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OMA’s Maya Lin: A History of Water has the city excited about its flagship museum
Orlando Museum of Art’s massive Maya Lin exhibition, just the latest coup since museum director Glen Gentele took over, is cause to renew your OMA membership. The spectacular display is Lin’s first major show in Florida, a gathering of sculptures, installations and multimedia work addressing the natural world, particularly water – which, it’s safe to…
Big K.R.I.T. brings an empowering vibe to Venue 578
Mississippi’s own “King Remembered In Time,” Big K.R.I.T., brings his Pay Attention tour to Venue 578 (formerly Firestone Live). Come check out your “country cousin” at just one of four Florida stops on his southeastern tour, where he’s likely to be performing many tracks from his well-received 2014 album, Cadillactica. A true embodiment of modern…
Apartment complex threatens to fine tenants for bad reviews
When you’re a tenant renting an apartment and you have a bad experience, what’s the first thing you do? You shit talk the place, of course. You vent about it on Facebook, or – if you really want to warn people about the horrors or renting the same hellhole you fell into – you might…
Seen the old Red Fox sign at Will’s Pub yet?
It first appeared during Ralphfest 4 during a time when Lorna Lambey graced Will’s Pub stage, so I assumed the Red Fox sign that’s been serving as a backdrop at Will’s Pub for the past few weeks was on loan, but every time I go back for a show, there it still hangs. Many people…
Lucky you: 20 awesome ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Orlando in 2015
Irish eyes are smiling all around town – here’s where: Thursday, 12 Alive After 5: It’s a Green Thing Enjoy green beer, live music, beverage samples, local vendors and food trucks. Thursday, 5-8 pm; downtown Sanford, Sanford Avenue and First Street; $7; 407-302-2586; sanfordwelcomecenter.com. Saturday, 14 St. Paddy’s Afternoon Bash Specials include $3 green beers,…
City passes ordinance to give Tinker Field historic designation
As we were going to press with this issue on Monday afternoon, the Orlando City Council held a debate about the future of Tinker Field, the historic baseball field near downtown Orlando named after baseball Hall of Famer Joe Tinker. The fate of the long-neglected field where Martin Luther King Jr. made his one and…
Letters to a Satanist: Why does the Satanic Temple object to having ‘In God We Trust’ displayed in public buildings?
“In God We Trust” isn’t exclusive to a single religious view. Most religions center upon God worship. Why does The Satanic Temple object to “In God We Trust” being displayed in public buildings? This past month, Clark County, Washington, stirred controversy when, despite significant resistance, officials voted to allow a plaque engraved with “In God…
Coffee and furniture sets: Propagation coffee shop holds soft opening this week
In mid-February, we reported that Mills 50 would see an intriguing new coffee shop (located at 1221 N. Mills Ave.) open up in March called Propagation – half coffee shop, half mid-century furniture store. Well, according to the Instagram, they launched their soft opening yesterday, Monday, March 9, and are open today as well, beginning…
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America holds rally in Capitol against guns on campus
Guns won’t improve safety at schools where students already encounter a “toxic mix” of alcohol, drugs and the pressure of academics, opponents of a series of campus gun bills argued Monday. Members of Everytown for Gun Safety and the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America held a small rally on…
Universal Orlando to expand Halloween Horror Nights to 30 nights
Halloween Horror Nights fans, it’s your dream (nightmare?) come true: In honor of the 25th anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Orlando is expanding this year’s fright fest to 30 full nights. Beginning on Sept. 18, Halloween Horror Nights will take place at the park on select dates, and though the park has yet to…
Photos and review: Dope Entertainment brings extra heat to Miami with Rolling Loud
The first-ever Rolling Loud festival held in Miami (Feb. 28) was one for the books. After much anticipation, the all-day festival (put on by Orlando’s own Dope Entertainment) was memorable and set a standard for future iterations of the hip-hop festival to come. Growing up, we are always told that nothing ever goes as planned,…
Sly Fox opens tonight, the new downtown bar from owners of Bar-BQ-Bar and Planet Pizza
Orlando Weekly just moved downtown, so needless to say, we’ve been scoping our nearby strip for decent lunch spots and happy hour hangs, and the news that the former Dive Bar space would soon be occupied by business owners we love (Bar-BQ-Bar and Planet Pizza) had us naturally curious about the fabled new space, especially with…
Council Watch: Blowing kisses at your city government so you don’t have to
Hooray! It’s Council Watch Monday! If you’re not street-scabbed, train-forlorn, tie-mad and generally hungover from yesterday’s VERY BIG FILLING OF THE BOWL for the Orlando City Soccer Lions game (you are), then you might want to tune into this fluttering of passing thoughts today. Specifically, this week will be the beginning (first read) of the…
Shopping spree: Miami might take our tourists away by building nation’s largest mall
The company behind shopping mecca the Mall of America, Triple Five, is eyeing Miami to develop a $4 billion entertainment and shopping complex that will include a Legoland park, mini golf, indoor gardens, a sea lion show, and perhaps rivaling the proposed Kissimmee sports complex would introduce snow skiing to Central Floridians, the mall also boasts an unseasonal…
This Little Underground: Hail Mary Mallon (Aesop Rock & Rob Sonic) at the Social
For its first sold-out event, Swamburger Presents hosted Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic, otherwise known as alt-rap supergroup Hail Mary Mallon (Mar. 5, The Social). This project packs the kind of exponential potential that happens when two MCs who are also noted producers join forces. Despite their conceptual tendencies, their live vibe jumped with an…
Former Florida DEP employees say they were told not to use terms “climate change” or “global warming”
In Sunday’s Miami Herald, a story from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting contains some distressingly revealing information from former employees of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. According to former DEP volunteers and officials, including one attorney, employees of the department were cautioned not to use the terms “climate change,” “sustainability” or “global warming”…
This Little Underground: Torche, Wrong, House of Lightning (Backbooth)
After seeing the exhilarating heights that Torche prototype band Floor has reached on its triumphant return, it’s good to see some of those lessons of power and simplicity spill back over to the jumbo-jet doom-pop of Torche (Mar. 5, Backbooth). Their new album, Restarter, is one lean, mean mother, and their in-the-pocket set echoed that…
Today! City to consider ordinance making Tinker Field historic site, but not really?
As we’re writing this from the Historic Tinker Building downtown – our new home for the last week! – we may come off as biased on this issue, but, just the same, the town has been arguing about the fate of the old Citrus-Bowl-adjacent baseball field since long before that super-hyped soccer match at the…
Eat Local Week starts today! Here’s where to celebrate delicious Central Florida
March 7-14 marks Eat Local Week — seven days to celebrate of Central Florida food, community and culture. Presented by Slow Food Orlando, our chapter of the worldwide group dedicated to slowing down and enjoying life’s tasty pleasures, the week offers eating, drinking, shopping and learning opportunities, all featuring local food products, chefs and speakers. Several area…
More on that viral blog going around about Florida’s Koch Bros. killing the Everglades
There’s a post going viral on the interwebs right now titled “Everglades to be killed this October by Florida’s own Koch Bros.” It’s posted to the Daily Kos and Alternet, and it points out that the state has an option to buy a key parcel of land near Lake Okeechobee that’s currently owned by huge sugar…
A friend in Disney: Expansion plans officially announced for popular Toy Story and Soarin’ rides
If you’re one of those Disney-goers who looks forward to the blast of citrus scent that wafts over you as you find yourself suspended over groves and dodging mountains in Epcot’s Soarin’ attraction or if you’re the competitive sort who doesn’t consider it a full Disney day until you’ve bested your level on Toy Story…
Gritty, stunning underground rock photographer Jim Leatherman finally gets a gallery exhibit
This year’s Florida Music Festival kicks off Wednesday, April 15, with keynote speaker Jonathan Mayers, one of the original founders of Superfly Presents (co-creators of Bonnaroo, NBD). And while that’s huge news for those involved/interested in the industry/business side of things, there’s a quiet ancillary force that supports the scene that will finally be getting…
VIDEO: Watch Orlando rapper Niko Is’ new psychedelic video for “Vamoose”
Orlando’s own Niko Is has been keeping busy lately. Only two months into the year and he’s released his debut LP, Brutus, and is now embarking on a nationwide “The Peoples Champions” tour, alongside mentor Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique beginning Saturday, March 7. The Brazilian wordsmith is on the right path to make waves…
Holy guacamole! Jack White shows up in Lakeland to visit his Detroit Tigers
[View the story “Jack White in Florida” on Storify] Related Stories
Mixer Month is here: Sip and vote in 15 Orlando bars
If you missed last year’s Great Orlando Mixer, you’ve probably been kicking yourself all year. Worry not: Your chance to experience Orlando Weekly’s fantastic flapper-themed cocktail party has come around again. The Great Orlando Mixer kicks up its heels at downtown’s swanky Cheyenne Station at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 26. Lucky partiers will vote on…
Gov. Rick Scott finally stops fighting to force welfare applicants to take drug tests
After spending at least $300,000 of taxpayer money on legal expenses, Gov. Rick Scott is abandoning his fight to force welfare applicants to undergo mandatory drug tests. A federal appeals court ruled in December that the state’s mandatory, suspicion-less drug testing of applicants in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program is an…
Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls announce dates for 2015 season
The Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls, one of the first roller derby leagues to pull together their fishnets and neon tanks and take to the skate rinks in Orlando, has announced its 2015 season. The league, which has been in existence since 2009, has four teams: the Arkham Assailants, Serial Thrillers, Sunnyland Slammers and new…
UCF College Democrats organize rally to keep guns off campuses, despite the legislature’s intentions
Following a recent gunfire attack on the campus of Florida State University, Tallahassee campus sometimes-neighbor and “stand your ground” enthusiast state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, has been on something of a reverse-logic rampage to make certain that everybody on state college campuses is locked and loaded, because if they aren’t, well, it’s their fault if…
What consumer product do Floridians buy the most?
Look out, world. The Huffington Post and Yelp have teamed up on an incredible new project that tells you what the people of your state buy the most. And while you might find this shocking (doubtful), it turns out that Florida’s most purchased item is swimwear. Our people apparently buy that stuff up at at…
The tanks being filled at the new Sea Life attraction at I-Drive 360
While most of the attention surrounding I-Drive 360 has been on the massive Orlando Eye observation wheel (the largest observation wheel on the East Coast), the newest attraction complex coming to International Drive will also feature three other diversions. Skeletons, a museum of, well, skeletons; Madam Tussauds, a wax museum; and Sea Life aquarium will all…
New I-Drive Four Pass offers admission to four attractions for one price
As International Drive evolves and a number of massive new attractions are on track to open over the next two years (the announcement was just made that Skyfall, the world’s tallest drop-tower ride, will call I-Drive home in 2016; it’ll be located in the Skyplex, which will also feature the Polercoaster, which will be the…
Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus to retire its elephants
Earlier this year, when the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus came to town, Seth Kubersky asked readers: Can we indulge in innocent enjoyment of the Greatest Show on Earth, or is it time to leave the past behind? Care of the animal performers who are part of most circus acts has increasingly come under criticism,…
‘Rock Band 4’ convinces dorks they can play guitar in 2015
It’s time to grab some red solo cups and invite over some old fraternity buddies, because Harmonix is back to convince people that playing guitar is as easy as pressing five colored buttons! After a long vacation, Rock Band 4 was just announced for Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Even better, it’s coming out this…
Believe me: Lil Wayne is coming to Gilt Nightclub in March
Lil Wayne had kind of a rough 2014, struggling with his label Cash Money over Tha Carter V and making it up to fans with his Sorry 4 the Wait 2 mixtape, but in case you guys have been sleeping on Gilt Nightclub’s calendar, your wait to hear live hits already released from the controversial album…
King Kong attraction confirmed for Universal Orlando
King Kong’s return to Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando has been one of the worst-kept secrets of the theme park industry in recent memory. In fact, it was so poorly kept that executives at Comcast (Universal’s parent company) seemingly forgot themselves that it was still supposed to be a secret. In a conference call…
VIDEO: Highlights from Puppy Love Dog Festival
At Puppy Love Dog Festival, we invited pups from all over the city to join us for a day at the Acre, where treats and tricks aplenty lay in store for the perfect dog day. Watch the video above to see how much of a wagging success the event was, and check out our Puppy…
Lost in Trans-nation: Anti-trans bathroom bill clears committee
image via dailykos All of the symbolic caveats keep rolling in – that this is the next battle in the march toward LGBT equality, that the Florida Legislature surely has more to worry about than where people relieve themselves physically, that we’ve already achieved (as LGBT individuals) everything we need to with the advent of…
March 7: Welcome to the wonderful world of Wondermade marshmallows
Remember waaaaaay back in 2012 when we interviewed a pack of local up-and-coming artisans? Of course you do. You may even recall that one of our fab four small businesses was Wondermade, the Sanford-based husband-and-wife marshmallow company. We’ve written a fair bit about Jenn and Nathan Clark’s product since then (especially when fall rolls around…
Ways to show your Purple Pride, even if you didn’t get a ticket to Orlando City Soccer’s sold-out game
Orlando City Soccer has done it – they’ve sold out their first game as an MLS team, which means that if you don’t already have your ticket to the March 8 game, you’re probably out of luck (unless you want to buy season tickets – there are still a limited number of those left). But…
This Little Underground: Cursive, Beach Slang and Megafauna (The Social)
Cursive’s knotty conceit has, by now, etched this Saddle Creek pillar permanently into the indie rock pantheon, and they always do well in Orlando (Mar. 3, The Social). But the openers for the latest sell-out show offered glimpses into the near future. By far the brightest was Philadelphia’s Beach Slang. With some pedigree from underrated…
Something borrowed, something CUTE: French bulldog weds Boston terrier, see pics from the Orlando ceremony!
We celebrated our Puppy Love issue last month, because we love a good excuse to invite Orlando’s adorable dogs to the Acre for our Puppy Love Dog Festival since we launched the event in 2013. In the inaugural year, we asked Orlando citizens to enter their pets in a contest where locals voted on whose…
30 free concerts this week in Orlando (3/4-3/10)
This week of free concerts is basically brought to you by Harley Davidson of Orlando, whose Orlando Harley Bike Week means free concerts for seven days, featuring the Lacs, Dave Rankin, Donnie Lee and more. You can also find free music downtown for Wall Street Plaza Block Party. But for this music fan, the standout…
Trevi Pasta expands, Swine & Sons opens soon, changes at BB Junction, and four new eateries
Alexia Gawlak will be leaving her post as chef de cuisine at Siro Urban Italian Kitchen to join husband Rhys Gawlak at Swine & Sons. She will oversee S&S’s pastry and dessert offerings. College Park’s Trevi Pasta will open a second locale in the Publix plaza on Weldon Boulevard in Lake Mary. Plans call for…
We shake up an Old Pal, but our relationship is better for it
It’s always an iffy proposition to Remix a favorite. If I already love a drink, why mess with it? This is why, so far, you haven’t seen a Negroni Remix – the three-part harmony of Campari, gin and sweet red vermouth is so perfect, so simple, that there’s no percentage to changing it. Well, caveat:…
In A History of Water, Maya Lin applies architectural solutions to ecological problems
In the contemporary art scene, they don’t get much bigger than Maya Lin. Lin became widely known while still an undergraduate architecture student at Yale for winning the design competition for the Vietnam War memorial, to be built in Washington, D.C. in 1981. Her anti-celebratory monument inspired heated debate at the time, but has long…
Maya Lin’s elegiac sculptures and installations sing a requiem for the disappearing natural world
“My work is very quiet. I kind of like being almost so subtle that you might miss it if you aren’t paying attention.” In Orlando Weekly’s interview with the artist last month, Lin uttered this self-assessment, and I couldn’t disagree more. While her work is certainly subtle – even, to some eyes (not mine), austere…
Maya Lin’s liquid vision of power and tranquility is quietly radical
As a woman, it is obvious to me that Maya Lin’s work is informed by an essential feminism. At the very beginning of her career, in her iconic Vietnam War memorial, Lin refused to celebrate heroism. She offered us instead what could be considered a female artist’s vision, a memorial meant for those left behind,…
Lulu Eightball (3/4/15)
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Waiting for Buddy is a Beckettian experience, plus GOAT and Baggy Pants return with ‘The Elephant Man’
In last week’s Live Active Cultures column, I referenced Waiting for Godot in my review of Slava’s Snow Show at the Dr. Phillips Center. While I’ve seen Samuel Beckett’s seminal serio-comedy several times on Broadway (both with Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin, and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen) and even directed the play, I’d never…
This Modern World (3/4/15)
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‘Frank’ expresses more than his blank expression suggests
With a frighteningly blank expression, the title character of the British Independent Film Award-winning movie now streaming on Netflix, Frank, instills a childlike fascination in viewers who are as equally charmed and alarmed by his socially disarming persona as Frank’s enamored bandmates (including Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is surprisingly engrossing as the ticking time-bomb theremin player,…
How a bill doesn’t become law
On Feb. 23, Sen. Dwight Bullard (D-Cutler Bay) introduced a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana. Related Stories
Opening in Orlando: ‘Chappie,’ ‘What We Do in the Shadows,’ ‘Unfinished Business’ and more
Chappie: In which Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9 and Elysium, dishes out more of the socially relevant sci-fi. (Hey, remember when that phrase would have been redundant?) This time, the king of futuristic metaphors presents us with the case of Chappie, “the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.” And…
David Cronenberg’s new ‘Maps to the Stars’ is a different kind of living nightmare
Oh, did you have dreams of going to Hollywood, becoming a star and living happily ever after? Maps to the Stars will put an end to them. This is one of Canadian horror auteur David Cronenberg’s least trippy films, which makes it all too plausible as it looks askew at the living nightmares that are the…
Gov. Scott has had a series of unfortunate incidents when it comes to preserving records he was required to preserve
Quote of the Week: “As recounted above, the governor has had what can best be described as a series of unfortunate incidents when it comes to preserving records he was required by law to preserve.” – From an emergency motion filed on behalf of the First Amendment Foundation last week Over the past four years,…
We talk Cash Money scandals, weed and work ethic with Orlando rapper Caskey
Caskey’s Black Sheep mixtape forces you to turn the bass in your car as loud as it can go. It’s straight unadulterated heat. You might be taken aback on first listen. That might be the point. Caskey offers no apologies for what’s housed in his tape’s 11 tracks. Whereas the Orlando-area rapper used to question…
Picks This Week: Torche, Elton John, Generationals and more
Generationals Bouncy NOLA duo Generationals return on their 2014 release, Alix, which swims in the summery pop sensibilities we just love to lap up here in Florida. 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, at the Social, $10-$12 Aesop Rock with Rob Sonic, Homeboy Sandman Hail Mary Mallon (indie hip-hop poster child Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic and…
A look at some of rap’s biggest supergroups and their rock counterparts
Like its rock & roll cousin, the rap supergroup is something like a musical summer camp – participants emerge from their pre-existing careers to flex their creative muscles, bounce ideas and generally have fun. Hail Mary Mallon (indie hip-hop poster child Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic and DJ Abilities) hits the Social on Thursday, March 5, in support of…
Savage Love (3/4/15)
wife issues. lack of intimacy. cuckold, etc. need help I’m guessing you’re a straight guy and you’re interested in cuckolding – the kink where the wife sleeps with other men, and either she tells the husband about her adventures or she “forces” him to watch her with other men. Cuckolding can involve elements of humiliation…
Have a ball or two at the Meatball Shoppe
Don’t confuse the Meatball Shoppe with the Meatball Shop in New York City. Isabella Morgia di Vicari and Jeff Morgia’s Lake Underhill eatery is remarkably similar in concept to that baller Gotham franchise, but if the Meatball Shop is Batman, its Orlando counterpart is more like Captain Subtraction. Yes, less is more here – less…
Gimme Shelter (3/4/15)
This week’s featured pet is Stewy (Animal ID A312143). He’s a friendly 12-year-old white and “gold” Pekingese. Stewy was found as a stray and is in need of a new home. After last week’s viral dress controversy that almost broke the Internet, Stewy has asked us the question, “Wait, is my fur white and gold,…
This Little Underground: The Bunny the Bear unmasked
Those music heads rueful over the dissipation of the record club that convened monthly at Lil Indies – all dozen of us – take note that the Will’s Pub-Lil Indies complex has recently added a well-curated film component to its music culture menu. So far, they’ve screened well-chosen documentaries about the San Diego scene (It’s…
