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Members of the local LGBT community on what they’re most proud of, and what they think the next battle should be in the fight for LGBT rights
Kaleb Quast, student and local writer (pictured above) What are you most proud of, when it comes to Orlando’s LGBT community? I think the thing I’m happiest about with the LGBT community in Orlando is the immediate access people have to services, through places like the Center and the Zebra Coalition. You can get assistance…
29 free concerts this week in Orlando (10/14-10/20)
Wednesday, Oct. 14 Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints of Truth 10 p.m. 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, Oct. 15 Dave Sheffield Jazz Trio 9 p.m. at Winter Park Beer Company, 1809 E. Winter Park Road Demented…
John Cleese on his new tour with Eric Idle, bad Q&A questions and how to tell when comedy works
John Cleese and Eric Idle, founding members of legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python, arrive in town this weekend for their new tour, John Cleese and Eric Idle: Together Again … for the Very First Time. We had the opportunity to talk to John Cleese, also known for Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda,…
Oct. 14: March to demand climate change action from elected officials
Do you care about climate change (you should)? Then join the Orlando Climate Movement Coalition for a march to demand that elected officials stop denying it exists (looking at you Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio. You, too, Jeb Bush.). On Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m., everybody’s invited to join in a march and…
Failure and Hum reunite to claim their place in the ’90s heavy canon (House of Blues)
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Although often irresistably sweet, there’s something intellectually cheap about culture revivals. One purely noble outcome that sometimes comes of them, however, is the chance to correct history with some perspective. So while the ’90s revival is in full moon, it’s ripe time for a couple of overlooked bands like Failure and Hum to…
Take home the gourd of your dreams Sunday at AIGA’s “GUTS” event
Artists are like plumbers (wait, hear me out): If you want something done right, you should consult an expert. And so, if your pumpkin-carving skills are roughly at the level of this: Wouldn’t you rather throw a few bucks to a good charity, and take home something like this instead? Our local chapter of AIGA,…
Democratic debate watch parties in Orlando tonight
The first Democratic presidential debate is tonight, and you know you’ll need someone to kvetch to about it after it’s over. So don’t watch it alone! Here are some of the Democratic debate parties planned in Orlando tonight – there’s one just for Hillary Clinton, two for Bernie Sanders and one that’s for everybody (especially…
A Winter Haven man is building a 24-foot lawn toilet, neighbors hate it
Winter Haven residents are a little upset with neighbor Steven Chayt since he started building a 24-foot tall toilet in his backyard. “Literally, it’s a potty chair. A chair with a hole in the seat,” said Chayt to WFTS. “In 1992, I had an idea for a chair. It was a sculpture that sort of…
Orlando is the No. 2 most affordable foodie city in the U.S., says recent study
Where should you live to keep your wallet and your waistline equally fat? Only Portland, Oregon, beats Orlando for “gastronomic affordability,” according to a new study. Source: WalletHub To find the most affordable foodie cities in the U.S., WalletHub analyzed the 150 most populated cities, looking at metrics ranging from the cost of groceries to…
14 questions for sixth-generation Floridian chef Art Smith on his Disney Homecoming
Art Smith is no stranger to the limelight – he gained fame as Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef, appeared on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, has won two James Beard Awards, is involved in numerous restaurants, and has cooked for many heads of state, including heads of this state Jeb Bush and Bob Graham. Now…
Get a taste of the best spooky traditions from two cultures at CityArts’ Dia de los Muertos party
The Mexican Dia de los Muertos holiday seems overly morbid, with its cadaverous figurines and edible candy corpses, but the point of the holiday is actually to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on. Because of its Nov. 1 proximity to Halloween and the overtly macabre imagery associated with it, though, Dia de…
Disney Springs gets its own I-4 exit ramp
Disney Springs, the part of Walt Disney World formerly known as Downtown Disney, is now important enough to warrant its own exit off I-4. According to Theme Park Insider, there’s now an exit off the highway that links you to both Epcot and the suddenly booming Disney Springs commercial district. For a little while there,…
Jen Vargas to take over as director of Enzian Theater’s FilmSlam
After six years at the helm of the Enzian Theater’s FilmSlam, Tim Anderson has handed over the duties of director and host to Jen Vargas. FilmSlam is a monthly competition featuring student, independent, low-budget and no-budget short movies made by Florida filmmakers. It’s held on the second Sunday of each month, and the monthly winners…
Date announced for Orlando Cat Café Open House and Launch Party
We heard a few objections last time we blogged about the Orlando Cat Café: “It’s in Clermont, not Orlando”; “Gross! Food next to all those litter boxes?” and so on. (Also, some people were not quite clear on the concept: For the record, a cat café is a place where you go to sip coffee…
Macklemore will be at Dr. Phillips Center in January, tickets go on sale Friday
Macklemore, the rapper who launched a thousand haircuts, will be Macklemoring his way to Orlando this January. The Grammy-award winner and his production half, Ryan Lewis, will be coming to the Dr. Phillips Center on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Known for the hit single, “Thrift Shop,” the Seattle emcee recently dropped his latest track “Downtown,” which…
A Volusia County hunter fell off his boat and was bitten by a 12-foot gator
A Volusia County alligator hunter has been released from the DeLand hospital after suffering injuries from an alligator attack. According to WFTV, Kemp Galleneau took a bite to the leg Sunday morning, Oct. 11, after a he fell off his boat and was attacked by a 12-foot alligator. The incident happened at around 9:45 a.m.…
The ocean punished a Tampa truck driver with a mighty waterspout last Saturday
On Saturday, Oct.10, the indignant ocean sent forth a mighty waterspout at an undeserving 18-wheeler traveling just outside of Tampa. According to CNN, while crossing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the waterspout hit Randall Leaver’s U.S. Postal Service truck, knocking it over on its side and then righting it shortly after. Watch the video of the…
‘One Man Star Wars Trilogy’ gets laughs out of lightsabers at the Dr. Phillips Center
In light of the mania surrounding the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII and Disney’s announced Star Wars-themed lands, not to mention the inescapable fact that Fanboys Have Taken Over The World, this show in which one actor performs the entire original trilogy by himself in just 75 minutes ought to be a popular draw. Canadian…
Orange County Convention Center is hoping to get a little roomier with Tourist Development Tax
The Orange County Convention Center recently unveiled its master plan for the next twenty years. With over 7 million sq. ft. the convention center doesn’t need to just keep adding more halls, but instead address other issues that arise from hosting some of the nation’s largest conventions. The largest expansion planned over the next 20…
Go Fund Me set up to raise money to save more than 300 gopher tortoises from development
The plight of a gopher tortoise whose habitat is threatened by development is tragic, on par with the plight of that poor gopher tortoise that was tossed into a body of water by a clueless good Samaritan (you can read about that here). The land-dwelling turtles, which are a threatened species in Florida, spend a…
Florida plans to execute Jerry Correll at the end of this month
Jerry Correll, who was convicted for the 1985 stabbing to death his 5-year-old daughter, ex-wife, her sister and her mother in Orlando, has been sentenced by the state to die on Oct. 29. Correll’s original execution date was set for February, but Correll received a stay from the Florida Supreme Court until the U.S. Supreme…
A Florida woman glued her eye shut after mistaking super glue for eye drops
Lantana resident Katherine Gaydos’ left eye is completely glued shut because of an extremely unfortunate mixup with eye drops and super glue. We should point out that it’s been like this for a week. Gaydos, who’s a mother of two, told WPBF a neighbor was using a leaf blower when a piece of debris flew…
Study by USF and Orlando Police suggests body cameras improve police work
A year-long study by the University of South Florida and Orlando Police shows that body cameras may have helped reduce resistance incidents and external complaints. The study randomly selected 46 OPD officers to wear cameras and 43 to not wear cameras, according to a city press release. After the study, many officers agreed the cameras…
Universal Studios confirms Hulk Coaster redesign will be led by Bolliger & Mabillard
Universal Studios Florida has confirmed that the Incredible Hulk Coaster redesign will be led by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. This information comes after weeks of circulating rumors that Bolliger & Mabillard, the coaster’s original designer, would not be involved in the year-long facelift. However, Robert Niles, a reporter with Theme Park Insider, got to…
Captain Morgan will load a man into a cannon and fire his body from bar to bar in downtown Orlando
Next week, as part of Captain Morgan’s “Cannon Blast Bar Crawl,” the rum company will load a willing and able man into a cannon and fire his body from bar to bar in downtown Orlando. To help promote their new shot innovation Captain Morgan Cannon Blast, Captain Morgan has enlisted world famous human cannonball…
Bread, bubble tea, beef jerky: 9 new Orlando nosh spots
In addition to dropping the “Bar & Grill” from their name, Tabla has hired a new executive chef (Ian Piamonte, formerly banquet chef at Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island) and expanded their Indian menu to include Chinese and Thai cuisine, including dishes such as chicken tikka masala, Thai green curry, gobi Manchurian, General Tso’s chicken (see our…
The Winter Park Autumn Art Festival brings the cream of Florida’s artistic crop to Central Park
The cream of Florida’s artistic crop flock to Central Park this weekend for the 42nd annual Winter Park Autumn Art Festival. More than 180 artists were selected to showcase their work in a variety of formats ranging from painting to ceramics to 3-D mixed media, a new category for the festival. Entertainment is in abundance…
Bring the whole undead family to Zombietoberfest in Audubon Park on Saturday
Resist the temptation to do nothing but catch up on The Walking Dead in advance of the Season 6 premiere on Sunday. Or at least take a break between episodes to head over to the Audubon Park Garden District for its annual Zombietoberfest celebration. One of the bigger events that APGD throws each year, the…
Abstract electronic duo Autechre bring their brand of moody atmosphere to the Social
Groundbreaking British techno duo Autechre caused warped hearts to stop with their two-hour 2013 release Exai, as if the twisted manipulators hit pause on each fan’s internal beat, so the notion that they were touring North America this year basically floored serious fans, who likely gripped their chests as they sank to their knees in…
David Cronenberg’s ‘Scanners’ is an eye-popping treat for sci-fi lovers at the Enzian
Until Netflix unleashes new episodes of Black Mirror, intrigued audiences should realize “I am one of you” and join like-minded sci-fi fans at the Enzian. Because if there was ever a person you should let scrape the insides of your mind, it’s director David Cronenberg. His provocative commentary on human psychology and how it’s impacted…
State Attorney Jeff Ashton won’t press charges against OPD officers caught on camera kicking a man
State Attorney Jeff Ashton announced in a letter to Orlando Police Chief John Mina that he would not press criminal charges against Officers David Cruz and Charles Mays for their use of force in the June arrest of South Florida banker Noel Carter. Carter was at Venue 578 downtown when he got into an argument…
Tom Cruise is moving to Florida to be closer to Church of Scientology
Tom Cruise, an actor who apparently has had it up to here with pretentious Hollywood fakers, says he’s moving to Florida to be closer to the Church of Scientology headquarters, which is not fake. “Tom hates living in L.A. and is relocating to Florida,” said a source to Us Weekly. “He thinks all the people…
A homeless man reported a dead body by carrying the skull into a Florida Publix and using it as a puppet
Shoppers at a Publix in Sebastian, Florida, called 911 Tuesday afternoon after spotting a homeless man carrying around an actual human skull. “He was using it as a puppet,” said witness Nick Pecoraro to WPBF. “It smelled like death.” According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified homeless man–who was living in the…
Orlando congressman Daniel Webster could actually become House Speaker
Republicans in Congress were openly sobbing Thursday after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, abruptly dropped out of the race for Speaker of the House, throwing the GOP into chaos and forcing its leaders to postpone the election. McCarthy, who was the favorite to replace resigning House Speak John Boehner, leaves the race to Utah…
Amazon takes on Etsy with launch of new Handmade at Amazon marketplace
This morning, Amazon announced the launch of its newest endeavor, Handmade at Amazon. The service showcases handmade goods – stuff that’s handmade by artisans and artists, not resold or factory-produced – for sale from independent makers from around the world. You can even use location filters to shop for products from sellers in your state,…
Orlando cobra found hiding under a dryer
The missing Orlando cobra has been found – not in the woods and not in one of the multiple traps set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, but in somebody’s garage. Underneath a dryer. Hissing. According to some raw video posted to WFTV.com, a woman was putting some things away behind her dryer…
Florida school district to pay $600,000 over death of students who were hypnotized by principal
The Sarasota County School District is paying $600,000 to settle with the families of three North Port High School students who died after being hypnotized by former principal George Kenney. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports that an investigation into the school found that Kenney had hypnotized 75 students, staff members and others at the high school…
“Pastor protection” bill passes first hurdle in state Legislature
Today, the legislative body’s Civil Justice Subcommittee voted 9-4 to move a bill being called the “Pastor Protection Act,” which would make it law that churches and religious organizations “not be required to solemnize any marriage, or provide services, accommodations, facilities, goods or privileges for related purposes if such action would violate a sincerely held…
Local artist Johannah O’Donnell did the artwork for magical space alien dwarf kitty Lil BUB’s new album
Lil BUB, the tiniest permakitten with the hugest following, drops her first album this year and the cover artwork was painted by one of Orlando’s very own, the great Johannah O’Donnell. Pre-orders for Science & Magic started today, though the album won’t ship until Dec. 4. (Pitchfork already has the tracklisting.) Here’s some video of BUB…
Lawmakers propose allowing medical marijuana for terminally ill patients
Two key lawmakers Wednesday proposed allowing terminally ill patients to obtain medical marijuana to help grapple with pain, the latest twist in a nearly two-year debate about how to address the high-profile – and emotionally charged – issue. Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, held a news conference to…
Sad news for book lovers: Used bookstore the Book Worm going out of business
Multi-year Best of Orlando award winner the Book Worm (422 N. Bumby Ave.) announced today that they are going out of business. It’s sad news for used-book hounds and budget shoppers; I’ve found a few hidden gems there over the years, including some killer vintage cookbooks. No word yet on when exactly they plan to…
Zephyr in the sky: LeVar Burton scheduled to talk about storytelling at Rollins in November
Our favorite living Chief Engineer of the Enterprise and leading authority on animated butterflies is coming to Rollins College on Thursday, Nov. 5, as part of the Winter Park Institute’s guest lecture series. The prolific star, most recognizable as Kunta Kinte from Roots, Geordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation and the host of…
The Mountain Goats make the personal public at the Beacham
A funny thing about the Mountain Goats: Many of the indie folk-rock band’s songs that appeal to people most are the ones full of angst and frustration and rage that seems to come from a deeply personal place – yet the majority of the band’s 12 albums aren’t as deeply personal as you might think.…
Notorious industrial rap group Death Grips take hold of the Beacham tonight
Future-primitive art-rap provocateurs Death Grips are possibly the most mysterious and provocative force on the popular music landscape today. A throat-grabbing head-on of rap and industrial noise, their music alone is undeniable. But once you factor in their striking, conspiratorial style, you’ve got a bona fide shock to the system. Between undermining their major label…
Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins judges four local writers in Literary Death Match at Mad Cow Theatre
Cast off whatever good manners you usually put on when attending a literary event and get ready to howl for blood, because at Literary Death Match, four writers enter; one writer leaves. Look on with wonder and terror as David James Poissant, Erica Dawson, Kristen Arnett and Kristin Harmel slash and batter each other with…
Orlando Museum of Art: “We aren’t where we need to be”
A press conference at Orlando Museum of Art last Tuesday, Sept. 29, promised to be fairly straightforward, if not pro forma. The press release advised that OMA director and CEO Glen Gentele and Ted Brown, chairman of the OMA’s Strategic Planning Committee, would “discuss the Museum’s newly approved goals and institutional vision, including – but…
Opening in Orlando: Big Stone Gap, He Named Me Malala, Pan and Steve Jobs
Big Stone Gap Ashley Judd plays an Appalachian spinster whose social profile takes a sudden upturn. Hey, remember when you could say “spinster”? Well, the movie is set in 1978, so that kinda makes it OK, sorta. Related question: Remember Ashley Judd? (PG-13) He Named Me Malala Prequels and sequels to Disney movies usually suck,…
The Walk is a fitting homage to the Twin Towers
Philippe Petit preaches freedom, independence, even civil disobedience – all in the name of artistic expression. He’s the type of guy who doesn’t just talk the talk, but walks the walk, literally. The Frenchman’s greatest walk, of course, came in 1974 when he strung a cable between the towers of the brand-new World Trade Center,…
What my transition taught me about how the world perceives men and women
You know what I miss the most about having breasts? People offering me free drugs (also: nipple sensation). I was born genetically female, and I lived that way for 16 years. By the time I was 17, I realized I wasn’t comfortable with this body, this voice, these breasts. I wanted to be masculine –…
University of Central Florida’s programs for LGBTQ+ students are something to be proud of
There’s nothing particularly special about Room 171 at the University of Central Florida. If it weren’t for the four rainbow flags emblazoned on its entryway, one might easily mistake it for any other student lounge. But to the students inside, Room 171 is more than just a place to relax: It’s a home away from…
Free Will Astrology (10/7/15)
ARIES (March 21-April 19) If I warned you not to trust anyone, I hope you would reject my simplistic fearmongering. If I suggested that you trust everyone unconditionally, I hope you would dismiss my delusional naiveté. But it’s important to acknowledge that the smart approach is far more difficult than those two extremes. You’ve got…
How a woman’s ordeal at the Orlando airport went viral and started a conversation about what it means to travel while transgender
After enjoying the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal late last month, Shadi Petosky was traveling back home when Transportation Security Administration officers at the Orlando International Airport detained her for an “anomaly” in her body scan. If you’ve been to a commercial airport post-9/11, you’ve probably passed through a full-body scanner like the…
Gimme Shelter (10/7/15)
Orange County Animal Services has the perfect pooch for you. Meet Sugar (Animal ID: A245433)! She’s a 7-year-old dog who loves attention and treats. Sugar cannot get enough time outside enjoying the Florida sunshine. She knows how to walk on a leash, sit on command and she gets along with other dogs. During the month…
9 ways to party with pride this week in Orlando
The rainbow flags are posted around downtown Orlando, and plans are in motion for the 2015 edition of Come Out With Pride, Orlando’s biggest, most colorful and most sensational celebration of the city’s LGBT community. From Oct. 8 through Oct. 10, downtown Orlando will host daily Pride events, the biggest of which is the all-day…
Savage Love (10/7/15)
I’m a gay man who is ready to start cheating on my boyfriend. We’ve had a wonderful 3.5-year-long relationship full of respect, affection, support and fun. I love everything about our relationship, and our sex life was great … until he moved in eight months into the relationship. At that point, he lost all interest.…
City of Orlando makes plans to save Constitution Green
Earlier this year, downtown residents were in an uproar when they learned that plans were afoot to develop a piece of property that’s served as a city park since the 1980s. The family that owns the property at the corner of Summerlin Avenue and South Street known as Constitution Green – which is home to…
Lulu Eightball (10/7/15)
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Speak Up Wekiva looking for bear hunt monitors
On Thursday, Oct. 1, Circuit Court Judge George Reynolds denied a motion for an injunction to stop the state’s first black bear hunt in more than 20 years. Environmental groups, including members of Speak Up Wekiva, traveled to Tallahassee on Oct. 1 to testify in an emergency hearing asking the court to prevent the Florida…
This Modern World (10/7/15)
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Steak and seafood joint The Boathouse really makes a splash with Disney diners
Step inside the Boathouse and you’d think that CEO Steve Schussler (Rainforest Café, T-Rex, Yak & Yeti) was out to build the theme restaurant to end all theme restaurants. Even amid the teeming throngs of tourists and the constant construction in Disney Springs, the Boathouse (styled here in bombastic all-caps: BOATHOUSE) is hard to miss.…
The Bramble is a versatile and superior ’80s cocktail
In this column I put a new twist on a classic cocktail each month. Those classics usually date from the very early part of the 20th century, having evolved around the Jazz Age, with its need to disguise poor-quality liquor and its wider drinking audience, due to relaxed mores against women drinking spirits. So it…
4 Rivers Smokehouse opens in City Hall, a soft opening for Baoery and more in this week’s food news
The soft opening for Baoery, Greg Richie’s Asian gastropub in his old Cityfish space, is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 14. As you can guess, bao (those tasty steamed buns) will be prominently featured. Barbecue pork belly bao, Korean fried chicken bao, and shellfish bao are just a few buns to expect. Other dishes on the menu include…
Two new comics collections from Drawn & Quarterly cut to the quick
In Adrian Tomine’s latest collection of graphic short stories, Killing and Dying, broken people navigate clumsily through their lives. Whether revving wheels that seem permanently stuck in the mud or trudging away from an emotional car crash, gingerly checking themselves for injury, Tomine’s characters do eventually arrive at some form of peace or at least…
A couple of gentler Halloween options let our columnist work up to Orlando’s blood-splattered haunts
It’s always disorienting to come home after a long trip, but returning from Europe to Orlando in October can be downright disturbing. It isn’t that I didn’t appreciate the severed limb (complete with gore-spattered selfie stick) that Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights media team left festering on my doorstep; but in the wake of school shootings…
Failure finds a more engaged audience in young fans who just discovered their Fantastic Planet
The ongoing and seemingly unending cycle of band reunions has, for most music fans, become a predictable pantomime of pent-up nostalgia yielding increasingly unrewarding returns. After a decade (or a few decades) of absence, that one band you loved so much back then finally gets back together, so you dutifully cough up the ticket price…
Twin Shadow’s George Lewis Jr. on being shaped by bus accidents, pop ambition and growing up in Florida
As the main man in Twin Shadow, George Lewis Jr. has cultivated a reputation for front-and-center bravado. He’s put himself on the cover of all three of his albums, which quickly evolved from hazy bedroom tinkering (2010’s Forget) to slick dance rock (2012’s Confess) to big-tent pop (2015’s Eclipse). His leather jackets and well-coiffed looks…
Picks This Week: Danzig, The Thing, Sick of It Sundays and more
Twin Shadow Lewis says he’s also learned to let go of some of the tendencies he developed as the prototypical Florida teenager: the musically inclined outsider surrounded by rich old folks and rednecks. “I spent so much of my life being such a music snob,” he says. “Coming from a smaller town, what you seek…
This Little Underground: Sham 69 revives the Oi! Days
Heads up, fam. TLU breaks next week to make room for a juicy blowout of the music section covering some emerging local scenes that should be on your radar. We’ll hook back up the week after. The Beat It’s big news any time a legendary first-wave Oi! band comes to play your town. When it’s…
