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Exploring the bump and grind across Orlando’s coolest clubs
Out of control
Total Punk plans to turn Will’s Pub into a wrestling fan’s paradise for Turnbuckle Tuesdays every week
Sick of bands trying to twist your arm to pay a cover to chill at Will’s? Total Punk’s new weekly hangout might turn your head. It’s called Turnbuckle Tuesdays, and it’s totally free every week. Plan to shotgun your Cigar City can, then crush it on your forehead like the true brute you are, while…
Friday afternoon time-waster: Syd Barrett’s estate makes public dozens of previously unseen photos
Syd Barrett (aka The Cute One in Pink Floyd) died way too young after contributing so much to the world of English psych rock: In his time with Pink Floyd, he contributed “See Emily Play” and “Lucifer Sam,” but he only fully realized his own cracked visions once he was out on his own. After…
Death metal vets Nile flood the Haven on Saturday with crushing riffs
Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, Ozzfest vets Nile rose to prominence in the mid-’90s opening for heavy music gods like Obituary but distinguishing themselves from dimmer metalheads with a cinematic flourish that led many to claim Nile brought death metal back from the dead. (That makes maybe one zombie trend music heads don’t roll their…
LA’s Silversun Pickups bring their Better Natures to the Plaza Live on Saturday
If you like the Bravery, Shiny Toy Guns, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Manchester Orchestra, then you’ll love the textural alternative indie pop of Silversun Pickups. Hailing from the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, the band known for its driving rhythms and ethereal melodies plays selections from their most recent album, Better Nature. Produced by…
Jon Lovitz, underappreciated star of ‘SNL’ and ‘The Critic’, camps out at the Improv all weekend
Best known for his performances as part of Saturday Night Live’s more memorable casts, where he coined the phrase “that’s the ticket,” or as Emperor Todd Spengo in the less-memorable cult classic Mom and Dad Save the World, Jon Lovitz graces the stage of the Orlando Improv for a special engagement Friday through Sunday. Lovers…
2015 was a record year for local tourism, Visit Orlando says
The numbers aren’t in yet, but Visit Orlando CEO George Aguel told Orange County Commissioners Tuesday morning that 2015 was a record year for the local tourism industry. In 2014, 62 million tourists visited Orlando and Orange County, a record that Aguel predicts will be broken in 2015. The Orlando International Airport was on track…
Enjoy whacking snakes? Join the party at this year’s Python Challenge
The 2016 Python Challenge (seriously, it’s a huge oversight they didn’t call it Whacking Day) is coming up in just a couple of weeks and they need volunteers. Despite its terrible name, the Python Challenge is all about capturing invasive Burmese pythons, specifically in the Everglades, and raising awareness of the problem. Basically, just stop…
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi wants law to ban all synthetic drugs, including flakka
Another reason to be happy we live in Central Florida: We don’t have Broward County’s problems. At least not yet. According to a report from the Broward State Attorney’s office, a grand jury was recently called to examine the region’s growing flakka epidemic. The report says that between September 2014 and December 2015, there were…
David Cross announces his Making America Great Again Tour with a stop at Hard Rock Live in April
Comedian and actor David Cross – perhaps best known for his iconic role as the jorts-clad never-nude Tobias Fünke on Arrested Development or for his career-making stint on sketch show Mr. Show (recently revived on Netflix as W/Bob & David) – announced his first stand-up tour in six years this morning, and luckily for us, an…
Blue Bell Ice Cream returns to Florida, promises not to give you listeria this time
Blue Bell Ice Cream is returning to Florida shelves after a listeria contamination caused it to be pulled for eight months. Blue Bell’s listeria outbreak occurred last April and triggered a recall in 23 states, sickened seven people and killed three people in Kansas. According to the CDC, Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food…
Universal is teaming up with Fall Out Boy, T-Pain and Diana Ross for Mardi Gras
Universal is really hoping you’ll skip the drive to New Orleans this year for Mardi Gras. From Feb. 6 through April 16, Universal Studios Florida will offer guests a family-friendly series of events that includes 1.7 million beads, “dazzling” nightly parades, authentic Cajun cuisine and 14 concerts that include acts like Diana Ross, Fall Out…
Wendy’s is serving black bean burgers at 24 locations, none in Orlando
Can we please add this to the #bringtoorlando hashtag? Wendy’s has rolled out a black bean burger at 24 of their locations in three states, including Utah, South Carolina (so close!) and Ohio. Veggie entree options are few and far between at fast-food restaurants, and we know that sometimes time is of the essence and…
An injured dancer and a man with Asperger’s make for an odd couple in ‘Dancing Lessons’ at Orlando Shakes
Playwright Mark St. Germain seems to be fascinated by the human brain in all its quirkiness. His plays Freud’s Last Session and Becoming Dr. Ruth have psychologists as protagonists, but in his latest play, it’s more a matter of observing psychological disorder in process. When an awkward Aspie approaches his angry neighbor (a badly injured…
Punk on the Patio kicks off Wednesday with sets from Flashlights, Out Go the Lights and Slumberjack
Probably one of the best things to come out of Brevard County, the fuzz-punk musings of Flashlights will reign supreme at Punk on the Patio’s debut. The monthly concert series, created by Foundation Presents, is an effort by the indie concert promoter to inject more local music into downtown’s show offerings. The night isn’t restricted to…
Grab a mic and tell your tale at Orlando Story Club’s first 2016 meeting on Wednesday
The word “resolution” is a double-edged sword. When people use it around this time of year, they’re usually talking about their plans for the future – plans to be better or improve themselves in some way. But resolution can also denote the end of something, whether it’s the solution to a problem or the thrilling…
Though Disney CEO Bob Iger’s pay decreased this year, he still makes over $5K an hour
The Walt Disney Company recently posted their end of the financial year SEC filings. The public documents give us some insight into the highest echelons of the company including the pay for CEO Bob Iger. A base salary of $2.5 million is just part of a pay package that includes pensions, stock and other compensation…
Future World finally grows up, gets to stay up later
At Epcot, Disney World’s second-busiest theme park, one of the most popular rides Soarin’ is about to close for a major expansion and updating. The ride will close January 4 and won’t reopen until at least June 2. Frozen Ever After will open this spring in the Norway pavilion at Epcot. The Frozen-themed boat ride will…
Richard Reep sculpture show ‘Dreams of Escape’ at Stardust through Jan. 31
We can’t actually review our writer Richard Reep’s new art show at Stardust (logrolling), but we’d be remiss in not letting you know it’s hanging, because it is worth a long look. Reep created these sculptures from urban scrap material and other found and salvaged items, and named the show Dreams of Escape. The spirit…
Florida has 13,435 untested rape kits, FDLE says
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement released a report Monday that identifies 13,435 untested rape kits from law enforcement agencies across the state. The $300,000 study also found that out of the 13,435 untested kits, 9,484 of those kits should have been submitted. The FDLE also estimated clearing that backlog could cost from $9 million…
30 Years Later: Big Black – ‘Atomizer’
Atomizer was released five years after Big Black formed and a little more than a year before the band broke up; it was their first full-length album, released after a series of EPs that saw the band rapidly evolving their sound from raw post-hardcore. On Atomizer, Big Black had morphed into an entirely unique amalgam…
Competition to find Orlando’s best coquito starts next week
Dust off that coquito recipe you’ve been hiding in your closet. The International Coquito Federation is holding a Coquito Masters competition Jan. 15 to find Orlando’s best version of the Puerto Rican beverage that’s similar to eggnog, says the organization’s founder and president Debbie Quiñones. The Coquito Masters contest, which is pretty popular up north,…
I-Drive 360 developer now wants to add a heliport tour company
I-Drive 360 has forever changed the Orlando skyline with the massive 400 ft. tall Orlando Eye observation wheel. The developer, Unicorp, recently won approval for a new record breaking 425 ft. tall swing ride. But if these aren’t enough ways to take in the views of Orlando, Unicorp has now proposed a new heliport, which…
Snarky Puppy will bring the funk-fueled jams to The Plaza Tuesday night
Drawing on the unique musical mastery of a rotating lineup of more than 40 musicians, Snarky Puppy is an elite and imaginative funk-fueled force that has forever changed its dedicated audience (or more accurately: community) for the better. The near-unparalleled musicianship of this vastly creative jam band earned them a Grammy nod for their 2015…
The monthly writing series Bohemian Woods is here, and they got prompts
Even the best writer needs a prompt sometimes, just a little goose to the subconscious to get the engine purring. Tod Caviness, former host of the long-running but now-defunct spoken-word series Speakeasy, is here to give Orlando’s poets that goose: Unable to stay away from the stand-up-and-tell-a-tale scene, he’s back with a new monthly series.…
Cancelled flight leads to impromptu Bob on Blonde reunion performance (Lil Indies)
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Travel delays always, always, always suck, amirite? Apparently, that’s not quite as absolute a truth as it seems. In the recent case of Waylon Thornton, we were the beneficiaries. The former longtime local musician now resides in Chicago, but weather problems cancelled his return flight. So instead of going absolute Hulk like…
Residents want land planned for Princeton Oaks project for community park
Local residents, along with Speak Up Wekiva, held a press conference Wednesday proposing that the 123-acre parcel projected for an industrial park development and the surrounding land near WD Judge Drive and North John Young Parkway be used to create the Wekiva Headwaters Park. Neighbors have been fighting for months now to stop Princeton Oaks,…
The easiest GD punch you can make for New Year’s Eve and still look like you’re trying 👊 ⚡️ 🎉
If you’re throwing a party tonight (or any night) — the kind of party where people might put a little thought into their outfits, not a case-of-the-cheapest-beer-you-can-find kind of party — cocktails naturally come to mind. But mixing individual drinks all night means you won’t get to have any fun at your own party. Punch…
Jason Guy Smiley shows the stuff to be Orlando’s new folk-punk darling (Will’s Pub)
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND This city has big love for rugged, bleeding folk-punk. Just look at the congregation every time Lucero or the Revival Tour rolls through. It’s one of the most passionate audiences around. Well, Orlando, I got your next man-crush: Jason Guy Smiley (Dec. 29, Will’s Pub). Considering the background of the former Midget…
St. Cloud woman mistakes daughter for intruder, shoots her to death
In what’s probably today’s most soul-crushing news, St. Cloud Police say a mother fatally shot her 27-year-old daughter on accident when she mistook her for a home intruder. The Associated Press reports the woman was sleeping when she heard someone enter her home Tuesday night. She heard the intruder approaching her her quickly, so she…
Order Heineken at your own peril at Uncomfortable Brunch’s screening of Blue Velvet
Our favorite addition to last year’s film scene was the monthly Uncomfortable Brunch at Will’s Pub. The conceit is simple: Watch an unsettling art film with a bunch of strangers while noshing on brunch and knocking back Bloody Marys. Their slate for 2016 looks particularly solid, too, with viewings of Straw Dogs, Breaking the Waves…
Talk Yo Shit! returns for a NYE bash suitable for Orlando’s dance freaks
Oh, you’ve got options for New Year’s Eve, sure. But if you are the kind of person who’s drawn to Talk Yo Shit!’s jk-elitist dance night vibe, you know you’ve got options every silly day. What Talk Yo Shit! serves to do with recurring parties downtown (typically at the Patio) is create a chill space…
Fillings indicate that state and Planned Parenthood “in process” of settling dispute over South Florida clinics’ practices
An administrative law judge has canceled a hearing in the case of a South Florida abortion clinic accused by the state Agency for Health Care Administration of improperly performing second-trimester abortions, records show. The case stems from a series of AHCA inspections in August, which produced similar administrative charges against the Aastra Women’s Center in…
Watermark has been sold
LGBT newspaper Watermark, which wooed our former senior staff writer Billy Manes away to become its editor in chief earlier this year (we’re not mad, just a little bit sad – we miss you, Billy!), has been sold. But don’t worry, the publication the Orlando/Tampa/St. Pete community knows and loves is going to stay pretty…
Noted experimentalists Chris Corsano and Bill Orcutt fry minds at Gallery at Avalon Island
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND The recent Chris Corsano and Bill Orcutt performance (Dec. 28, Gallery at Avalon Island) was a lucky convergence of many forces: music, minds, holiday schedules. And even though it was sort of an unexpected show even for its chief presenters the Civic Minded 5, they just couldn’t sleep on the fate. Luckily,…
Defy gravity with Emmy award-winning singer Kristin Chenoweth at Dr. Phillips
Tired of that depressing New Year’s Eve party you go to every year where the drinks aren’t even good? You could do it again this year, or you could join Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth in welcoming 2016 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The Tony and Emmy award-winning star is bringing her…
Plush costumes are encouraged at The Venue’s Furry Eve
Furries – adults who like to dress up in anthropomorphic animal outfits à la theme park characters – don’t necessarily sexualize the hobby. But a lot of them do. And for this party, which we think is the most unique NYE bash you’ll have the opportunity to witness this year, sexy is on the table.…
Picks This Week: JJ Grey & Mofro, Butck Trucks, Winter Soulstice and more
Arkie Is Moving to Phoenix Arkie Calkins has been a prolific member of Orlando’s music scene for more than a few years. He brought depth to bubblegum-psych group Moon Jelly’s sound as their percussionist. His experiment with Moon Jelly bandmate Tim Murray, Zenas Fisk, utilized nothing but cell phones, pedals and Twitter to create atmospheric…
Tarantino’s Hateful Eight is a waste of beautiful 65mm
Eight is not enough
This Little Underground: The Annual Undie Awards
Before we go onward and upward, here’s the official monument to Orlando music in 2015 for the time capsule. The 2015 Undies Acts to watch: Waxed (gaze-pop by Flashlights spinoff band); Ad Nauseum (noise-doom-sludge-core); Timothy Eerie (garage psych-pop); Secret Tracers (heavy psych doom); Crit (punk-hearted ’90s-style indie rock); The Wildtones (rockabilly with a garage stomp);…
Savage Love (12/30/15)
I am a 30-year-old straight man and I’ve been with a 28-year-old bisexual woman for a year. Early in our relationship, after much discussion, we established that it would be open. I would have the liberty to see other women and so would she. We just had to be safe and always keep each other…
Free Will Astrology (12/30/15)
ARIES (March 21-April 19) John Koenig is an artist who invents new words. Here’s one that’s applicable to your journey in 2016: “keyframe.” Koenig defines it as being a seemingly mundane phase of your life that is in fact a turning point. Major plot twists in your big story arrive half-hidden amidst a stream of…
Gimme Shelter (12/30/15)
On Christmas Eve, a citizen called 911 after hearing a dog cry and bark outside. According to Orange County Animal Services, the citizen was unable to locate the animal in the neighboring yard due to a high fence. Orange County Fire Rescue located the dog in a dirty swimming pool at an abandoned home. The…
Selections: Our picks of the week’s best events, Dec. 30-Jan. 5
Wednesday, Dec. 30 Florida Citrus Parade EVENTS Spirited high-school and college bands from across the country! Signature floats made from thousands of pieces of fruit! Familiar faces and characters from Orlando’s attractions! And specialty units, whatever those are! The website of the Florida Citrus Parade promises all of these things, though it doesn’t answer our…
Lulu Eightball (12/30/15)
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Orlando’s only after-hours spot, Club Nokturnal, is now open for business
After party people
Go all out: 21 Orlando night clubs worth checking out
Aero 60 N. Orange Ave., 321-245-7730, aeroorl.com Ascend the stairs to rooftop party heaven at this prime spot downtown that often hosts the revered Lazy Afternoon Sundays. The Attic 68 E. Pine St., 407-403-1161, theatticorlando.com Climb the stairs to cause a different sort of bump in the Attic, where top-notch EDM acts are all the…
Where to dine out in Orlando on New Year’s Day
Let someone else do the cooking on the most hung-over day of the year
A short history of Orlando’s relationship with the club scene
It’s complicated
