We spend a night at the speedway with three families who have a need for speed – and fire suits
A full day of food, dance and culture awaits at the 10th Annual Orlando Arab Festival. The event will happen Sunday, March 1, at Lake Eola, from 12 noon until 6 p.m. It’s free and open to the public. All the vendors we love will be there again with traditional cuisine of all corners of…
Veteran Garden State thrashers Overkill are hitting the road next year for the second leg of their “Wings Over America” tour and it includes but two Florida shows. Luckily for headbangers in the City Beautiful, one of these two shows is at the House of Blues. Accompanying Overkill on this tour is no less than…
When you’re doing the rounds of family and loved ones on Xmas day, make sure to leave some free time to visit your “favorite uncle,” Uncle Lou. For some added incentive, three of Orlando’s rowdiest bands will be getting all festive with a free show at Uncle Lou’s Entertainment Hall. Come spend Christmas night at…
Showtime Australia’s acclaimed tribute concert “The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston starring Belinda Davids” will be making a stop at Sarasota’s Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall next month during a third tour of the U.S. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020 at 8 p.m., South African singer Belinda Davids, who came to…
Some good news for Bull & Bear Steakhouse, a standout in the ultra-competitive Disney restaurant arena. They were recently named among the Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2019 by OpenTable. Located inside the over-the-top luxurious Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Bull and Bear has been recommended by 92 percent of 2,027 reviewers on the site, as both a romantic…
Heres an end of the decade stat that hits close to home: as of 2019, one-third of Americans are renting their homes. And in classic Central Florida housing fashion, it’s much, much worse here. According to an end-of-decade study by the apartment-finder website RENTCafé, almost two-thirds of Orlando’s population are now renting their homes. Nationally, this trend started…
Former frontman of the Orlando-based jam-rock band The Groove Orient Chuck Magid is celebrating the release of his debut EP Traveling Home this Saturday at Will’s Pub. The singer-songwriter, who grew up on the road with his family’s traveling carnival business, is traveling the country playing his solo tunes. Magid will be joined by Oxford Noland…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA, PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2017-CP-002805-O IN RE: ESTATE OF VICKI LYNN MARTIN, deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS: The administration of the estate of VICKI LYNN MARTIN, deceased, whose date of death was May 19, 2017, is pending in the Circuit Court for Orange…
A controversial proposal that would require parental consent before minors could get abortions likely will go before a key Senate committee during the first week of the 2020 legislative session, Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said Tuesday. Galvano said the Judiciary Committee is expected to consider the bill (SB 404), which was approved by the…
In a Florida Supreme Court case with major ramifications for the medical-marijuana industry, the Florida House contends a disputed 2017 law helps prevent “diversion” of pot to the illegal recreational market, minors and other states. House attorneys late Monday filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn a July ruling by the 1st…
Senate President Bill Galvano defended the need for Florida to market its tourism industry against negative images of hurricanes and polluted waters, as a battle is again shaping up with House leaders over the future of Visit Florida. Addressing reporters Tuesday in his office, Galvano, R-Bradenton, said his House counterparts and other Visit Florida critics…
Central Florida Jobs With Justice will host an evening art show to cheer on grass-roots leaders around Orlando – and to name this year’s Scrooge of the Year. The event will celebrate people in Central Florida who are “dedicated to improving the lives of working people,” and this year’s event focuses on “visionary leaders making…
Some long-awaited news about Walt Disney World and Virgin Trains USA, formerly known as Brightline, is nigh as the two are in talks for a train stop near or on Disney property. According to a Sun-Sentinel report, the discussions are part of talks for a proposed Tampa stop. There have been no definitive plans, but Virgin…
After a seven-month investigation into the Clearwater lawyer who filmed himself saying “So long, sucker” to a raccoon he left stranded 20 miles offshore, the Florida Bar suggests he take a $750 “professional workshop” to stay in good standing. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Thomas Cope’s recommendation of diversion was issued on Monday, Dec.…
The Osceola Parkway extension got a little closer to becoming a reality, to the alarm of local environmentalists. Osceola County Commissioners approved the extension Monday. The plan is not a done deal, but the approval by the Osceola board was another step in that direction. The proposal, billed by proponents as an effort to ease…
Since adding more guns to America’s already horrific gun violence epidemic is the consistent go-to response to every mass shooting for Republicans lawmakers, Florida Sen. Rick Scott is now calling for military officers to carry guns on base, following the attack earlier this month in Pensacola. Despite the fact that every U.S. military base in…
There’s a slate of Christmas-related music events as far as the eye can see, but Will’s Pub is stepping up to the holiday plate with a raucous night of raw rock to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah this very weekend. The lineup is stellar, with South Florida troublemakers Ben Katzman’s Degreaser joined by the…
Brooklyn indie-rock band Bear Hands have announced tour dates for next year in support of this year’s album Fake Tunes. And a return to Orlando is in the cards, in a much more intimate room than the last time they played here at the House of Blues. Bear Hands play the Social on Friday, April…
The Mills 50 spot formerly held by Four Rebels American Taco Kitchen & Bar – and Segafredo Mills Park before that – just got another unorthodox restaurant concept, when Belicoso Cigars and Café opened on Saturday. The space, at 1618 N. Mills Ave., has two floors and a patio deck, and it’s been sorely underused. Across the lawn, meanwhile, neighboring Brass Tap…
As a three-year legal battle continues over the issue, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran wants the Florida High School Athletic Association to reconsider policies that prevented Christian schools from offering a prayer over the stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game. Corcoran sent a letter Friday calling on the high-school athletics governing body to…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. The High Flying Cirque Does Christmas What’s possibly the best high flying holiday themed show evaaaaa is appearing tonight at the Amway Center. – LINK Good news of you…
One of Orlando’s kindest people is going through a pretty terrible time this holiday season. Jim Leatherman, celebrated photographer of artists, bands and musicians, lost Kimberly Wolski, his ex-wife and mother to his two children, on Dec. 10. Jim is now starting to raise his son and daughter, 13-year-old Riley and 9-year-old Eliza, on his own ahead…
The night before the U.S. House of Representatives votes on the impeachment of President Donald Trump, a rally will be held in Orlando demanding our lawmakers vote to impeach. Advocacy group MoveOn will be holding a “Nobody Is Above the Law” rally at Lake Eola Park on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 5:30 p.m. It’ll be…
According to the study, the average cost of a ride in Orlando with either an Uber or Lyft driver is an identical $10.71, among the lowest rates in the U.S. The study, by software maker Atlassian to promote business software Jira Align, determined the average cost of Uber and Lyft rides in the 50 most populated…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Mannequin Pussy, Kississippi and Wet Nurse at Soundbar, Dec. 13 Even though I’ve seen emergent Philadelphia band Mannequin Pussy before, I haven’t really. They were last scheduled here to open up for the mighty Hot Snakes at the Abbey back in May, and they did. But they were essentially without the voice…
Backers of a recreational-marijuana legalization effort announced Monday their proposal will not be on Florida’s 2020 ballot – though a separate legalization drive continues. In an email to supporters Monday, leaders of the “Regulate Florida” ballot initiative, which called for the state to regulate marijuana in the same way as alcohol, acknowledged they would not…
First-time candidate Anna Eskamani flipped Florida House District 47 from Republican to Democratic with her win in 2018. The under-30 bundle of political potential – endorsed by the likes of President Barack Obama – built plenty of momentum turning the district blue. That hasn’t scared off a Republican challenger from trying to steer the Orlando seat…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. The Perfect Winter Wonderland To Take That Special Someone Looking for that peace of holiday heaven in Central Florida?? Here’s a few awesome suggestions. – LINK The nation’s most…
Welcome to Orlando Weekly’s “Band of the Week.” Every week, we highlight one of our favorite local bands. This week, we’re pleased to bring you the Chuck Magid Band. The Chuck Magid Band is playing an EP release show at Will’s Pub on Saturday, Dec. 21. Just the facts: Who’s in the band?Chuck Magid -…
Chi-Kin, the Korean fried chicken concept we first told you about back in September, is ready to turn on those fry stations. Owner Hoi Nguyen, who opened King Bao with his brother Vic as well as Poke Hana on East Colonial Drive, says Chi-Kin will open at 11 a.m. this Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 813…
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the state’s top elected Democrat, and a handful of Democratic presidential candidates spent time Friday on Twitter slamming Gov. Ron DeSantis over the way the state is carrying out last year’s Amendment 4. The criticism came during a “Twitter Town Hall” centered on discussion about the constitutional amendment designed to restore…
Gummies, cookies and lollipops are among the pot-infused treats available to cannabis patients and recreational users in other states. But more than two years after Florida lawmakers authorized medical marijuana edibles, health officials this week set in motion the state’s first effort at putting the munchies on the shelf. The Department of Health announced the…
In Florida, which gun-control advocates have disparaged as the “Gunshine State,” officials this week grappled with another mass shooting, this time at a military installation in Pensacola. State officials say a federal “loophole” allowed a Saudi national to obtain a Florida hunting license to legally purchase a handgun before killing three people at a Pensacola…
The holidays just got a little more merry for the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. The ensemble’s 2018 performance “A Classic Christmas” will be airing on a score of PBS stations around the country beginning Dec. 16. The evening consisted of seasonal hymns and songs and was filmed at the Knowles Memorial Chapel at…
Pregnant and bleeding, an inmate at Osceola County Jail was at the mercy of jail staff. When Kenzi Dunn began bleeding Wednesday, Dec. 4., jail staff didn’t call for a doctor, she said. The bleeding continued through Thursday but Dunn says she still wasn’t attended to by a doctor. Finally on Friday, while Dunn was still bleeding,…
Political-punk godfathers Bad Religion are set to return to Orlando next year and they’re brining dark-punks Alkaline Trio along as co-headliners. Bad Religion planned the tour to celebrate their, ahem, 40th anniversary as a band! Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio throw down at the House of Blues on Saturday, April 4, 2020, at 7 p.m.…
Kona Poké is opening their second shop in Central Florida, also located in Seminole County – this time in Sanford – and they’re celebrating with a week of specials. We told you back in January about Kona Poké opening in Lake Mary at 242 Wheelhouse Lane, and again when the second-location plans were shared in October.…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Eugene Chadbourne, Bongus and Jonas Van den Bossche at Will’s Pub, Dec. 11 With Eugene Chadbourne topping the bill, there was no way this was gonna be just another rock show. No, this was a congregation of transmissions from the edge. Let’s get warped. Over a winding, restless career four decades and…
A statewide grand jury has issued a report painting a dire picture of how Florida school districts are implementing security measures passed in response to a mass shooting at a Broward County high school nearly two years ago. In an 18-page report released late Wednesday, the grand jury found ongoing “turf wars” between local jurisdictions,…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. University Of Florida Has Big Cancer News University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy announces breakthrough in cancer drug. – LINK Today is a great day for some new…
Two House Democrats want the Legislature to set aside nearly $600,000 to keep open the doors of a center that helps survivors of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Rep. Anna Eskamani, both from Orlando, filed the budget request (HB 9095) this week for the Heart of Florida…
Orlando is all-in when it comes to making a bid to host the 2026 World Cup. So are over 15 other U.S. cities, some of which appear to have a way better chance of landing the international event than the City Beautiful. Still, city officials are not phased, doubling-down on the bid. After all, the…
For years, Florida has blamed Georgia’s water use for causing damage to the economically vital oyster industry in Apalachicola Bay. But a special master appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed this week, dealing a major blow to Florida in its legal fight to force Georgia to share more water in a river system that…
Atlanta’s Sevendust are throwing another year-ending bash here in Orlando with the announcement of “Sevendust Acoustic Xmas” – a three-city swing through Florida and Georgia in between Christmas and New Year’s Eve – and the band are sure to bring the festive vibes. Sevendust play the House of Blues on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be…
Researchers from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy say they have discovered a safer and more effective anticancer drug. The new treatment would target leukemia, lymphoma, and breast and lung cancers. The drug, known currently as DT2216, affects a protein (called B-cell lymphoma-extra large), which grows malignant cells and strengthens their resistance to treatment. There’s…
AdventHealth has chipped in a $1 million donation to the onePulse Foundation. The money will go toward the building of the National Pulse Memorial & Museum commemorating the 49 victims of the June 12, 2016, Pulse tragedy in Orlando, and creating an educational curriculum “focused on diversity and inclusion,” said a onePulse press release. The museum, which…
Florida wildlife officials Wednesday backed a 10-year plan to manage the state’s growing black bear population, with the plan maintaining hunting as an option. After nearly three hours of comments from activists, most opposed to hunting bears, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agreed to advance a 209-page staff draft report that primarily stresses…
Florida’s application has been approved for membership in a program that allows exchanging voter-related data with other states, an effort long-sought by county supervisors of elections, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday. The approval, contingent on legislative funding, is expected to allow Florida to have more “accurate voter rolls, make voting easier and reduce costs to…
Florida wildlife officials moved quickly Wednesday to try to close a “loophole” that allowed a citizen of Saudi Arabia to legally buy a handgun and ammunition used to kill three people Friday at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission directed staff members to immediately provide a proposal that would end…
The music and art scene of New York City in the early ’80s is the focus of Downtown 81, a film made by Andy Warhol compatriot Glenn O’Brien. Graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat plays a fictionalized version of himself as he wanders through the city looking for a place to sleep after getting evicted. Along the…
Sixty years ago, on Sept. 21, 1959, the Isley Brothers released “Shout.” “You make me wanna shout” is a lyric that’s been hollered at gatherings for decades hence, from grandma on the wedding reception dancefloor to the teens making mischief in the parking lot. The Grammy award-winning group is celebrating the landmark with a 60th…
If you’re an Orlando longtimer, there’s little we can tell you about Grandma Party that you don’t already know – this is the 17th one, after all, and its weird and woolly spirit has stayed alive through the changing hands of at least three different sets of organizers. If you’re new to town, though, this…
Republican lawmakers who pushed to allow teachers to carry guns in schools say they do not need to know how many Florida teachers are armed and participating in the so-called guardian program. After weeks of emotional debate in the state Capitol this spring, the Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a bill that allowed…
For some of us, Christopher Guest’s canine mockumentary Best in Show or SNL’s oddball-supreme recurring sketch “Dog Show” are what comes to mind at the thought of the annual AKC National Championship. But for more than 5,000 very good boys and their handlers, the Canine Extravaganza that takes over 1,000,000 square feet of the Orange…
The popular holiday tradition presented by the Orlando Ballet returns this week with dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, ethereal lights and all the whimsy of The Nutcracker. What started as a two-part ballet almost 130 years ago, based on the E.T.A Hoffman story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” has gracefully worked its way into the…
Penguin Point Productions – a small theater troupe based out of the Oviedo Mall – made waves this summer with their production of White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, a theatrical experiment in which the lone actor isn’t given the script until they step onstage. For the holidays, they’re tackling another one-person show, though one with decidedly…
Ocala is already facing a class-action lawsuit for criminalizing people with literally nowhere to lie down, but now the city has been placed among the “Hall of Shame” for “routinely punishing or harassing un-housed people for their presence in public places.” The “Housing not Handcuffs” report, released this week from the National Law Center on…
Over the course of a non-career career full of twists, turns and musical delights stretching back to the late 1970s, a last-minute show at Will’s Pub tonight by avant-guitar legend Eugene Chadbourne is just par for the course. And yet, what a nice surprise! An underground lifer, guitarist, composer and singer/songwriter, Chadbourne’s long musical life…
Residents at the Star Motel at Lakeside and the Lake Cecile Inn in Kissimmee had their power services shut off last week. The owner of the two neighboring extended-stay hotels, Mary Nguyen, has neglected to pay bills to the Kissimmee Utility Authority and Toho Water Authority, which have ballooned over $30,000. As a result, tenants, including hundreds of…
“You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me,” said TV reporter Alex Bozarjian in a widely shared tweet, directed toward the man who allegedly groped her on live television. The tweet captions a video from Bozarjian’s WSAV-TV report of a 10K race in Savannah, Georgia, on Saturday. In the segment, runners stream by Bozarjian and the news camera, doing what…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. Officials Still Trying To Free Tire-Squeezed Manatee Wildlife officials have been following this manatee for years. It’s believed he’s been stuck in that tire which has literally grown…
A proposal that would let Floridians legally use fireworks four days a year, without a pretense of the purpose, was approved Tuesday by a Senate committee after local regulations were allowed. The Banking and Insurance Committee unanimously backed the measure (SB 140), which would allow people 18 and older to purchase fireworks that could be…
Who’s to say the effects absentee celebrity chefs have on a city’s collective psyche? Yes, you’re worthy enough for us to grant you our presence, but temper that excitement – it’ll only be for a day. Possibly two. That sort of treatment won’t help our inferiority complex any, so maybe a “glass half-full” approach is…
Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried and Orlando state Rep. Geraldine Thompson seek exoneration for the Groveland Four: Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and state Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere, want exoneration for the Groveland Four, expanding on pardons granted in January by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet in a prominent case from Florida’s Jim Crow…
Opening this week:Black Christmas The seminal sorority slasher flick gets its second remake in 13 years. This one’s being positioned as more of an empowerment fable, with brave would-be victims turning the tables on their pursuer. Right, and Pearl Harbor was about indestructible battleships that refused to take any guff from the Japanese. (R) Jumanji:…
On Dec. 2, the Orlando Fringe held their annual application lottery at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, with District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan presiding over the drawing of shows for the 2020 theater festival. Out of the 385 productions that applied – the most entries ever, from as far away as India and Nigeria – 101…
Say what you want about Jeff Bezos – not too loudly, Alexa is listening – but the man has decent taste in science fiction. The Amazon founder and CEO has peppered his career with Star Trek references, hired Snow Crash writer Neal Stephenson to work at his space exploration company, Blue Origin, and last year…
My husband and I (straight male/bi female couple) have been married 15 years. We are in our early 40s. When we met, he was inexperienced and crippled by shame from having grown up in an extremely sex-negative atmosphere. I have no hang-ups about sex and was happy to get him involved in some more adventurous…
Meet Daisy (A443536)! This sweet girl was surrendered by her previous family because a family member was allergic to her. Daisy has fast become a staff favorite! She is 10 years old, spayed, vaccinated, microchipped and ready to go home the same day she is adopted. According to her previous owner, Daisy is housebroken, leash-trained,…
The Beaches of Agnès Agnès Varda explores her memories, mostly chronologically, with photographs, film clips, interviews, re-enactments and droll, playful contemporary scenes of her narrating her story. Wednesday, 2 & 6 pm; Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona State College, Daytona Beach; free; 386-506-4475; smponline.org. In Fabric Dark comedy-horror film in which a lonely woman finds…
Imagine that a long-awaited installment in your favorite film franchise is finally being released, and a state-of-the-art movie theater is being built to exclusively screen it. Fans arrive from around the world for the big debut, ogling the opulent venue and stocking up on pricey concessions and souvenirs. But after enjoying the trailers and short…
Nile Ancient Egypt-obsessed metal overlords Nile are sure to turn Soundbar into a haunted crypt alongside grind legends Terrorizer. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Soundbar, $20 DRI Crossover thrash icons Dirty Rotten Imbeciles hit Soundbar with rising crust-punks Wartorn. Fun and games! 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at Soundbar, $3-$15 S Y Z Y G Y…
Despite differing views of Catholic theology, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis are apparently good friends and have enjoyed each other’s company since Francis’s papal ascension in 2013. But no one can be sure of what they have discussed. If only walls could talk. In The Two Popes, walls do talk. Chapels chatter. Ceilings sing. And…
There’s this story I’ve been obsessing over lately. Equal parts hilarious, pathetic and infuriating, it’s both an example of indefensibly awful governmental decision-making and – more important – emblematic of how institutional white supremacy can be so pervasive. This is happening in my backyard – North Carolina – so let me get you up to…
NEWS: Tapa Toro is now serving a bottomless brunch Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All-you-can-eat paella goes for $25. Bottomless mimosas and sangria can be had for $16 more … MX Taco has expanded their menu to include more gringo-friendly items like nachos, rice bowls and quesadillas. Ground beef, chorizo and pulled chicken…
