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Finally. Same-sex marriage comes to Orlando with a glorious flourish
Love was in the air on Jan. 6 as throngs of local residents – including 44 same-sex couples – convened in and around City Hall downtown. It had, after all, been a bumpy road to this point of marriage equality – even after U.S. Judge Robert Hinkle ruled in late December that he would lift…
Pulled pork: Hundreds of Chipotle restaurants remove carnitas from the menu—UPDATED
Say it ain’t so. Chipotle has had to take their deliciously calorific carnitas off the menu for an unspecified amount of time after a pork supplier was found to have violated their company standards. The AP reports that “Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold … said most of the issues related to the violations concerned the housing…
The Flavor Run gets you sweet, sticky and sweaty at Bill Frederick Park
So by now you’ve probably grown a little dry-mouthed with regards to the Facebook photos of your more outdoorsy friends crashing through metabolism-challenging exertions of five-kilometer excellence in situational extremes. Sure, we all could run at some point in our lives, but maybe we don’t anymore because there is no flavored reward. However! The latest…
The Monster Jam is set to destroy the Citrus Bowl
Wham-bam, the Monster Jam. Get up everybody and do the freak. Or just scream enthusiastically at giant trucks. Like the dreams-come-true of a 7-year-old, the Monster Jam combines ridiculously impractical trucks with all of the pageantry and spectacle of professional wrestling to create entertainment that’s larger than life – and tons of fun to watch.…
Boris Fishman gives two readings this weekend
Gary Shteyngart, look out! There’s a new USSR emigré in Brooklyn churning out literary fiction with a knife’s-edge wit. Well, actually, there are probably a lot of them, but we’re talking about Boris Fishman, author of A Replacement Life, the novel that’s currently stumping reviewers in every English-speaking country – how to phrase one’s glowing…
Snap Space lights up the Cameo sign for the first time in 75 years at We Are One
Snap Orlando has become such a significant part of our cultural fabric that it’s hard to believe it’s only been in its sleek, beautiful gallery space on East Colonial Drive for a year. Snap Space, which exists to celebrate emerging artistic talent, is now such a local hub for smart talks, mind-blowing art shows and…
The Orlando Ballet paddles out Swan Lake for its season opener at the Dr. Phillips Center
Even though the Orlando Ballet technically debuted at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (can we just call it the Dr. Phil?) with The Nutcracker, there were countless troupes performing that particular piece of holiday obligation all over town. This Friday, the Ballet officially debuts their 2015 season at their new home with…
25 free concerts this week in Orlando (1/21-1/27)
Free shows this week include a Park Ave CDs instore performance by You Blew It!, celebrating their Pioneer of Nothing EP release, plus Bruiser Queen and Wet Nurse at St. Matt’s, Foghat at Harley-Davidson of Orlando, anime-rock from Cape Canaveral (S.S. Hanami), a reunion of sorts at Lil Indies for the Orlando Music History Merch…
Buncha old farts get together to swap Orlando music scene merch at Lil Indies
If you’ve noticed that your elderly neighbors have spent a little more time indoors and a little less time on their porch screaming at you to get off their lawn, it might be because of the recent popularity of the Orlando Music History Facebook group. Geriatrics all over Orlando have been posting their “back in…
Iris DeMent brings her heart-wrenching songwriting to the Plaza
The often-imitated Iris DeMent hits her notes in ever-wavering bursts of energy that never fail to convey the sort of sincere emotion that keeps folk fans hugging her records since the very first track, “Let the Mystery Be,” resonated on her debut, Infamous Angel, in 1992. But whether you prefer her vocalizing heart-wrenching insights on…
You Blew It! debut new EP at free Park Ave CDs instore performance
Everyone’s favorite emo revival band (not just Orlando’s, though we’re lucky to have them) You Blew It! is set to release a new EP on Jan. 27, Pioneer of Nothing. Vice premiered a track just last week, “Bedside Manor,” hitting those shredded notes that will get any Jeremy Enigk fan’s blood going. To celebrate, You…
Concert pic of the week: Crazed Linkin Park fan at Amway Center
Check Orlando Music News every Tuesday for the concert pic of the week. This week’s pic comes from Linkin Park’s show on Thursday, Jan. 15, at Amway Center. The eager fan hoping to make contact with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington is pretty precious, but if you’re looking for more rock than awwwh, check out all…
Total Punk talks to Maximum Rock N Roll about Total Fuck Off Weekend II
Total Fuck Off Weekend is fast approaching, and if you’re punk enough, you probably sense the evil that’s about to descend on Orlando at the end of March in the form of the first Action Swingers show in more than a decade, the Achtungs flying in from Finland, and sordid essentials like Gary Wrong Group…
Dare to be stupid: Weird Al is coming to Orlando this summer!
“Weird Al” Yankovic released Mandatory Fun last year, taking on pop stars like Lorde, Iggy Azalea and Pharrell Williams in direct parody (and a hilarious Polka-fied medley including a verse poking fun at Miley’s “Wrecking Ball”), plus goofing off in the styles of Foo Fighters, Cat Stevens and Pixies. And people ate it up, like…
Shovels & Rope bring their genre-hopping sound to the Social
It’s tough to describe the appeal of Shovels & Rope without drowning the duo’s powerful, pure embodiment of rock in the many genres their music touches. Yes, it really is rock, country, punk and folk, but instead of some manufactured attempt to appeal to a mass audience, this husband-wife pair digs into each genre deeply…
Uber mad: Ridesharing company blogs about Orlando’s new restrictions on its business model
Last week, rideshare company Uber vented on its blog about the city of Orlando’s new ridesharing rules, which are scheduled to go into effect on Feb. 1. Orlando and Uber have a pretty rocky relationship – shortly after the company started offering rides to people here, the Orlando police launched a sting operation in which…
Save the Space: More fundraisers seek to support the DIY venue
This weekend, Space Fest 2 occupied the Space to raise money to keep the DIY venue moving forward (for rent, repairs, general upkeep and other costs that keep cropping up). Thanks to donations from artists and a sweet lineup of local bands (and a neat-o zine from Space-friendly literary groups Literocalypse, Welcome to Anxiety, and the…
Marc With a C gives ‘Rocky Horror’ treatment to sequel ‘Shock Treatment’ at the Geek Easy
People have been hosting campy screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for decades, and the cult film compels moviegoers to come dressed as their favorite characters, ready to shout along with their favorite lines and songs and a mysterious collective over time even developed a specific script of responses to shout at the screen…
Yard at Ivanhoe developer to present final plans at Formosa Neighborhood Association meeting
In October, we learned that local developer Chance Gordy of Inverlad Development were planning a new mixed-use development in Ivanhoe Village. The proposed multistory complex would replace many of the single-story warehouses on Alden Road – many of which house creative businesses – with a nine-story apartment building. Gordy will be at the Lake Formosa…
The state of YOUR union: Family Research Council to argue that the gays just ruined your marriage tonight
All right, so we’ve been pretty busy absorbing the same-sex marriage thing into our own existences – seriously, we’re getting married on Valentine’s Day – but the fact that we continue to allow ourselves to be trolled by the Tea Party and the Family Research Council and various other hate groups makes us think that…
Modest Mouse or the Strokes? Which festival looks cooler, Big Guava or Gasparilla?
Holy cow, Florida just got real serious about this year’s big regional music festivals. Gasparilla (March 7-8 in Tampa) stunned Floridians who were still squirming at Modest Mouse’s new album news by announcing Modest Mouse as this year’s headliner, which puts Brock & Co. center stage not even a week after Strangers to Ourselves drops on…
7 Reproductive Rights Issues to Watch in 2015
To say abortion opponents are feeling fired up in 2015 would be a massive understatement. In their first week back at work, congressional Republicans introduced a sweeping prohibition on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy (H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act), as well as bills that would ban sex-selective abortions, target funding for…
Who is Florida’s favorite pop star?
According to this map, shared by real estate blog Movoto, most of the United States is Taylor Swift Country. Florida, apparently, is one of four states to buck the Taylor Swift trend completely. We are Team Katy Perry, and we share that distinction with New Mexico, Nevada and Hawaii.
A look at the interactive queue for Walt Disney World’s Peter Pan ride
Walt Disney World revealed some details about its plans for a new interactive queue for Peter Pan’s Flight, a ride that’s been a fixture at the Magic Kingdom since 1971. Following in the footsteps of the queue at the new Seven Dwarves Mine Train ride, which opened in 2014 and has been known to have…
U.S. Supreme Court to rule on same-sex marriage
In a move highly anticipated by advocates on both sides of the issue, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to rule on four gay marriage cases, paving the way for what is expected to be among the high court’s landmark decisions. The court agreed to hear four cases involving marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan,…
#SelmaforStudents allows Orlando area students to see movie about MLK for free
When the movie Selma, about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1965 Civil Rights march from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, hit theaters, a group of 27 African-American business leaders were so moved by it that they created a fund to help 27,000 students in 7th through 9th grades get into theaters to see it…
Florida dog gets lottery ticket for Christmas, wins $3 million
He bought a lottery ticket. For his dog. And his dog won. It doesn’t sound like the dog is the one getting the money. And they don’t even give us a photo of the dog who’s beating cheated out of, like, 15 million Ol’ Roy biscuits and bathtubs full of beef liver? Life is just…
North Miami police under fire for using real mugshots of black men for target practice
According to multiple news sources – BuzzFeed, NBC and TIME Magazine to name a few – police officers in North Miami Beach have been engaging in what sounds like a horrifying practice – they’re using real mugshots of African-American males who’ve been arrested for target practice. In December, Sgt. Valerie Deant of the Florida Army National Guard…
Gatorland and Fun Spot America to open Gator Spot attraction on I-Drive
This union makes sense, really: One park specializes in offering people terrifyingly close encounters with huge prehistoric-looking beasts. The other specializes in offering people terrifyingly close encounters with great heights and speed, via thrill rides. Now the two thrilling brands will bring the things they do best to one place called the Gator Spot. Gators…
Cricketers Arms closing, Graffiti Junktion dominating, and Broken Strings cutting the cord: Orlando restaurant openings and closings
Broken Strings Brewery won’t be opening in Ivanhoe Village after all. According to a post on Broken Strings’ Facebook page, the landlord of the former ROH Construction space on Virginia Drive didn’t make the necessary building improvements on time, and so they had to pull out. They still hope to find a location in the…
CHANGE YOUR NAME!: Social Security Administration clarifies rules on gay marriage in Florida
image via slate.com Ever since the big ruling on same-sex marriage and the subsequent marriage ceremonies on Jan. 6, there has been a lot of confusion befalling couples who have taken the big leap into matrimony. The biggest complaint we’ve heard, really, has been that Social Security Administration offices were not allowing name changes for…
This Little Underground: Magik Markers’ Elisa Ambrogio & Nathan Bowles at Will’s Pub
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. Stepping out from noted Connecticut noisemakers Magik Markers, Elisa Ambrogio has been making some noise of her own recently since the release of her solo debut LP, The Immoralist, on Drag…
Cadbury Creme Eggs: Here’s some news from the sunny side (up)
Word of tweaks to the chocolaty treat’s formula went over hard yesterday, but Cadbury Creme Egg lovers in the U.S. can breathe easy — the eggs will be the same for us as they’ve always been. If you grew up in an uncontacted rainforest tribe or a sugar-shunning Children of God commune or something, the…
Panel create draft rules for Florida nurseries allowed to grow Charlotte’s Web strain of medical marijuana
A panel comprised of the director of the state Office of Compassionate Use, an accountant and a member of the Drug Policy Advisory Council would pick five nurseries to grow, process and dispense medical marijuana under a revamped rule released Thursday by the Florida Department of Health. The selection committee would take the place of…
Contest time! Your dog could be our cover model!
It’s contest time! Orlando Weekly’s annual Puppy Love issue is coming on Feb. 18, and we want to put your adorable dog on the cover! We’re now accepting entries for the first annual Puppy Love cover model contest, and Orlando area residents are encouraged to enter their dogs and puppies for a chance to be…
Death becomes no one: Latest scheduled Florida execution raises questions
Say what you want about the death penalty and Florida’s seeming propensity toward proving its worth via tough-on-crime shots of drugs that might or might not achieve their mortality goal, but this particular case, even with its troublesome back story, gives us pause. In a matter of minutes, Johnny “Shane” Kormondy will be executed. His…
This Little Underground: Thad Anderson’s sextet debuts the In-Between Series
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. There’s a new downtown music series now in play that everyone who cares about forward music should take note of. The In-Between Series, which just debuted (Jan. 12), is a monthly…
Best typo ever: “In Dog we trust” printed on Pinellas County Sheriff’s rugs
The best part of the story making the rounds today about the fact that the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office ordered rugs that accidentally included the typo “In Dog we trust” (for you heathens, it’s supposed to say “In God we trust”) is not the typo itself. The best part is that nobody noticed. For weeks. The…
Orlando City Soccer fans out in force at Philadelphia super draft event (watch the livestream)
Sports journalist Grant Wahl posted this photo to his Twitter feed today (@grantwahl) of Orlando City Soccer Club supporters at the 2015 MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia. Orlando City joins the 19 other MLS teams in picking players for their 2015 rosters. The draft began at 12:30 p.m. EST (the MLS commissioner is giving his introduction…
Letters to a Satanist: Do you believe that free speech protects hate speech and false statements?
Do you believe that “Free Speech” protects hate speech and false statements? Free Speech allows for the inquiry and critical scrutiny by which falsehoods are openly exposed. Free Speech does not, and should not, protect willful slander and/or defamation. The American Bar Association defines “hate speech” as “speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based…
Outstanding in the Field flips the script, brings the table to the farm
Outstanding in the Field is well-named on two levels: It’s a dinner that takes place alfresco, out in the wide-open space of a working farm, but it’s also, utterly without question, outstanding. At $215 a head, it isn’t a cheap ticket, but it’s an experience you will remember for years to come – and if you can…
Greyhound racing in Florida to be discussed during 2015 Legislative session
When the Legislature reconvenes in March, the controversial topic of dog racing will be on the agenda. So far, four bills (two in the Senate, two in the House) dealing with the state’s greyhound-racing industry have been filed for the session. Each of them would require that the operators of greyhound tracks and kennels do…
Comedy Central just combined two of my favorite things: Broad City is back
Clearly there is a benevolent creator, because this blah day just got a lot brighter: Not only does Broad City return for its second season TONIGHT (10:30 p.m.), Comedy Central has released a Broad City keyboard app. Wait, let me put that in Broad City terms: Yeah, that’s my head exploding. I’ve written about my…
Florida makes High Times’ list of states most likely to legalize weed
image via Science Times So, we’re all aware that the campaign for legalized medical marijuana – the kind that actually does treat pain and have THC – has relaunched after a promising showing in the 2014 election cycle (thanks John Morgan!). In fact, a new petition campaign has already been started and Morgan is claiming…
Florida Haters!: Jon Stewart takes on the Sunshine State and Marco Rubio
Though we may all be growing a little weary of the “#floridaman” schtick, mostly because it’s become a sort of external hard drive of depression that blips and bleeps all night so that we cannot possibly sleep with ourselves or anyone else, Jon Stewart pulled out the trusty old trope last night to hilarious ends.…
Rise Against breaks through to mainstream popularity with arena tour with Linkin Park
RISE AGAINST with Linkin Park, Of Mice and Men | 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 | Amway Center, 400 W. Church St. | 800-745-3000 | amwaycenter.com | $36-$76 Rise Against’s latest album, The Black Market, has arrived at a time when some observers think the band may just be a radio hit away from being the next punk band…
Eating out can make it hard to lose weight; try these restaurants to stay on that New Year’s goal
Almost half the U.S. population makes New Year’s resolutions, and the No. 1 goal they set is to lose weight. Sound like you? Obviously, eating at home is going to help you hit your magic number (you know why restaurant food is so delicious? Because butter) but it can be a drag when your friends…
Picks This Week: Rise Against, Southern Fried Sunday and more
Acoustic Soundcheck with Sarah Purser Sip your wine and craft beer to the clear tones of seasoned local singer Sarah Purser. 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Imperial, free Rise Against “I never expected to be in a band this big, as big as it is,” Blair says. “I dedicated myself to punk rock…
Nosh Pit: Yummy yuzu marshmallows and sorbet and matcha milk tea at Kappo
If you’re attempting to shed some pounds in the New Year but still feel a pull toward snacks, this suite of sweets will satisfy the sugar cravings without smashing your goals. The chef-owners of Kappo at East End Market, justifiably celebrated for their sushi omakase and lunchtime chirashi bowls, also have a sideline in quick-to-pick-up…
Lucinda Williams ditches unrequited love songs for newfound tranquility without losing her creative brilliance
The idea that suffering makes for great art is one of those time-honored rock & roll tropes that even made its way into the title of a 1982 Todd Rundgren album (The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect). While Lucinda Williams has had her share of personal trauma that’s informed her work over the past few…
Another year, another push for Medicaid expansion in Florida
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: We know that the lawmakers are hearing the same things we are hearing – that there is a lot of room and flexibility from [the U.S. Department of] Health and Human Services to find a plan that works well for Florida. We also know that it is going to be a…
Give Me Your Money: Welcome to Scott-land
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Rubio doesn’t know where to land on gay marriage
If you were even barely alive in Florida last week, then you already know that, by a series of incredibly fortunate judicial events, same-sex marriage is absolutely legal in the state and has been since Jan. 6 (see our cover story, “Finally,” page 13). Hooray, right? Let’s bury all of these partisan hatchets used to…
Savage Love
My fiancée is extremely bothered by me looking at porn. It revolves around insecurities that have gotten so bad that even other girls bother her. I don’t have any weird relationship with porn – no addiction, no violent stuff and I look pretty infrequently. She acknowledges that but is unable to get past it. She has…
Can we indulge in innocent enjoyment of the Greatest Show on Earth, or is it time to leave the past behind?
I generally try to stick to the lighter side, but occasionally I wade into more controversial areas, from the construction of the Dr. Phillips Center to the latest round of theme-park cutbacks. But no topic reliably triggers heated responses like my annual reports from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This year was…
This Little Underground: The sweet heat of Charles Bradley
On Jan. 7, Jeff Kaplan lost his life in a Maryland traffic accident. For years, he was a local sound engineer who kept prime Orlando clubs like the Social and Will’s Pub sounding pro until major tours began whisking him away to run sound with increasing frequency. He was also a friend whose deep mark…
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What’s your sign, baby? Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology for the week of Jan. 14-21
Are you a Pisces looking for the end of the sidewalk, a Cancerian Daniel Webster, or even an Aquarian Marco Polo? Check out this week’s Free Will Astrology, full of fun facts and interesting tidbits that may or may not have anything to do with your horoscope. Related Stories
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Gimme Shelter
This beautiful cat is Miss Kitty (Animal ID A304582). She’s a loving 5-year-old tortie who absolutely loves to be petted and having all eyes on her. She loves attention! She’d do great in a home by herself, but with time she will do well with other kitties in the home, too. She’s litterbox trained and…
Photographer Donovan Brooks documents the dark side of Orlando’s American dreamers
This month Orlando City Hall’s Terrace Gallery will feature the work of Donovan Brooks, a native of the Bronx who has lived in Orlando for the past 13 years. In his photographs we are introduced to a dystopian Orlando, defiantly at odds with its Disney-saturated reputation. Over the past five years Brooks has spent several…
Jim Jefferies attempts to find a balance between funny and wrong
“There’s a formula in standup comedy. The more offensive the joke, the funnier it has to be. It’s simple math,” or so Jim Jefferies told SplitSider.com in September of 2014. The Australian comic has capitalized on that formula in a big way ever since his first HBO special, I Swear to God, introduced him to…
Theatre Downtown has officially closed, but plenty of companies are forging ahead with their first shows of 2015
The final curtain rang down on Theatre Downtown’s home late last month. After 25 years at the corner of Orange and Princeton, the company closed their annual Christmas Carol Dec. 23, then took a final bow with a pair of emotional concerts organized by Jay Levy Dec. 27-28. Evicting landlord Florida Hospital was lambasted in…
Despite a bit of melodrama, ‘Predestination’ is a well-crafted sci-fi thriller
From the Spierig Brothers (of Daybreakers fame) comes Predestination, a finely crafted sci-fi thriller about time jumping. Time travel movies sometimes get wrapped up in their paradoxes and rules to the point where the narrative suffers. (Time Crimes and Looper are both recent examples of time travel movies done right.) With Predestination, the rules are…
Opening in Orlando: ‘Black Hat,’ ‘Paddington,’ and ‘The Wedding Ringer’
Blackhat: It’s never certain whether a Michael Mann movie is going to be good or ridiculous – or, occasionally, good and ridiculous. But you have to give him credit for relevance with Blackhat, which turns on the threat of a massive cyber-attack against the U.S. How timely is that conceit? Well, I understand North Korea…
Steve Carell is in his element playing an out-of-his-mind John du Pont in ‘Foxcatcher’
Arrogance: the essential toxin that drives the wealthy. For John du Pont, heir to his fabled family’s chemical fortune, it was a healthy dose of that poison chased with wild delusions that led him to murder Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz in 1996. Actually, he was way more bonkers than that, but Bennett Miller’s new film,…
