Now with a presence at every major theme park in Orlando, FuelRod has turned its sights to the region’s airports. The reusable, swappable power bank battery chargers have quickly taken the tourism industry by storm since first being introduced at the San Diego International Airport in 2014. The small power banks allow for users to…
The Disney Skyliner, Walt Disney World’s ambitious new aerial gondola system, opens in less than two months, and we’re starting to learn more details. With construction of the new transit system now wrapping up, Disney is shifting its focus to operations. Initial testing has been ongoing for just over six months. Recently, the Reedy Creek…
Get your hankies ready. Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, the critically lauded documentary about the love story of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen, is opening in Orlando at the end of this week. Infamous filmmaker Nick Broomfield chronicles the tale of a doomed young love which inspired Cohen’s ballad “Marianne,” and one that had…
Poets, literary lovers and musicians rejoice, as Orlando Poet Laureate Susan Lilley and novelist Shane Hinton will be reading from their most recent books at the “Venus and the Radio” event with the live music accompaniment of Holly Cordero, Charlie Griffin, Mark Piszczek and Timothy Stulman. The reading will take place at Timucua at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday,…
It made headlines last week: “Disney is launching their own airlines.” “Disney Airline Coming? Best or Worse idea?” Only problem is, it’s not happening. At least, according to Disney officials. “I can confirm that there is no truth at all to these rumors,” Stephanie Christine Corzett, Disney’s director of external communications and media relations, wrote…
If your first, middle or last name is Morgan and you like soccer, it is your lucky day. Thanks to Captain Morgan, an official partner of Major League Soccer (MLS) and 2019 All-Star Game Sponsor, 10 “Morgans” will have the opportunity to score free tickets for them and two other guests (21 or over) to…
The Orlando music scene has become a good deal less unpredictable with the sad and untimely passing of local musician Bobby Clock, who was 32. We first encountered Clock at an Illuminated Paths showcase at Uncle Lou’s last year, and were taken by the frazzled live chops of his band, Bobby Clock and the Soda…
Orlando’s soccer greats are back in town to judge other soccer greats showing of their skills for charity. Alex Morgan, of Orlando Pride and and Orlando City’s Kaká, both FIFA World Cup champions (Morgan twice) will line out the panel of judges for the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge at the ESPN Wide World of Sports…
Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo called out Florida Republicans in Washington, D.C., after the Senate blocked a bill that would help Venezuelans seeking asylum in the United States. The Venezuela Temporary Protected Status Act would have immediately given temporary protected status (TPS) to certain eligible Venezuelans fleeing the country plagued by an ongoing economic and political…
After the announcement of their “Brew Theory” event just a year ago, Orange County Brewers is finally giving up on downtown Orlando. OCB is closing its downtown location and moving to Lake Mary after Sunday. From becoming a home to Behr’s Shoes and both a Mini and Fiat dealership before the brewers entered into the picture, the…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Charles Irwin, Yr Glow, Even Less Friends and Rocko English, Stonewall Bar, July 28 In addition to checking back in on some of the young new vibrations coming out of Parramore, this recent pan-Floridian showcase looked like a good discovery opportunity since the only known quantity to me on the bill was…
Post-punk and hardcore hybridizers Ceremony are entering the next phase of their chameleonic career with the upcoming release of new album In the Spirit World Now on Relapse Records in August. And lest you worry that the band has lost some of their kinetic edge with their increasing explorations into post-punk dynamics, check out this…
In what might be the most on-brand Republican thing we’ve ever seen on Twitter, last night Florida congressman Matt Gaetz actually defended his decision to hang out with an accused white nationalist and Holocaust denier by basically saying “Hey, the guy who defended Jeffrey Epstein says he’s cool.” In 2018, Gaetz brought far-right troll and…
It’s going to be an all-too-brief visit this fall form Chicago MC Chance the Rapper. His official debut LP, The Big Day, could top Billboard charts when the tallies come in this week, and the Chicago MC is bringing a tour supporting the effort to Florida. Orlando fans, however, need a road trip to see…
President Trump is heading out to Florida’s Villages — the largest retirement community in the country — to talk Medicare. The Villages Daily Sun reported Monday night the president would be arriving Tuesday to the Central Florida community that overwhelmingly voted for him. Nearly 70 percent of residents in the homogeneous community of retirees voted for…
Anyone who has traveled in recent years knows how difficult it is to find the true cost of a hotel room when booking online, thanks to resort fees which are often revealed well into the booking process. These fees have continued to climb as hotels battle to display the lowest listed prices on online booking…
A Leon County circuit judge late Friday struck down a state law that threatened tough penalties if city and county officials approve gun regulations. Florida since 1987 has barred cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws. But in 2011, lawmakers went further by approving a series of penalties that…
Arguing the proposed ballot language is “clearly and conclusively defective,” Attorney General Ashley Moody wants the Florida Supreme Court to block a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to prevent possession of assault weapons. Moody late Friday filed a document that is a first step in arguing before the Supreme Court, which reviews the wording of…
A massive alligator was removed from a popular swimming area in Pasco County after authorities say it was aggressively chasing people. According to a Facebook post from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, a 15-foot gator was chasing swimmers in the Pithlachascotee River, near Durney Key last Saturday. The gator was promptly reported to the Florida Fish…
Possibly one of the best inventions for boaters and beachgoers has just hit the shelves at Wawa and Publix. SubSafe is a storage container which was constructed to hold the integrity of your chicken tender sub whether it gets lost at the bottom of a cooler during a day by or on the water. The…
The 48 Hour Film Project, the world’s oldest and largest timed moviemaking competition, will return to Orlando on August 16-18, with initial screenings August 23-24 at Valencia Community College East Campus. The contest invites participants to write, shoot, edit and submit a film from 4 to 7 minutes in length in just two days. To…
On Sunday, U.S. Senator and former two-term Florida governor Rick Scott appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press, where he discussed the testimony of special counsel Robert Mueller, President Trump’s racist tweets, and Russia’s attempts to influence voting in Florida. Host Chuck Todd asked Scott about President Trump’s recent tweets attacking minority members of Congress with…
Black Violin, the South Floridian duo shaking up the worlds of classical music and hip-hop by credibly combining them, are due to hit the road again in mid-January for the 2020 reprise of their “Impossible Tour.” And luckily for the City Beautiful, the group are returning to Orlando as part of that trek. Black Violin…
On Thursday morning, Universal Orlando will hold a press conference at the Orange County Convention Center for a “major announcement.” The announcement will take place just ahead of Disney’s D23 Expo in August, where their own major plans for WDW are expected to be confirmed. While there are plenty of projects in the works at…
The numbers are in: Florida’s the best at having the worst blackouts. That’s according to Eaton Corporation, a power company that tallied up the worst and most widespread blackouts nationwide. Their annual “blackout” report is out, and has Florida beating California as the state where blackouts affected the greatest number of people. Over a 10-year-period,…
The number-one benefit of those made-up corporate holidays is the discount that most places offer. Today, as your grandparents and children already know, is National Chicken Wing Day. Here are a couple of places to check out for lunch or dinner on this otherwise normal Monday. At Hooters, the sports bar that has locations all…
It’s hurricane season so once again, a tropical wave that may or may not develop into a more severe system is being monitored by meteorologists. There’s a 20 percent chance the tropical wave over the eastern Caribbean Sea will develop into something stronger over the next five days, according to a weather outlook from the…
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 Years Off My Life. Years Off My Life are playing Aug. 1 at Soundbar with Auras and Red Handed Devil. Just the facts: When did the band form?The band originally…
The Florida Underground Fest is set to return for a second go-around late this August, bigger and wilder than ever. This year the one-day festival will take place up and down Mill’s Avenue (Uncle Lou’s, Grumpy’s Underground Lounge, Will’s Pub and Lil Indies) with at least 38 different bands from all over the state going…
Shawna Potter, lead singer of War on Women and a familiar face to Orlando Weekly readers, is currently on tour with her band as the touring opener for metallers Baroness. Next week, though, in an early evening event well before Baroness’ show at the Plaza Live, Potter is set to make an appearance at Park…
TALLAHASSEE — Hemp has been hyped as a lifesaver for Florida farmers, touted as a versatile crop that can be used to build houses, feed livestock and create clothing. But it’s the plant’s healing qualities that have sparked a second cannabis “green rush,” as the state’s hemp program gets off the ground. The nationwide craze…
There’s a warmth and earnestness that’s omnipresent on Greyson Charnock’s face when he’s onstage, and his band, Someday River, has just released a song that gives longtime fans of the Orlando indie-rock band a glimpse inside of Charnock’s headspace. “This song derives from a space in my mind; based on real place and perspective I’ve…
OOn perhaps the luckiest and unluckiest day of their lives, a mother and son took a trip to Orlando to claim a $20,000 lotto ticket. A few hours later they were arrested on drug charges. The duo, along with the son’s girlfriend, were arrested in Deltona on Tuesday after redeeming the scratch-off ticket, according to…
The mutilation and murder of Jamal Khashoggi last October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has been fading out of public memory. But this brutal unpunished act should be unforgettable and unforgivable. Khashoggi, a Saudi-Arabian journalist living in Virginia whom Time magazine called a “Guardian of Truth,” wrote for the Washington Post. His horrific end…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Together Pangea, Tijuana Panthers and Ultra Q, Soundbar, July 24 Three bands deep, this concert was a now-gen California punk invasion. Topping the marquee was L.A.’s Together Pangea. Always one of the more melody-minded of the modern garage-punk pack, they’ve never really let too much override their tight, bright hooks. In recent…
An indictment from a federal grand jury in Tampa was unsealed on Wednesday that charged a Port Richey couple with conspiracy and trafficking of wildlife worth over $200,000. In 2017, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) seized 369 “wildlife articles” from the home of Larry Malugin, 51, and Novita Indah, 48 – including a…
Over the objections of environmentalists pushing for alternative energy sources, Gov. Ron DeSantis and two Cabinet members on Thursday approved a Tampa Electric Co. power-plant project in Hillsborough County. With little comment, DeSantis and the Cabinet, acting as the state’s Power Plant Siting Board, voted 3-1 to approve the project, which involves upgrading a generating…
We’re basically adding a new Orlando every year. Florida will continue growing by more than 300,000 people a year and will top 22 million residents in 2022, according to a report posted online this week by state economists. The Demographic Estimating Conference updated population forecasts through April 1, 2024 and showed steady growth during the…
Gov. Ron DeSantis is considering whether state law-enforcement officials have an oversight role in looking at how the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office handled sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while he was in its custody more than a decade ago. DeSantis said Thursday after a Cabinet meeting that he wants to determine if the sheriff’s office…
It’s cause for celebration. Orange County Democratic Disability Caucus is celebrating the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA went into effect, July 26, 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. In the same vein as the Civil rights Act of 1964, it prohibited discrimination and ensured those with disabilities had the same…
Downtown coffeehouse Craft & Common is about to celebrate their first full year in business, and the food and drink Happy Hour specials will last all day on Saturday, July 27. When the 2,200-square-foot space opened at 47 E. Robinson St. last July, co-owner Lindsay Duensing told us she was going for a “SoCal vibe” with a goal…
A Tampa area man has died after being struck by lightning at Clearwater Beach, officials confirmed. Garry L. Perks, 32, of New Port Richey, had been in critical condition following a lighting strike that hit him and injured seven others on Sunday. Perks went into cardiac arrest once the lightning hit him, and was taken…
If you live in Orange County, you’re at increased risk of catching a mosquito-borne illness, according to health officials. The Orange County Department of Health on Wednesday released an advisory warning residents that “the risk of transmission to humans has increased” because of an uptick in mosquito-borne disease cases. Three sentinel chickens in the county…
Hemp looks like marijuana, smells like marijuana, and has THC, just like marijuana. But hemp is now legal, because it has such minimal amounts of that psychoactive ingredient the effects are moot. With the newly enacted legalization, Central Florida law enforcement agencies are re-training officers on how to deal with marijuana arrests. The similarities between…
There might only be one thing scarier than murderous clowns, and that would be murderous clowns from outer space. Killer Klowns From Outer Space, the 1988 cult classic, will serve as the inspiration for the most recently announced haunted house at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. The attraction will place brave-enough guests to the town…
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse has announced a new meal experience with a five-course meal and selected wine menu. For $195 a guest, plus gratuity, you’ll be served feature dishes like Seared Jumbo Seared Scallops and Duck Confit Meatballs, paired with expertly selected wine such as Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The dinner will be on…
A federal appeals court Wednesday ruled that a lawsuit can move forward against Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., over allegations that a teenage ship passenger was plied with alcohol and then gang raped in a cabin. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower-court decision that dismissed the case, which…
Though it seems like a dream that Canadian pop icon and former Vine star Shawn Mendes would be coming to Orlando on tour, the time is finally here for the Mendes Army. Known for his singing, songwriting and instrumental techniques, as well as his ability to melt girls’ hearts worldwide, Mendes has rocked the music…
As any soccer fan already knows, Orlando’s Exploria Stadium (we still haven’t quite gotten used to that name, bee-tee-dubs) is the site of this year’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game on Thursday, July 31. But before the actual game, common wisdom says there has to be some sort of skills challenge – baseball has its…
The Sunspots Cinema experimental shorts block at the Florida Film Festival is one of the can’t-miss annual events for fans of experimental film. Its name is derived from Sunspot Cinema, a collective of current and former UCF film students and faculty dedicated to experimental film and video culture in Central Florida. For this non-festival outing,…
Here’s an utterly mind-blowing way to start your Saturday night (we’re honestly reeling that this show is a reality). Miami noise king and road warrior Rat Bastard decided that a mere one show in a night wasn’t enough, and slotted in this early event at the Nook on the way up to a later Gainesville…
Tampa underground lifer Phillip Taylor is experiencing something of a creative renaissance at the moment. Besides fronting post-punk band Sleeping Pills and being the man behind the mask in pitch-dark synth act Cold Medicine, Taylor is taking a step into the light with his latest project (and taking the medical theme of his project names…
Pepe, the flamboyant, mohawked, overly-familiar-with-his-audience creation of Rob Ward, has been one of those only-in-Orlando phenomenons since his debut at the Orlando Fringe more moons ago than we want to admit to. He hasn’t popped up as frequently in recent years, which is a shame since when he wasn’t paying attention, some racist frog meme…
If you had told us 20 years ago that one of the most critically discussed and dissected musical forms of the 21st century would be the female-fronted pop song, we would have laughed. But we were little shits back then who thought that obscurity was the same thing as depth. And to be fair, no…
The fifth annual Putt N’ Pour Pub Crawl comes to Thornton Park this weekend for a day-drinking friendly miniature golf tournament. All stops on the crawl feature creative obstacles for you to putt your way through while grabbing a drink at each hole. Don’t worry, it’s only nine holes, not a full 18; you’ll survive.…
Lizzy McCormack’s Irish Pub has teamed up with Foxtail Coffee and Jameson Irish Whiskey to create a chilled Irish coffee called the Jamey Fox. What does this have to do with Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, you ask? Not a thing. But they do claim that if Foxx shows up on the night of the release…
Voters throughout the state will have access to Spanish-language ballots in time for next year’s presidential election, under regulations Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is advancing. DeSantis in April said he wanted to make Spanish-language ballots available statewide, noting that Florida “has a significant Spanish-speaking population and our state is home to many Puerto Ricans who…
State Sen. Lauren Book, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, wants the state to investigate how the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office handled sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while he was in its custody more than a decade ago. The Plantation Democrat asked Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday to direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement…
Charging stations for electric vehicles will be available or under construction at all Florida Turnpike service plazas by the end of the year, with similar infrastructure along other major highways, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday. DeSantis said the effort should remove a disincentive for people who are considering electric vehicles. “If you have a trip,…
In another show of Puerto Rican unity, astrologer Walter Mercado is joining protesters from San Juan to Central Florida in calling for Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares to resign. “I am Puerto Rico, and this is my cry of pain, of anguish, at such a crucial moment,” Mercado told El Nuevo Dia. “You can’t even show up…
Food stamps are a hand up — not a handout, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a statement criticizing the Trump administration’s proposed roll back on the program. The Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that around 3 million Americans would no longer be eligible for food stamps due to new rules aiming to close…
Know anyone who has recently been shucking an obscene amount of oysters? There might be a reward in it for you if you give up the details leading to an arrest. Let us explain. On Tuesday, July 23, Pensacola Bay Oyster Company discovered that about 17,000 of their oysters had been stolen from their East…
As Floridians continue to trek down to the beach to enjoy the summer heat, it is clear that the beaches we know and love are not the same as they once were, and a new study suggests that many have had high levels of poop. According to a report released Tuesday from the non-profit Environment…
Construction of the Ravenous Pig Brewing Co. is nearly complete and the first brew batch is expected to wet the collective whistles of beerhounds in early August. The 3,000-square-foot brewery adjacent to the Ravenous Pig features a 15-barrel brewhouse system with six 30-barrel fermenters, tripling the size of the current five-barrel system inside the restaurant.…
A 9-year-old girl from the Tampa area was tossed into the air Monday afternoon when a bison bull charged her at Yellowstone National Park. The girl, from Odessa, was injured but has since been treated and released by park medical officials, according to the National Park Service. Video of the incident went viral, first appearing…
I’m a 36-year-old straight guy, happily married for more than 10 years, and a longtime reader. My wife and I are monogamous. We’re good communicators, well matched in terms of libido and slightly kinky (light bondage, Dom/sub play in the bedroom). For the last few months, I’ve been thinking about trying prostate play, and I…
Meet Sadie (A427220)! This sweet girl has been with our shelter for over 100 days, and she is patiently on the lookout for her fur-ever home. Sadie was surrendered by her owner and, according to her previous family, she is friendly with men, women and children, but she would prefer to be the only dog…
Hundreds gathered in Orlando to demand the resignation of Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rosselló. The governor of Puerto Rico has been in hot water since a private chat with his advisers was recently made public. The messages were filled with sexist and misogynistic jokes, as well as comments mocking journalists. Waves of protests shot up…
I’d originally intended to spend this edition of Live Active Cultures exploring Universal Orlando’s new value-priced Endless Summer Surfside Inn and Suites, where I enjoyed a short working staycation last week. But while I was using the hotel’s early park admission privileges for guests at Universal Studios Florida, I inadvertently stumbled across the unadvertised expiration…
Great live music rattles Orlando every night
Opening this week: The Farewell “The Asian audience always shows up,” exhibitors sighed in relief when The Farewell opened to massive success in New York and L.A. two weeks ago. But we can forgive them that broad (and kinda racist, really) analysis: They’re just thrilled this comedy-drama based on the true-life experiences of Chinese-American filmmaker Lulu…
