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42 reasons you should attend the Orlando Beer Festival
From macros to micros, we’ll have them all on tap this weekend
Republican lawmakers want to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities” in Florida
A group of Republican state lawmakers want Florida to crack down on cities and counties that provide “sanctuary” for individuals illegally in the country. In one of a series of bills outlined Tuesday, government officials could face fines up to $5,000 a day for enacting policies or encouraging practices that could provide sanctuary to undocumented…
Nazi symbols and fliers being distributed on UCF campus
According to a story in UCF’s campus publication Knight News, campus police are investigating anti-Semitic stickers, fliers and literature that have recently been found on campus. A UCF newspaper box, which contained copies of the Central Florida Future, was one of the spots where the stickers turned up: A student also reported finding a flier…
The quest for Patti LaBelle’s sweet potato pie in Orlando is getting serious
Patti LaBelle is known for a lot of things: her hit “Lady Marmalade,” being designated as the Godmother of Soul and a 66-year musical career. And as of this weekend, LaBelle can now say she is the creator of the most hunted boxed pie in America. Patti LaBelle’s sweet potato pie has been flying off…
According to a recent study, Florida is filled with stupid people
Donald Trump, popular Republican candidate and guy who once said he would bone his daughter, is currently leading in the Florida polls, a state that is one of the dumbest in the nation according to a study from the Washington Post. The study came about after the Washington Post went out of its way…
Snap Space showcases Parisian artist Julien Nonnon’s giant animal portraits at ‘Wild Is the Wind’
Have you seen the History Channel series Life After People? It shows an Earth minus humankind, in which other species are left to inhabit the ruins of the world we created, and – through the magic of CGI – there are many scenes in which, say, flocks of housecats prowl city streets or herds of…
The ‘Dark Side of Disney’ guidebook becomes a documentary of the same name
Walt Disney World may seem like a family-friendly fantasyland where every unclean impulse is carefully controlled, but lurking literally beneath guests’ feet is an underground world of sex, drugs and debauchery. That’s the idea behind Leonard Kinsey’s best-selling 2011 guidebook, The Dark Side of Disney, which detailed ways to get into the parks for free,…
Soco celebrates one-year anniversary TONIGHT
It’s hard to imagine the Thornton Park dining scene without Greg Richie. Prior to opening Baoery, his new Asian gastropub, Richie impressed us with his re-do of Cityfish, which occupied the space since 2008. But it’s Soco – Richie’s paean to refined Dixie dining – that really wowed us when it opened its doors late last year. Soco…
Influential early hardcore band Negative Approach might burn down Will’s Pub Wednesday
Every hardcore fan knows that Negative Approach is like the overlooked ugly stepsister of hardcore royalty like Black Flag, Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, and every other band that gets a little more attention than these true early ’80s fire-starters. Heatseekers would be well advised to get to Will’s Pub for Negative Approach’s show this week,…
Authorities are investigating gun threats at Eastern Florida State College, campus is on lockdown
School officials at Eastern Florida State College’s campus in Cocoa, Florida, are advising students and faculty to stay indoors with doors locked, while threats of gun violence are being investigated by officials. A post on the school’s website reads, “Authorities are investigating reports of a suspect threatening gun violence on the College’s Cocoa Campus. Remain…
Former Orlando cop acquitted of criminal charges by jury
A six-person jury acquitted former Orlando police officer William Escobar of battery and perjury charges filed against him after he was accused of punching and kicking a handcuffed man, and then lying about it. The Orlando Sentinel reports the case centered around a cellphone video of Escobar using force on Refus Holloway, a former…
With the addition of a new parking garage at Mango’s, I-Drive’s Skyplex is one step closer to actually happening
With the addition of a new $14 million garage at Mango’s Tropical Cafe, I-Drive’s Skyplex is one step closer to actually happening. Over 600 spaces will be in the new Hollywood Plaza garage that will feature ground-level retail and a 10,257 sq. ft. rooftop. The garage will also include a glass-enclosed restaurant, an elevated walkway…
Gov. Rick Scott wants Congress to block Syrian refugees from coming to Florida
After terrorist attacks in Paris that left 129 dead and 352 wounded, Florida Gov. Rick Scott called for Congress to stop Syrian refugees from coming to the United States. In a letter to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Scott said Florida will not support the requests it has received…
Orlando City Council will vote to double amount of red light cameras
Big Brother meets Orlando in a potential red light camera expansion deal. While others are calling for red light camera removal, the Orlando City Council is scheduled to vote on a new deal today that could potentially double the amount of cameras monitoring streetlight activity. The push for more cameras is a result of their…
Logan’s Roadhouse is giving away free burgers today
We didn’t get the notification on this until nearly 2 p.m., so we’re a little late for today’s lunch crowd, but you’ve still got this evening and tomorrow (Nov. 16 and 17) to take advantage of the fact that Logan’s Roadhouse is giving away a free burgers and fries. All you have to do is…
Kissimmee B-Boy Victor Montalvo crowned Red Bull BC World Champion
Say hello to Victor Montalvo, the king of breakdancing. This past weekend, the 21-year-old Kissimmee-native headed to Rome to compete against sixteen of the world’s best breakdancers in the Red Bull BC One World Finals. Try as those other B-Boys may, but it was Montalvo who impressed the judges so much that he was crowned the…
25 years later: Lush’s ‘Gala’
On this week in 1990, 4AD compiled rising shoegaze band Lush’s three UK-only EPs, added a couple of bonus tracks, and released the results as Gala in the U.S. and Japan. 25 years later, those tracks are being compiled once again – along with everything else Lush recorded in their 11-year existence – as Chorus,…
Experience big things tonight at Elizabeth A. Baker’s Toy Piano Project
The next edition of the already forward-thinking music monthly the In-Between Series will be one of its most intriguing and innovative yet. St. Pete’s Elizabeth A. Baker is an avant-garde composer and pianist currently championing the obscure world of toy pianos through her technological eye. Baker’s studious zeal for this instrument will unfold across works…
You have until December to say goodbye to Universal’s Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue
Universal Studios confirmed earlier this year that the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue would be closing ahead of the new Fast and the Furious ride that would be replacing both Beetlejuice show and the Disaster ride. A petition to save the show gained 1,600 signatures but was unsuccessful. Dec. 2 is now the last day of operations…
Florida mosques report threats in wake of recent terror attacks
According to the Florida chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, some Florida mosques have reported receiving harassing and threatening phone calls after terrorists opened fire on crowds in Paris this weekend. The organization says that the Islamic Center of St. Petersburg received a phone call early on Saturday morning, in which the caller…
This is what it’s like to live in The Villages as a young person
Daniel Shelley is reporting from his grandma’s house in The Villages, the real life Stepford of Florida for retirees. The only thing is Daniel Shelley is not retired. In fact, Daniel Shelley has been very busy documenting how weird it is to live in the largest retirement community in the country. Check out this video below and follow…
Meet the Republican super fans at Friday’s Orlando Sunshine Summit
The Republican presidential candidates converged at the Sunshine Summit in Orlando on Friday to convince Florida’s GOP voters to pretty please pick them to be the Republican candidate for president. While their speeches were interesting, the candidates were predictable (OK, maybe except Donald Trump). Most supporters at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel were dressed in…
Olive Garden has gone full stoner and is serving breadstick pizza this Saturday
Why choose between pizza and breadsticks when you can have both at the same time, maaan? Olive Garden will put a breadstick pizza on the menu this Saturday, a move that completes its gradual and inevitable transition from “Italian” cuisine to full on stoner food. The Orlando-based chain will also offer a cheese-stuffed meatball…
Kissimmee b-boy Victor Montalvo will compete in the Red Bull BC World Finals Saturday
Those who say you can’t make a living out of breakdancing clearly haven’t met Victor Montalvo. Following back-to-back wins at the Red Bull BC One North American finals, the 21-year-old Kissimmee-native is on the cusp of breakdancing greatness. Montalvo is currently at the Red Bull BC World Finals in Rome and has the chance to…
This alligator ate a University of Florida couple’s picnic with zero remorse
Last Wednesday, a hungry alligator decided to barge his way into a University of Florida couple’s afternoon by eating an entire sandwich and ruining a picnic with zero remorse. According to WUFT, Richard Reed Jr. recorded the incident at Lake Alice in Gainesville, Florida. Reed told the station the gator finished the sandwich and was…
Orlando Police say they may have arrested The Baldwin Park flasher
The Orlando Police department say they’ve arrested the serial exhibitionist who’s been terrorizing Baldwin Park for the past couple weeks. Last week, according to WKMG, a woman was walking her dog along New Broad Street when claims she saw a man expose himself at the CVS. The woman later told OPD she recognized the flasher…
4 places to buy your Thanksgiving turkey this year
Do yourself a favor this Thanksgiving if you’re hosting the main meal: Buy the Main Event. Honestly, roasting a turkey is not that biggadeal, but the stress and time you’ll spend basting and checking and turning and tenting and all that jive is sometimes worth spending a little scratch so you can focus on more…
American Heart Association at odds with Orlando’s smoking policies
The American Heart Association is drawing a line in the sand when it comes to Orlando and its smoking laws. The AHA just hosted its annual Scientific Sessions convention at the Orange County Convention Center, which profited about $67 million for Orlando’s economy, according to Channel 9. However, beginning Jan. 1, 2017, the AHA won’t…
Author & Punisher punishes with one of the most extraordinary setups ever (Will’s Pub)
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND I have a bit of a thing for horror. Always have. But there’s an attendant camp that seems to follow it around like an unshakable toilet-paper streamer on the heel. Fuck that shit. I’m into true horror so, if it crosses into camp, it’s just comedy to me. Thankfully, there was no…
Orlando musicians join Have Gun, Will Travel to perform ‘The Last Waltz’ in Tampa
If you’re able to get away for the night next Thursday, Nov. 19, you might want to consider a jaunt to Tampa’s Crowbar to check out their Reel Deal Thursday event that features a screening of The Last Waltz followed by a special performance of The Band’s complete concert as revived by celebrated folk heroes Have Gun,…
Judge Mathis, community leaders push to ‘ban the box’ at FAMU forum
Anyone who’s ever stayed up late watching season reruns of Judge Greg Mathis knows his theme introduction by heart. “I was raised in the streets,” Mathis starts. “Arrested several times as a kid. But I didn’t give up. I went from jail to judge in 15 years.” The transition sounds simple, but Mathis told listeners…
Thirty music acts take over Mills Avenue for the annual Music on Mills party Saturday
Same old cause, same old fun. The four gatekeepers of the Mills 50 District – Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquor, Will’s Pub, BART and St. Matthew’s Tavern – will be working a hard day’s night this Saturday as they host the second annual Music on Mills festival. But they don’t just work a hard day’s night.…
Witness the union of art and craft at Factur for Art Uprising this Saturday
No small amount of fuss was made during Factur’s soft opening last year. It was the vanguard of the so-called maker movement here in Orlando, a putative manufacturing revolution that centered around the kind of grassroots, high-tech industrial initiatives made possible by affordable 3D printing. So it should come as no surprise that a place…
Get lit at Lil Indies as three female-driven zines collaborate on one big release party
The DIY zine scene is thriving in Orlando, particularly in the area of zines created by women. Tittie-Thyme, a zine created by a collective of talented ladies, is known as much for their entertaining hodgepodge of art, poetry, fiction and non-fiction as they are for their fun release parties featuring live music, readings, raffles and…
Lewis Black has plenty to vent about at Hard Rock Live on Sunday
Righteous indignation has always been Lewis Black’s schtick, and the comedian has plenty to work with these days. From the presidential race to mass shootings to police brutality, there’s ample material in headlines lately to rile up Black. We’re glad that his “Back in Black” segment still lives on in the post-Jon Stewart Daily Show…
Sample over 200 beers with us at the Orlando Beer Festival this Saturday
We might be a tiny bit biased, because this event is our own, but the Orlando Beer Festival is where you should be this Saturday. Touting itself as the beer festival Orlando deserves, the event will feature your favorite local craft beer, breweries and beer bars, all the way from Sarasota to Titusville. But what’s…
Develop a #grownladycrush on Maria Callas during ‘Master Class’ at the Dr. Phillips Center this weekend
There was a hashtag on Twitter last week, #grownladycrush, that trended briefly after being mentioned on NPR. And after everyone got done nominating their moms and grandmas, some pretty admirable ladies were named: Elizabeth Warren, Gloria Steinem, Emmylou Harris. But there was something missing among the worthy women, a certain lack of badassery, that could’ve…
Some of Orlando’s parking meters may have a glitch that causes them to zero out
The sleek new Orlando parking meters allow users to pay with debit and credit card or by cellphone, but none of that really matters if some of them randomly show a zero balance no matter how much money you pump into it. According to a report by WFTV, an Orlando resident Jonathan Pickerl complained about…
Palm Beach Gardens Police fires officer who killed drummer
Almost four weeks after Palm Beach Gardens Police Officer Nouman Raja shot and killed Corey Jones, Raja was fired by the police department Wednesday. A popular drummer, Jones was killed while waiting for a tow truck on the side of a Palm Beach County road after his car broke down around 3:15 a.m. Raja, who…
The Republican presidential wannabes are coming to Orlando tomorrow
Tomorrow (Nov. 13), the GOP brings its traveling roadshow to Orlando for the Sunshine Summit, a fun-filled two-day event at which the Republican presidential candidates will meet with Florida’s elected officials to talk about zero-base budgeting and abolishing the IRS and repealing Obamacare and other such issues that have been all the soundbyte rage in…
Prohibition’s end: Outpost Neighborhood Kitchen debuts full liquor bar
Getting a liquor license in this town isn’t an easy task. Just ask the piles of restaurants who have submitted application after application just to be turned down because of some error or some oversight. Also, $$$$. But there’s no denying that cocktail culture is here to stay, so if a place like Outpost Neighborhood…
Florida is considering allowing hunting in all state parks
Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection is considering allowing hunting as an activity in every state park, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The news comes from a two-page “Potential Park Activities/Facilities” checklist that park planners use to review park management plans and see what can be allowed in the park system, the Times says. Before, the…
Here’s what I-Drive might look like in the next 25 years
At the Orange County Board of Commissioners’ meeting earlier this month, the Orange County Planner Alberto Vargas presented the I-Drive Vision Plan. While the plan lays out the district vision for the next 25 years no specific projects are a part of it. The vision breaks down the district into 7 sub-districts, each with a…
‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ at Dr. Phillips is theatrical comfort food
Orlando is the princess capital of the world, so it’s no wonder that Cinderella’s opening night at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts drew a capacity crowd in a city built around her castle. But it’s a little surprising to see the audience embrace a musical made not in Disney’s image, but Rodgers…
Mysterious electronic producer Slow Magic brings fresh bounce to the Social Thursday
Mystery shrouds electronic producer Slow Magic, who wears a colorful mask when he elevates the dancefloor with his tricky twists. His 2014 release, How to Run Away, pushes his “Serenity Now!” style with fresh bounce and curious craft (a nurturing reminder to listeners that you can be chill without being braindead). Critics applauded Slow Magic’s…
Justin Bieber coming to Amway Center, if you can beliebe it
Orlando, you better start taking your vitamins because come June there won’t be anywhere for you to hide from the Bieber-fever. In support of his fourth album Purpose, Justin Bieber will be embarking on a 58-show tour, which makes a stop at the Amway Center on Thursday, June 30. Ticket prices start at $47.50 with…
Helicopter captures footage of an Orlando ‘fight club’ in a Winn-Dixie parking lot
An Orlando Police helicopter recently captured infrared footage of what authorities are calling a “fight club,” in a Winn-Dixie grocery store parking lot. The video shows a pair of young men punching and grappling with each other as onlookers watch. According to WESH, when units arrived on the scene, the suspects scattered and one man…
28 free concerts this week in Orlando (11/11-11/17)
Wednesday, Nov. 11 Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints of Truth 10 p.m. at Lil Indies, 1036 N. Mills Ave. The Mellow Relics 10:30 p.m. at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Orlando Music Group Open Jam 10:45 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Tavern, 1300 N. Mills Ave. Pixielation Unplugged (Pixies Tribute) 9 p.m. at the Imperial at Washburn Imports,…
Watch this extremely drunk man climb Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion
Last night, a drunk man decided to scale Epcot ‘s Mexico Pavilion, an incredibly climbable structure that has tempted drunks for years. According to WKMG, the inevitable climb happened during the Food & Wine Festival and was filmed by Robert Leininger– who, for some reason– stopped filming before the climber reached the top. Witnesses told…
Fight for $15 protest took over downtown Orlando
With chants and songs, protesters fighting for a $15 living wage and a union took over Orlando’s Orange Avenue as they marched toward City Hall. The Orlando rally joined other protests across the country on Tuesday highlighting the struggles of workers to put food on the table and make ends meet with Florida’s minimum wage,…
Federal judge throws out Valencia College lawsuit over transvaginal ultrasounds
When female sonography students filed a lawsuit in May against Valencia College for allegedly browbeating them to undergo weekly transvaginal ultrasounds, the news made national headlines. The school came under fire after students said if they didn’t volunteer for the procedure, which involves inserting a probe into the vagina to look at reproductive organs, they…
Ash vs. Evil Dead proves that 30 years later, the Evil Dead franchise still has what it takes
There’s a moment when you’re watching the pilot for Ash vs. Evil Dead (airing as a Starz original series) when you accept that it just isn’t going to capture the majesty of the classic Evil Dead 2. How could it? There was a charm in that rawness and grit that could only come from a…
A reader sent us this hilarious short story about the accidental shooting at the Sanford Cracker Barrel
Lookin’ down the barrel of a cracker
“Chef-driven” North Quarter Tavern is on the right track
Steered straight
Selections: Our picks of the week’s best events, Nov. 11-17
Slow Magic Thursday, 12 MUSIC Mystery shrouds electronic producer Slow Magic, who wears a colorful mask when he elevates the dancefloor with his tricky twists. His 2014 release, How to Run Away, pushes his “Serenity Now!” style with fresh bounce and curious craft (a nurturing reminder to listeners that you can be chill without being…
The Feast of Fonzo is coming up, 13 restaurant openings and more in local foodie news
What’s the hold-up? Armando’s Cucina Italiana & Pizzeria, which has been looking to open in a ground-floor space at the Wellesley in College Park, appears to be having issues with the condo association and their reluctance for Armando’s wood-burning pizza oven. Also in College Park, Outpost Neighborhood Kitchen is now serving full liquor. We reported in August that…
Savage Love (11/11/15)
I’m a hetero guy in need of advice. Back in college, I met this girl. She was into me but I had some shit to work through. We ended up being a missed connection, romantically. Despite that, we became fast friends. I’m less awkward now, in large part because our friendship changed my life. We…
Free Will Astrology (11/11/15)
ARIES (March 21-April 19) “I demand unconditional love and complete freedom,” wrote Slovenian poet Toma Šalamun. “That is why I am terrible.” In accordance with the astrological omens, I’m offering you the chance, at least temporarily, to join Šalamun in demanding unconditional love and complete freedom. But unlike him, you must satisfy one condition: Avoid…
Gimme Shelter (11/11/15)
Love to talk? So does Haley! She’s a friendly 1-year-old kitty who loves to converse. Haley is very agile. She can jump up high onto windowsills and she does it so gracefully. Haley also enjoys being held and petted. Her favorite is getting scratched under her chin. She is litterbox trained and an all-around great…
The Dr. Phillips Center and Artegon Marketplace both hit their one-year anniversaries, plus more performing arts news
Two very different Orlando arts venues both observe their one-year anniversaries in the coming days. Downtown’s Dr. Phillips Center celebrates its first birthday by welcoming the 2015-2016 Fairwinds Broadway Series, which kicks off Nov. 10-15 with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, followed by Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas Dec. 8-13. Other recently announced shows…
This Modern World (11/11/15)
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Deafheaven “This record is more based on George’s woes of adulthood,” says Deafheaven guitarist Shiv Mehra. “Coping with finally growing up and having to deal with life’s real circumstances. But that reflects on all of us. We were short on time and under some pressure to make New Bermuda, so it was a lot more…
This Little Underground: The Sh-Booms reload with new singer Mizz Bren
Losing a front figure is a perilous thing for a band. And when you’re talking about one as incandescent and defining as the Sh-Booms’ original singer Emily Patterson, it’s something from which most acts never recover. I first saw the freshly reloaded version of the local retro-soul syndicate a couple months ago, but that was…
Pumpkin chunkin’: A selection of seasonal craft beers that aren’t pumpkin
It seems like pumpkin season comes earlier every year. While this might be great news if your name is Linus van Pelt, for seasoned craft beer imbibers, it’s old hat. If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of pumpkin beer by Aug. 18, and yet you can hardly turn around without someone shoving some cloying,…
Art and life intertwine when artists welcome audiences into their own homes
With constant news about the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and its planned acoustic hall and the Orlando Museum of Art’s potential relocation, it sometimes seems like Central Florida’s arts community is obsessed with impressive venues. But it’s equally possible – preferable, even – to put on a show or exhibit without a…
Tallahassee’s Ex-Breathers blast forward on ‘Past Tense’
Ex-Breathers Past Tense (Exploding In Sound/Hex Records) The careening explosiveness at the heart of Tallahassee’s Ex-Breathers’ hardcore is its necessarily defining feature. While some may have thought the whirlwind attack of their ExBx 7-inch from last fall (12 songs in 11 minutes) may have seemed like a gimmick, the truth is that this is a band…
Opening in Orlando: The 33, By the Sea, Love the Coopers and My All American
The 33 This reality-based drama tells the story of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped underground for 69 days back in 2010. (See, the title 2010 was already taken, and a picture called 69 would probably have trouble getting booked into family multiplexes.) Antonio Banderas plays miner Mario Sepulveda, known to his fellows as…
A brief tour of Virginia Drive, Orlando’s newest neigh-brew-hood
Virginia’s for beer lovers
The high life: An ode to cheap beer
I’m a lucky man, for most often my wallet and taste buds agree. With beer, my alcoholic vice of choice, the pair decides in favor of the cheap stuff. There’s never been a miserly joy like the fool’s gold hue and feeble head of a $2 tallboy cracked open at an arctic temperature. Plus, a…
Brewery or bust: 29 Florida microbreweries for your next staycation
We’re big fans of the staycation here at the Weekly. Why spend all that money to pack up and go to some far-flung locale when there are so many adventures waiting close to home? For instance, you could have yourself a lost weekend – you could probably have a whole lost week – touring the…
