tuition-free scholarships and other opportunities for area high-school students. The W. Daniel Mills Apprenticeship Program will allow students to take part in the Shakes’ “The Young Company” educational offshoot this upcoming summer, with a stipend provided. After the summer, apprentices…
Legal Public Notices 4/20/2022
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below at the property indicated: May 6, 2022 at the times and location listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00 PM Extra Space Storage 1101 Marshall Farms Rd, Ocoee 34761 (407) 516-7221 Daniel Thomas – Household Goods.…
DeSantis and Florida GOP choose to ‘govern by revenge,’ approving bills to punish Disney for final vote
Bowing to Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature on Tuesday advanced two proposals aimed at punishing Walt Disney Co. for criticizing a controversial new law restricting instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools — a measure critics have dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill. DeSantis added the bills to a special session…
Coast Guard suspends search for man who jumped from Carnival Cruise ship off Florida coast
A man jumped from the deck of the Carnival Cruise ship Mardi Gras off the coast of Florida early Saturday, morning. After several days, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended their search for the man late Monday. The 43-year-old man jumped just after midnight on Saturday, when the ship was about 55 miles east of Port…
Walt Disney World drops all face mask requirements
Walt Disney World dropped all existing face mask requirements on Tuesday for park attendees both indoors and outdoors. The theme park giant’s safety policies were updated to make face coverings optional regardless of a guest’s vaccination status, but unvaccinated guests are “recommended” to wear masks in all indoor locations. This includes Disney’s enclosed transportation (buses,…
Grammy-winning jazz star and Maroon 5 sideman PJ Morton announces Orlando show in August
PJ Morton is humble, not haughty; mellow, not maniacal. The only time he makes any noise is when he’s on stage, and that sets him well apart from his peers in the music business. But his steady, consistent productivity has quietly turned this devoted family man into a legitimate playa in his industry, and his…
Orlando’s Thornton Park neighborhood set to get festive with a Cinco de Mayo Street Party
Come this year’s Cinco de Mayo, the streets of Thornton Park will be ringing with revelry, for a good cause. On Thursday, May 5, Thornton Park will be the site of a Cinco de Mayo Street Party from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. A portion of East Washington Street will be closed off to traffic…
Florida Legislature huffs, puffs, threatens to blow Disney’s house down at behest of Gov. Ron DeSantis
‘Disney is a guest in Florida. Today we remind them.’
Swedish House Mafia’s ‘Paradise Again’ tour comes to Amway Center this July
Fresh off co-headlining Coachella with the Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia have announced dates for a summer tour of the United States, kicking off in Florida. And the second night of this North American jaunt jaunt is here in Orlando. Kicking off July 30 in Miami, the “Paradise Again” tour then hits Orlando on the second…
Best of Orlando 2022 nominations are now open!
We know you can get tired of hearing us talk. All we do is blather on and on about the best new restaurants, the coolest new performances and the most-interesting music for a hefty price of free. “When are they going to ask me what I think?” you say, fully unwilling to write a letter…
Video shows massive alligator visiting Venice on Easter morning
A Florida neighborhood was visited by the most Florida version of the Easter Bunny last weekend. According to a video posted to social media by the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department, a large gator was spotted crossing lawns Easter morning in the Harrington Lakes neighborhood of Venice, Florida. “We’re not sure the Easter bunny stayed long in Venice…
Anthrax and Black Label Society to rampage into Orlando this summer
If you had “Go Metal Thrashing Mad” on your summer to-do list, you’re in luck. NYC thrash godfathers Anthrax are teaming up with rockers Black Label Society for a U.S. co-headlining tour that has Orlando in its sights for August. The tour is a belated 40th anniversary celebration for venerable metalheads Anthrax, and the band’s…
Florida Department of Education rejects nearly three-quarters of proposed elementary school math textbooks under revised state standards
The first wave of new textbooks to fall under a series of revised standards in Florida saw an astonishing amount of rejections. The Department of Education announced that it had tossed over 70% of proposed math textbooks for kindergarten through fifth grade for either teaching Common Core standards or including subjects that ran afoul of…
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ redistricting plans would cut Florida’s Black representation in half
Florida’s redistricting saga continues Tuesday when lawmakers return to Tallahassee for a special session to essentially give Gov. Ron DeSantis what he wants. Legislators passed their own version of Florida’s proposed new congressional maps, but the governor vetoed them in favor of his own, which favor more Republicans and dismantle districts ensuring representation for Black voters. Ellen…
War + War to host a ‘Goth Soirée’ at the Social in downtown Orlando on Monday
The Social will play host to the latest heartbreaking event from local lifestyle brand War & War, capping off Easter weekend this upcoming Monday — a Goth Soirée. The night will feature music from new local band Media Control and a gothic set from DJ Turnt Cobain (genius name). There will also be a new War…
Central Florida town’s infamous racist past earns surprise state grant to repair its abandoned Black cemetery
It was almost like a miracle touched the abandoned, historic Black cemetery in Groveland, just west of Orlando. After the state rejected the city’s application for $499,000 to restore a graveyard where 70 souls are believed to be buried, Groveland unexpectedly got word a few weeks ago the funds were suddenly available. A surprise $30…
Two retirees in The Villages confess to voting twice in 2020 presidential elections
Two Florida men confessed to committing voter fraud by voting twice in the 2020 presidential elections. Charles Barnes, 64, and Jay Ketcik, 63, are both residents Central Florida mega-retirement community The Villages. Their plea deals spared them a sentence of up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony. Barnes’ and Ketcik’s prosecution will…
Joel Greenberg’s wife appears in rap video that calls Florida rep. Matt Gaetz ‘the chosen one’
Matt Gaetz has never been careful about the company he keeps. The Florida rep. has been on the periphery of seemingly every recent conservative scandal in the state, including his own allegations of sex trafficking. That was underlined in the music video for conservative rapper Forgiato Blow’s new song “Matt Gaetz.” The CPAC-filmed video features…
Orlando-area Rep. Anthony Sabatini wants Floridians to carry concealed handguns without a license
State Rep. Anthony Sabatini wants backing from lawmakers to hold a special legislative session about a “constitutional carry” gun proposal. Sabatini, a Howey-in-the-Hills Republican who is running for Congress, made the request Wednesday, two days after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that will allow people in Georgia to carry concealed handguns without first…
Christian high school in Florida appeals judging’s ruling against allowing prayer over PA system
A Tampa Christian school is appealing a federal judge’s ruling that backed a decision by the Florida High School Athletic Association to prevent a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game. Cambridge Christian School filed a notice of appeal Thursday at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. As is…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill banning abortions after 15 weeks
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Thursday that bans abortions after 15 weeks. The law — which includes no exemptions for cases of rape, incest or human trafficking — will go into effect on July . The few exceptions include if an abortion is necessary to prevent serious injury to a mother or save…
OG Orlando experimentalist Cabo Boing to play album release show this month
Cabo Boing, the latest artistic guise for Orlando-born experimental lifer Brian Esser, is playing a local show for the first time in a few years — supported by a cadre of Florida acts influenced by his offbeat sonic legacy. Esser was one-half of unhinged Orlando electronic duo and cult legends Yip Yip for many years, but now…
Floridians dream about alligators more than anything else, study finds
Some people report seeing the same mysterious man in their dreams. Floridians report seeing a 12-footer that will make an excellent pair of shoes some day. According to a new study from eyeball website My Vision, Floridians dream about alligators more than anything else. The study was conducted using Google search data about dreams on…
CDC extends mask requirements for traveling as state of Florida’s lawsuit continues
Amid a legal challenge by Florida and other states, federal officials announced Wednesday that travelers will continue to be required to wear masks through May 3 in airports and on planes, trains and buses. The requirement, aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, had been scheduled to expire Monday. But in a statement Wednesday, the…
Better Strangers, featuring Genesis drummer and rock scion Nic Collins, comes to Orlando in May
Better Strangers are playing Orlando for the first time next month, a booking made more notable by the fact that the band features percussion by Nic Collins, son of Genesis drummer and frontman (the) Phil Collins. For the last five years, Collins has backed up his father on drums for both solo tours and with…
Florida Senate Republicans quickly get on board with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ redistricting map
A Republican-favorable congressional redistricting plan that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office released Wednesday landed quick support from the leader of the Senate’s reapportionment efforts. Democrats, meanwhile, said the once-a-decade redistricting process has gone “extreme partisan” and threatened legal challenges. State lawmakers will return to Tallahassee next week for a special session after DeSantis vetoed a congressional…
J Balvin postpones North American ‘Jose’ tour including May show at Orlando’s Amway Center
Days before his ‘Jose’ North American trek was set to begin, reggaeton star J Balvin announced that he is postponing the entire tour. Balvin took to social media on Tuesday to explain his rationale behind the 11th hour postponement. “COVIDd has caused some unforeseen production challenges, and I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise…
Family of teen who fell from Icon Park ride say Florida rapper YK Osiris was lying about covering funeral costs
Never bet that a story in Florida can’t get stranger. While we are still awaiting the results of an investigation into the tragic accident that led to the death of a 14-year-old at Orlando’s Icon Park, there’s been plenty of development around the news. First, the leader of a vigil for Tyre Sampson at the…
Legendary nightclub Barbarella has left downtown Orlando. Here’s why that’s a big deal
Legendary nightclub Barbarella has officially left the building — its original one downtown — after nearly 35 years. In Orlando club history, this is as momentous as it gets. It breaks the brain to imagine this nightlife cornerstone outside of downtown. No one’s ever had to before. The very idea of such a hallowed institution…
Orlando concert picks this week: Will Quinlan, Jazzy Soto, Octopoulpe
If you go out, be safe, be cool. Will Quinlan: Anyone who’s anyone in the region’s Americana scene has respect for this Tampa Bay veteran, and the reasons are many. With his aching voice, emotional depth and sterling taste, few turn heartbreak into majesty like him. This Orlando return marks an especially royal edition of…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promises to block new COVID-19 restrictions for ‘as long as [he sits] in the chair’
Ron DeSantis isn’t going to back to that bad, old couple weeks or so where things were actually closed. And don’t even get the governor started on doing the bare minimum to protect the health of Floridians. During a recent press conference, DeSantis looked at the return of mask mandates and restrictions in other parts…
New on Netflix: David E. Kelley’s ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’ is yet another rich-wives-in-peril drama
Premieres Wednesday: Almost Happy — The Argentinian series about an emotionally conflicted radio personality enters its second season, with protagonist Sebastián still fixated on his former wife although she’s become pregnant by someone else. A couple more seasons, and they’re going to have to change the title of this show to Now You’re Just Living…
Things to do in Orlando, April 13-19: Clairo, Florida Groves Fest, Ashanti + Keyshia Cole, Winter Park Wine + Dine
Our editors’ picks of the best things to do this week. Wednesday, April 13 Daughter IsotopeMultimedia poetry and electronic experimental sounds collide at this event. Featuring readings from Vidhu Aggarwal, Fatima Sani, Liam King (and more) with Pressurewave’s Jared Silvia layering synth washes and glitches over the whole affair. 6:30 p.m., Rollins Museum of Art,…
Florida lawmakers have forked over $30 million to deceptive ‘pregnancy centers’ since 2009
Florida reproductive-health advocates are urging people to be aware of anti-abortion groups known as “crisis pregnancy centers” that offer pregnancy tests and counseling to discourage abortions, and sometimes other resources, such as diapers. The Florida Legislature recently banned abortions after 15 weeks, and this week, a judge deemed the 24-hour waiting period for an abortion…
In Florida, the drive to push women back into forced births and LGBT folks back into the closet is just getting going
Rights aren’t always permanent
As rent increases surge in Orlando, Orange County commissioners consider a rent stabilization ordinance
If it passes, the county will face a showdown with the state.
YH Seafood Clubhouse opens Friday, Orlando’s first-ever Sri Lankan restaurant will open this summer, plus more local food news
OPENINGS + CLOSINGS: At long last, YH Seafood Clubhouse, specializing in soaring salvers of seafood, will greet guests at Phillips Crossing at 8081 Turkey Lake Road this Friday. The restaurant is modeled after Fishman Lobster Clubhouse, the famed Toronto seafood house known for its towering platters of lobster and crab. In addition to the live…
Your horoscope for April 9-13: ‘If I’m afraid of it, then I must do it’
Free Will Astrology
