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We propose some New Year’s resolutions for some of our favorite people, places and organizations
For … Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs: Let the sun shine in. She arrived to public office under the guise of transparency and fighting for the good of taxpayers – it was a really awesome promise – but she hasn’t really kept her word on that. Not to beat a dead horse, but losing two…
Orlando Phil music director finalist aims to impress with virtuoso Wu Man
The Orlando Philharmonic has turned their search for a new music director into a source of delight for Orlando classical fans, as each of the five candidates audition by conducting programs in the 2014-15 season. The third finalist, Eric Jacobsen, has the most avant-garde cred – the young conductor and cellist is a founding member…
Photos: Theatre Downtown’s final Encore
The final curtain rang down on Theatre Downtown’s home late last month. After 25 years at the corner of Orange and Princeton, the community company closed their annual Christmas Carol on Dec. 23, then took a final bow with a pair of emotional, elegiac “Encore” concerts organized by Jay Levy on the 27th and 28th.…
Ringling XTreme stomps into Amway Arena
The holidays are never really over until the elephants parade downtown to the raucous protest of animal rights activists. The 2015 tour promises to wow us with Mongolian camel riders, BMX bikers, elephants and more. We’re hoping the “XTreme” bit means the camels will be on the bikes, but we’d settle for clowns doing coke and…
Expectations mount as impending Junior Bruce show looms at Will’s Pub
Expectations any time Junior Bruce plays mount as fast as the stoner metal band’s onslaught of ear-pummeling goodness, and it’s been a while since we last got a listen. But now, not only are they prom- ising to shred through new material (and all the songs they heavy-handedly deal whenever they stop through), but they’re…
The New Lows lead a Sunday Matinee roundup of awesome punk bands at St. Matthew’s
If you’ve been following along with the studio adventures of local punks the New Lows, you know they’ve been recording new material. We hope it’s all as rapid-fire catchy as their October single, “Food Not Bomb.” The 1-minute dewdrop of punk perfection perked up our ears and made us impatient for more. Hopefully, this will…
Raury delivers stunningly innovative R&B at the Social
Raury heralds from Georgia, but it’s possible most folks recognize the name from a video premiere on Vice’s Noisey blog, which rose the profile of this wunderkind. The 17-year-old rapper- songwriter behind Raury, whose music is stunningly innovative R&B in a time when that’s really saying something, also gave the site a candid interview, citing…
Marriage equality comes to Florida, at long last
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Giant 11-acre pool planned for Lake Nona proves that Orlando really is Sim City
The Orlando Business Journal reports today that Tavistock Development has partnered with a company called Crystal Lagoons to construct a recreational “mega lagoon” in the Lake Nona area. The lagoon, which will be big enough for people to paddle board, kayak and sail in, will cover 11 acres, and it’ll be similar to lagoon projects…
Whoa! ‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ screens at Enzian for free
Enzian’s Wednesday Night Pitcher Show is one of those great things about living in Orlando. Not only do you get to enjoy fun and interesting movies al fresco beneath the stars in beautiful weather, but you get to do it on the cheap. Wednesday is a particularly good time with radical time trip Bill’s &…
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to officiate wedding ceremony for gay couples on Jan. 6
Tomorrow morning, Mayor Buddy Dyer will officiate a wedding ceremony for more than 40 couples at City Hall Plaza (400 S. Orange Ave.) who plan to tie the knot on the first day that Florida allows gay couples to legally marry. The event, which is being sponsored by the Metropolitan Business Association of Florida, will…
Gaston from Beauty and the Beast challenged to push-up contest (and also gets schooled by a little girl)
Gaston, the very tall and arrogant hot guy character from Beauty and the Beast, went viral twice recently in guest videos from Walt Disney World. The first time was in early November, when he got into a sexist argument with a little girl about who was better – him or the Beast. After he tells…
Nostalgic scene overlords invite everyone to relive Orlando Music History on Facebook
If you’ve been going to or performing in concerts and shows in the Orlando area during the last 60 years, or if you’re simply curious what you may have missed out on in prior years as a new local on the scene, there’s an awesome new Facebook group you’ll probably want to check out. Like…
Ain’t my lookout, but … the Grifters will headline Ralphfest 4
If you’re a music nerd, odds are good you really liked the ’90s and you probably miss them almost as much as Ralphfest’s throng of supporters misses the festival’s namesake, Ralph Ameduri. Good news, then: Influential ’90s Memphis indie rockers the Grifters (who reunited in 2013 for the first time in 16 years) will headline this…
Letters to a Satanist: How can you consider yourself a legit religion?
How can you consider yourself a legitimate religion when Satanism only exists in opposition to Christianity? Invariably, in the course of our campaigns, we are confronted with the ignorant assumptions, dissembling criticisms, and confused objections of those who would create false arguments in favor of government-recognized Christian exceptionalism. Operating under a cheap and unconvincing claim…
This Little Underground: Propagandhi, War on Women, RVIVR @ The Social
This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly’s music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city’s music scene. Read the latest column here. I like my lefty politics as much as the next pinko, and can appreciate the stands of Canadian hard-left provocateurs Propagandhi (Jan. 2, The Social). But as for their boxy, conventional…
Starbucks Evenings now available at Downtown Disney
About a year ago, the Daily City posted a “bring to Orlando” asking that Starbucks bring its new “evenings” menu, which includes beer and wine available after 4 p.m., to Central Florida. Now it’s a thing. The Downtown Disney Starbucks location has been added to the limited list of stores where Starbucks serves alcohol and…
This Little Underground: Beth McKee’s First Thursday Songwriter Series, New Year’s Roundup
This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly’s music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city’s music scene. Read the latest column here. Beth McKee’s First Thursday Songwriter Series has been going for some time now and, apparently, it’s not some obscure little gathering that matters only to its members. No, this is a…
Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell will issue same-sex marriage licenses next week
When we went to press with our Dec. 31 issue, we criticized Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell for her initial hesitance to commit to giving marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Jan. 6. We’ve been on holiday break since Dec. 23, and as we indicated in our piece, this has been a…
Another horrific animal cruelty case comes into Orange County Animal Services
UPDATE 2/18/2015: Champion recovered from his injuries and has been adopted by a Me and My Shadow volunteer. This is Champion. This poor little guy is just six months old, and he obviously has endured some serious cruelty in his short life. When he was brought into Orange County Animal Services as a stray earlier…
AC/DC’s Brian Johnson rings in the New Year at Billy Joel’s Orlando show (and other things you missed if you weren’t there)
Last night at Billy Joel’s show at the Amway Center, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson turned up onstage at midnight to ring in the New Year with “You Shook Me All Night Long.” It wasn’t a special New Year’s Eve trick just for Orlando – Johnson was a surprise guest at one of Joel’s performances in March…
Uncomfortable Brunch presents ‘Happiness’
If you’re sick of feeling good after Sunday brunch, this series of film-focused forays into awkward feelings might be just what you need. Starting today, every second Sunday of the month at Will’s Pub will feature a nice meal accompanied by, as the organizers say, “an academically important but ridiculously uncomfortable art film that every…
A Happytown look at what went right this year
“If the first battle determined how wars turned out, you know, Great Britain would be called Germany, and we’d be kissing kings asses. So that’s now how it works with me. This is just the first battle, and I plan to win the war.” – Attorney John Morgan to the Orlando Sentinel — $150 million:…
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A look at some of the most anticipated shows and attractions of 2015
Last week I took a backwards glance at the highlights (and lowlights) in Orlando arts and attractions from 2014. But who likes living life in the rearview mirror? Let’s celebrate the New Year with some of the theater and theme park developments on the horizon that I’m most looking forward to seeing in 2015: THEATER…
All of the good and bad in the Orlando music scene this year: the 2014 Undies
Yes, yes, y’all. It’s time again to salute (and occasionally boo) the year’s superlatives in Orlando music. The 2014 Undies Best young acts: Sales (buzzing electro-pop act); False Punk (noise-cranked hardcore band raging with potential); Case Work (bright indie-rock project of Saskatchewan’s Chandler Strang); Mr. 3 (the city’s sharpest rap humorist on the rise); Laney…
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Opening in Orlando: ‘[REC] 4’ and ‘The Woman in Black 2’
[REC] 4: Apocalypse The third follow-up to 2007’s [REC] really has its fingers on the pulse. And I don’t mean the artistic or cultural pulse, because even BloodyDisgusting.com thinks it sucks. I’m talking about the pulse of hot titling trends, in which “Apocalypse” has become the hip synonym for “sequel.” OK, we’re a full 10…
‘Into the Woods’ should satisfy most of Sondheim’s fans
“Be careful what you wish for” is not only the tagline for the screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods – it’s solid advice for viewers, too, because if you’re wishing for a masterpiece on par with director Rob Marshall’s Chicago or an experience that rivals a Broadway show, you’ll be disappointed. But if…
Picks This Week: Afroman, Clutch and more
The Delusionaires When Khan and his wife AnnMarie booked the Dels’ first show without consulting the band – because at that point, there was no band – they had exactly three weeks to not only practice material, but also to find out what kind of sound Khan was going for. As Mondello describes it, “Loose…
Bar Exam: Wildside BBQ Bar & Grille
Address/phone/web: 700 E. Washington St.407-872-8665wildsidebbq.com After work or after hours? After work Beer/wine or liquor too? Beer, wine and liquor Check all that apply: (X) fancy cocktails (X) make ’em strong and keep ’em coming ( ) wine list (5 choices or more) ( ) craft beer (X) beer: the usual suspects (X) wide selection…
The Delusionaires sleaze up New Year’s Eve at Will’s Pub
Loose. That’s how the Delusionaires play. That’s how the Delusionaires make you feel. That’s how the Delusionaires do. Echoing the dirty jazz vibe of the kind of stripper R&B that the niche Las Vegas Grind compilations famously collected (like so many sex-driven digits scrawled on bar napkins), the drunken sway of this disappearing/reappearing Orlando band…
Savage Love
What is your stance on maintenance sex? I’d never thought about the issue until reading Amy Poehler’s new memoir. I didn’t find anything she said controversial, and was surprised when this quote blew up in the feminist blogosphere: “You have to have sex with your husband occasionally, even though you’re exhausted. Sorry.” I’d never realized…
JJ’s Grille brings a Med influence to fresh-Mex and a Mex influence to fresh-Med
JJ’s Grille bills itself as serving Mexican-Mediterranean fusion, but before you go thinking falafel tacos and gyro enchiladas, allow me to elucidate. The restaurant is in the same mold as Chipotle: that is, a fast-casual counter-service operation. Patrons select an edible vessel or shell, followed by a choice of meats, toppings, fillings and sauces. In…
Tip Jar
If your Christmas gift for that particular gourmand in your life was a bust, consider making amends by snagging tickets to one of three very special chef’s dinners coming up. The aptly named Outstanding in the Field returns to Lake Meadow Naturals for two nights, with chef Kevin Fonzo Jan. 17 and chef Kathleen Blake…
‘The Cuban Table’ reminds us that, politics aside, Cuban families have always prized hospitality
I wish I could say that I learned to cook Cuba’s classic dishes – among them, rice and black beans (called, cheekily, moros y cristianos – the Moors and the Christians), ropa vieja and rice pudding – at the elbow of my mother-in-law, but that would be a lie. Although practically every good story I…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Most salamanders reproduce by laying eggs, but the alpine salamander doesn’t. Females of that species give birth to live young after long pregnancies that may last three years. What does this have to do with you? Well, I expect you to experience a metaphorical pregnancy in the coming months. Even if…
