Live music fans in Orlando are really in a prime position right now. Besides an ever-increasing flow of touring acts, even more impressively, there’s no shortage of new and exciting local music to turn on to this year, with new faces and established veterans mixing it up and sharing ideas, to make for an ever…
With the 2018 legislative session still more than a month away, gun-related measures might have died Tuesday in the state Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee, which has been a stumbling block in recent years for Second Amendment-related bills, narrowly rejected proposals that sought to allow Floridians with concealed-weapons licenses to carry firearms up to the…
In one fell swoop, Disney will own the rights to X-Men, Deadpool, Fantastic Four, Alien and Predator, as well as National Geographic and Fox’s share in Hulu. CNBC reported today that the company is nearing in on closing a $60 billion deal with 21st Century Fox. The deal would acquire most of Fox’s assets and leave…
On Monday, the anti-LGBTQ organization Liberty Counsel filed a suit in federal court against the city of Tampa for prohibiting the use of gay conversion therapy for minors. The hard-line conservative, evangelical group based in Maitland alleges a violation of their First Amendment rights, deriving from Tampa City Council’s unanimous decision to adopt Ordinance 2017-47 back…
Great news, everybody – Congress is finally getting around to talking about gun control after the Sutherland Springs (and Las Vegas and Orlando and and San Bernardino and Charleston and Newtown and Aurora) shootings. The bad news: Their take on gun control seems to be “let’s loosen up what little control we have over guns.”…
Those craving Caro-bama’s barbecue won’t need to search for the food truck’s location. The popular food truck has officially announced an opening date for its brick-and-mortar location in the North Quarter. As reported by The Daily City, Caro-bama will open up shop in the North Quarter Market, which is located below the NORA apartment building at…
The federal government’s ongoing investigation into whether or not Russia meddled in the 2016 election has cost taxpayers $7 million over the last five months, which is about equal to Trump visiting his Florida resort two times. According to the Department of Justice, Robert Mueller’s probe has racked up $3.2 million in costs, and another…
A snake hunter who currently holds the title for catching the largest Burmese python in Florida bagged another record-breaking serpent this past week. Last Friday, Dec. 1, Jason Leon captured a 17-foot, 132-pound female Burmese python, the largest in the South Florida Water Management District’s ongoing hunt. Related While last week’s catch is big (taller than…
Emo-punk godfather Chris Carrabba is taking his Dashboard Confessional project out on the road next year and will be playing Orlando as part of a larger North American tour. The band announced their “We Fight 2018” tour that will start in Texas in March, in support of their first album in eight years, Crooked Shadows. Dashboard…
Twelve Orlando police officers headed to Puerto Rico on Monday to help as the island recovers from the destruction left by Hurricane Maria. Deputy Chief Orlando Rolon says officers will be headed to the Carolina and San Juan areas to help Puerto Rican authorities direct traffic and assist with patrol shifts. “They’re still struggling when…
Grammy-nominated electronic duo Odesza have announced dates for their 2018 “A Moment Apart Tour” and an Orlando date is in the mix. The twosome have expanded on their initial EDM experiments to widespread commercial acclaim (Time Magazine loves ’em!) and have leveraged their own fame into helping other musicians with the Foreign Family Collective label.…
Gov. Rick Scott’s administration is demanding answers from Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala on her death-penalty review after a missed deadline on a capital case. The letter from Scott’s general counsel Daniel Nordby is the latest in the public feud between Scott and Ayala that was ignited in March after Ayala declared she wouldn’t be pursuing the death penalty during…
We are now officially entering the Heupel era at UCF. This morning University of Central Florida Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Daniel J. White announced that Josh Heupel (pronounced hype-ill) will take over as the new head football coach. Heupel, a former quarterback at Oklahoma in 2000, was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at…
A resident of St. Cloud, Florida, is looking for answers after his home security cameras caught some derelict savagely beating the shit out of his inflatable snowman decoration. Homeowner Justin Rayburn, who Fox 35 labeled as a “snowman vandalism victim,” released the footage on his Facebook account last weekend, saying the incident occurred on Saturday,…
In SODO sits one of the last unique McDonald’s in Central Florida. The region used to be filled with these oddly decorated McDonald’s, but soon we’ll have one less. The SODO at 2504 S. Orange Ave. is currently going through the permitting process with the city to have the 1988 building demolished and replaced by…
An increasingly toxic battle over a Senate staffer’s allegations of sexual harassment by Sen. Jack Latvala is intensifying, with lawyers on both sides hurling accusations of intimidation, the staffer hiring a security guard to protect her in the Capitol and her attorney asking for a special prosecutor. Rachel Perrin Rogers, the chief district legislative assistant…
Allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct continued to send shock waves through the Capitol on Monday, as an appointee of Gov. Rick Scott to the state’s utility-regulatory board withdrew from the job after an influential senator accused him of manhandling her at a charity event last year. Ritch Workman, a former state House member who…
If you haven’t seen Lady Bird yet – even though it’s surpassed Toy Story 2’s record on Rotten Tomatoes for the most consecutive “Fresh” reviews and zero “Rotten” reviews – you’re in luck. The Enzian is holding over Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut for another week, until Thursday, Dec. 14. The film, starring Saoirse Ronan (whose…
A recent study ranks Orlando as one of the least safe cities in the U.S., because nothing screams holiday cheer like crime statistics. The study, from the financial site Wallethub, compared 182 U.S. cities, with Orlando coming in as the seventh least safe city at No. 176. The study analyzed cities across three major categories:…
The move in itself was seemingly inevitable, something UCF football fans had seen coming from a mile away (or at least since last week): Orlando’s freshly minted son is going home to Lincoln, Nebraska. On Saturday, as the UCF Knights headed into the second overtime period in what would lead to an eventual win in…
Florida’s first Puerto Rican supermarket chain opened a store in Kissimmee this past weekend. El Nuevo Día reports Willer Vélez, who owns the Willer’s Cash & Carry chain on the island, debuted Willer’s SuperMarket at 1344 E. Vine St. on Dec. 3. The Puerto Rican newspaper reports Vélez, 29, is supplying products from the island that many boricuas…
Welcome to the Sunshine State, where the tourists and elderly flock, the beaches are idyllic, and the animals like their bourbon. A female opossum was found in a Fort Walton Beach liquor store shelf next to a broken and empty bottle of bourbon. The critter was taken to Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge by a Fort…
Walt Disney World is getting a ton of new attractions over the next few years but a major new expansion was announced for another Disney resort, and it might mean big things for WDW. According to numerous business news sites in Japan, Tokyo Disneyland’s parent, the Oriental Land Company (OLC), is close to announcing a…
Florida will probably be the most caffeinated state in the country today. Dunkin’ Donuts is giving out free iced coffee to Florida residents at select Florida locations. The coffee chain is celebrating the end of a particularly difficult hurricane season, when Dunkin’ locations were forced to close and store hours were modified. This is part…
After months of buildout, the folks at Lineage Coffee Roasting finally opened their new Colonial Drive outpost last weekend, and it’s a looker indeed. The new spot opened Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1011 E. Colonial Drive (next to Lazy Moon and Snap! Space) and is a welcomed addition to the Mills 50 neighborhood, which has…
Undocumented students from the University of Central Florida staged a short sit-in Monday morning at U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s office in downtown Orlando before being kicked out. The immigrant youth want the Republican senator to vote against any omnibus spending bill that does not include “clean” DREAM Act for DACA recipients. DACA, or Deferred Action for…
Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown, a Democrat whose former district included the Jacksonville area, has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years probation, the AP reports. Earlier this year, in May, Brown was convicted on 18 of 22 charges brought against her, including fraud, lying on her tax returns and lying on her congressional…
Last weekend four guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom decided it would be a good idea to climb the Tree of Life, which is an extremely off-limits but very scalable attraction. On Sunday afternoon, Twitter user Nick Cucerzan posted about the incident. “You guys thought drunk people climbing the Mexico Pavilion was bad? Apparently 4 people tried to…
Epcot is in the very early stages of a massive overhaul that will see new cutting-edge rides based around Ratatouille, Guardians of the Galaxy and possibly Coco. Disney has already confirmed a new film in the China pavilion and a complete reimagining of Future World. With a rumored cost of $2.2 billion, there are likely many…
Australian electro-pop project Cut Copy stops into the Plaza Live this week for a night of bleeps, blips and bass. The group’s hit single “Lights & Music” was all over the place back in ’08, and chances are it still gets stuck in your head from time to time. Cut Copy is touring on their…
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 Trails. Trails are playing The Grand Collab at Will’s Pub on Dec. 9 with D II & Deaf To The Industry, Deaf Poets, and Table For Three. Just the facts:…
Legendary Maryland doom metal trio the Obsessed are a late, but very welcome entrant to the crowded slate of prime late-2017 shows, and a bit of a coup for Endoxa Booking. The band, led by singer-guitarist Scott “Wino” Weinrich (also of Saint Vitus ill-repute), are touring behind both new album Sacred and a reissue of…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Poptone and Geneva Jacuzzi, The Beacham, Dec. 1 There’s little dignity in being a tribute act, even if – or maybe especially if – it’s yourself you’re playing. But when your two leading figures were members of not one but three legendary post-punk bands, well, the calculation changes a bit. Such is…
For at least one more weekend, the lights are on at Spectrum Stadium and UCF head football Scott Frost is still home, with an opportunity to lead his team into the American Athletic Conference Championship game on Saturday. Be that as it may, though, that hasn’t stopped Floridians and college football nerds alike from getting…
When it comes to red meat for liberals, there’s a lot less to choose from than the conservatives have got. Air America tanked. CurrentTV crashed. And despite new host Trevor Noah, even though it’s not the Snarky White Guy stronghold it once was, The Daily Show is, ironically, a pale shadow of its former self.…
Orlando’s craft beer scene just got a little more stout. Ellipsis Brewing, in Southeast Orlando, is open and pouring cold ones. Just north of Orlando International Airport at 7500 TPC Blvd., the upstart craft brewery has already gained the favor of many a local beer aficionado, and earlier this month they brought their tasty peanut-butter…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Vacancy, Witchbender, Uh and Throwin Up, Will’s Pub, Nov. 29 Having just started booking shows at Will’s Pub this past summer, Bad Balloon – the working moniker of local artist Josiah Wess – is the newest name to watch on the city’s promoter landscape. Of all the usually indie-minded Bad Balloon productions…
Today the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida announced that their search for a new executive director has ended happily with the hire of George Wallace. Wallace, former executive director of Orlando Fringe Festival, left the city to take the post of associate director of IndyFringe in Indianapolis. But he’s still got roots here, and…
As part of World AIDS Day, take in a showing of Alternate Endings, Radical Beginnings on Sunday. The film, screening in the Orlando Museum of Art SunTrust Auditorium, is part of the annual Day With(out) Art, an observance of the disproportionate toll taken on the art world by the disease. This year, video works by Mykki…
So long as the weather outside isn’t frightful, this collaborative holiday performance just might be delightful. Songs of the Season brings together Full Sail’s music production wonks and the talented instrumentalists, vocalists and dancers of Rollins College, as well as local teen-team Docs & Dellas and other Orlando-area artists. It’s all held on the front…
The West Art District over in Parramore has brought an explosion of color and vibrance to the all-too-often neglected neighborhood. This weekend, they celebrate their success with a block-party open house that offers visitors the chance to see renowned graffiti artists paint live murals while B-boys and -girls compete in a breakdancing competition and live…
On a sunny Friday morning, with the Orange County Courthouse as a backdrop, Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill stepped in front of reporters to announce she will press charges against recently terminated firefighter and paramedic Joshua Granada. The press conference was Hill’s first time to publicly comment on the Aug. 27 incident at the DoubleTree…
Rising young R&B star Miguel has announced the dates for his 2018 “War and Leisure” tour – supporting his ambitious and incredible new album of the same name – and Orlando is one of the stops. The singer, whose ambitious music garners comparisons to Prince, last opened dates on Sia’s “Nostalgic for the Present,” but…
Tonight is Orlando’s only opportunity to experience “All Healing Lines,” a live audiovisual work by Alex Clements and Kate Shults in which textures of video and ambient music ally to “emulate the suspended, introspective moments” of the healing process. Since committing to a collaboration in September, musician Clements and moving image artist Shults have worked…
National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer launched a campaign this week to purge Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente from a case that could have far-reaching implications for the makeup of the court. Hammer, long an influential figure in Tallahassee and a former president of the national gun-rights group, sent an email alert Wednesday morning…
Just two days after Disney released a trailer for the upcoming and extremely hyped Avengers: Infinity War, Universal decided to remind everyone they still own the East Coast theme park rights to Marvel characters by debuting a new dinner experience. Yes, with great power comes great usage rights. Universal’s shadow of Marvel is a little…
In addition to being everyone’s favorite party spring, Wekiva Island is one of the few places in Florida where you can stand under snow flurries … in your shorts. Winter Wonderland at Wekiva Island starts today and continues through Dec. 30. Today’s fake-freezing events include snow flurries and a snow slide, and the month includes…
Roberto Treviño, the man who battled Mario Batali on Iron Chef America, is poised to open his Nuevo Latino restaurant, El Buda, inside the Bumby Arcade on Church Street next week. In addition to making some impressive changes to the space, Treviño changed the name of the restaurant from Buda Libre to El Buda to…
Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday said Sen. Jack Latvala, under investigation after being accused of sexually harassing a legislative aide and others, is a “distraction” but stopped short of saying the veteran Republican lawmaker should resign. Latvala, 66, has been accused by several women of groping and making unwelcome remarks about their bodies. Senate aide…
Orlando Rep. Darren Soto, with other Congressional Democrats, is pushing for legislation that would hopefully, and finally, give Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands the help they need. On Tuesday, more than two months after Hurricane Maria and Irma’s eyes passed over Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Soto and Reps. Stacy Plaskett,…
Billy Manes’ husband, Tony Mauss, launched a fundraiser Thursday to raise money for the creation of an Orlando tribute mural in honor of the late icon. Manes was a writer, activist and longtime columnist for Orlando Weekly, and later editor-in-chief at the local LGBTQ paper Watermark. He left a Billy-sized hole in our hearts when he…
Local food show “The Brunch Bros” have finally reached signature beer status, and will be hosting a special party in honor of their new bacon and waffle stout by Deadly Sins Brewing. The “Brunch Bros Brunch Beer” release party is co-hosted by ForkOrlando and will be held at Deadly Sins Brewing Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m.…
Yesterday, at 2:58 p.m., 101.9 AMP ended its run in Orlando by playing Taylor Swift’s “Endgame,” a fitting end for one of Orlando’s better pop radio stations. The station, known for playing Top 100 Billboard hits and a decent amount of Spanish pop songs, quietly switched over at 3 p.m. to an “alternative” format and…
A long, strange trip is about to get even stranger when Dead & Company – a group featuring Grateful Dead Survivors Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by once again by singer-songwriter John Mayer (?!?) – rolls into Orlando next week, for what’s sure to be a marathon run through the group’s formidable back…
With hundreds of lives lost and billions in damage, the 2017 hurricane season is finally officially over. The record-breaking season saw the most activity in the Atlantic since 2005, with 17 named storms. The three major storms of the 2017 season, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, all reached Category 4 and occurred within a month…
Brooklynn Prince, who plays 6-year-old Moonee in The Florida Project, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to discuss her film and the use of profanity in her role, specifically flipping the bird. The adorable second-grader admitted when she had to use the middle finger in her scenes she initially used the wrong one. Then…
While it’s not a trafficpocalypse on the order of some crazy downtown Orlando weekends, getting around Winter Park won’t be easy this weekend thanks to various holiday events. If you had gift shopping in mind, consider your route and your parking options carefully. Here are the road closures due to holiday events announced by the City…
Several of the city’s field offices are temporarily without communication access after fiber optic and backup lines were severed earlier this morning, according to an email from the Office of Communications and Neighborhood Relations. Included within the powerless grid are Fire Station 1, the Central Garage (Parking Division main offices), Streets and Stormwater, Solid Waste,…
A ban on state support for religious groups would be removed from the Florida Constitution under a proposal approved Wednesday by a Constitution Revision Commission panel. In a 5-1 vote, the commission’s Declaration of Rights Committee endorsed a measure (Proposal 4) that would eliminate the Constitution’s so-called “no-aid” provision, which prohibits public funding “directly or…
Gov. Rick Scott’s mandate that all assisted living facilities have generators and 96 hours of backup fuel will cost the industry about $280 million, according to estimates published Wednesday by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Because the majority of residents in assisted living facilities are “self pay” and don’t rely on Medicaid, the providers…
The Milk District’s best British pub celebrates three decades in business this week. Stop in for a pull of the best Guinness in town and enjoy a rare sight at the B&B: a live DJ and dancing. Anyone who’s ever broken their ankle trying to get to the bar during a packed comedy night will…
This is a dream come true for goths and alt-rockers “of a certain age” and darkly inclined young’uns: Poptone is Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets and Tones on Tail – joined by the musical shot-in-the-arm that is Haskins’ daughter Diva Dompé on bass – running through the greatest moments of…
Peppinos Organic Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria opened today in the Hourglass District, marking another step toward Orlando’s transition into a serious pizza town. The farm-to-table Italian restaurant announced that they will be in soft-opening mode for the next 30 days, so please chill with the Yelp reviews. The new spot, located at 2420 Curry Ford…
On Monday, as last-minute Turkey Day travelers dragged their feet en route to catch their final flight, the Orlando International Airport tweeted that a tiny kitten had somehow led itself astray on airport property. Luckily, MCO’s wildlife team was quick to respond, and within hours, the wee furry one had a new home with one…
Finally, a stairway to heaven the rock gods can be proud of. As part of a (much) larger $ 1.5 billion expansion of their Hollywood location, Seminole Hard Rock announced plans to open a new, eye-catching 450-foot “guitar tower” in 2019. Already a centerpoint in Hard Rock’s global casino empire, the Hollywood-area hotel’s planned expansion…
Orlando’s second medical marijuana dispensary finally opened this Tuesday. Trulieve, a licensed medical cannabis provider, held a grand opening yesterday for its 13th dispensary in Florida at 4544 N. Orange Blossom Trail in the Lake Fairview neighborhood. The Orlando City Council approved a Trulieve location before the Florida Legislature implemented their latest rules regarding the regulation…
State Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, has filed a bill that would completely abolish daylight saving time in Florida. If passed, Steube’s proposed bill, SB 858, would make it so that the entire state of Florida remains on standard time year-round. Florida would then join Hawaii and Arizona as the only states that don’t observe daylight…
Choza de Margarita, in the Mexican Pavilion at Epcot, is open and ready for business. Under the shade of its thatched roof and vaguely Aztec decor you’ll find plenty of tasty treats to top off your walk around the massive theme park. As Attractions Magazine reports, the “authentic outdoor tequileria” serves $6 Mexican fruit punch,…
Florida businesses would have to verify through the federal government that newly hired employees aren’t undocumented immigrants, under a measure that moved closer Tuesday to appearing before voters in 2018 despite opposition from agriculture interests. A panel of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission unanimously backed a proposal (P 29) that would require all employers in…
Wonton Asian Kitchen, a “fresh casual” Asian fusion restaurant, is now open in Winter Park. Look for tasty classics like finger-food appetizers, bánh mìs, bulgogi tacos, and of course, a whole lot of wontons. In our October interview, one of the restaurant partners told us that “Winter Park — the arts and cultural hub of the…
Wednesday, Nov. 29 Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints of Truth 10 pm at Lil Indies, 1036 N. Mills Ave. Reggae Night with Hor!zen and DJ Red I 10 pm at the Caboose, 1827 N. Orange Ave. Thursday, Nov. 30 Thursday Jazz Jams 8 pm at Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park The Mellow Relics…
This morning, our conspiracy-theorist-in-chief Donald Trump suggested in a tweet that longtime critic Joe Scarborough, former Florida Congressman and host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, may have killed his intern back in 2001. So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And…
Accusing Gov. Rick Scott of trying to “fan the flames of false controversy,” two groups argued Tuesday that Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente should not be disqualified from a case that could determine the future direction of the court. The League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause filed the case in June,…
A ban on vaping in workplaces is one step closer to appearing on the 2018 ballot after a panel of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission unanimously approved the proposal on Tuesday. Former state Sen. Lisa Carlton, a member of the commission, said people are being adversely affected by public vaping because a ban on smoking…
If you feel like hitting a movie this weekend, your options are relatively slim. You can’t go see Lady Bird because you haven’t seen LBJ yet, and you wouldn’t know what’s going on. You can’t see Coco, because John Lasseter is an “enthusiastic hugger.” And you can’t see Justice League, because … well, because it’s…
OPENINGS: Croissant Gourmet owner Francois Cahagne will morph his College Park patisserie into Tartine Wine Bar & Eaterie next week. Pete Morales, formerly of F&D Kitchen, will serve as the executive chef … Wonton Asian Kitchen, a fast-casual joint serving wontons and pan-Asian fare, has opened on Fairbanks Avenue … Island Fin Poke Co., by…
As with most secular American holidays, I tend to focus on the trappings of Thanksgiving – finding the turkey’s sweet spot between raw and incinerated, figuring out how to score Black Friday savings without being crushed to death in a shopping stampede – at the expense of the day’s original meaning. But this year was…
I’m a 20-something straight woman. About a month ago, I had a really vivid dream in which I was at a party and engaging with a guy I had just met. We were seriously flirting. Then my fiancé showed up – my real, flesh-and-blood, sleeping-next-to-me fiancé – who we’ll call G. In the dream, I…
Are you looking for a new furry friend? Meet Miller (A390617)! This adorable 3-month-old kitten is currently in foster care and is on the prowl for his forever home. When Miller first arrived at Orange County Animal Services, he was very small, requiring foster care to gain some weight. Miller has thrived in his foster…
John Morgan drops potential bid for governor, another layer to the feud between Aramis Ayala and Rick Scott, twerking on Interstate 95 and other things you may have missed this week. John Morgan says he won’t run for Florida governor as a Democrat: After teasing his entry into the Democratic race for months, Orlando attorney…
Wednesday, Nov. 29 It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Fans of Frank Capra’s beloved look at small-town American life, 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life, will find plenty to be thankful for at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater this season. The Shakes is bringing the film to the stage in the form of a live…
These promoters combine a distinctive voice with DIY ethics, passionate curatorial skills and event savvy to bring you an incredible range of touring talent and home-grown innovation. Ugly Orange As far as promoters go, 2017 has been Ugly Orange’s banner year. The DIY booking collective has evolved in fast-forward, putting on carefully curated bills around…
