First, the good news: Dan Dan the record man at Antiques Mall, who inhabits nearly the entire back room, has begun organizing his records. This has been a long time coming for vinyl nerds who have breathed dust and broken fingernails rifling through his stash for hidden treasures. Now you’ll see clearly labeled genres like soul, rock, movie soundtracks, etc., but here’s the catch: He raised the price from $3 to $5 on every record in his collection. That’s old news for frequent customers, but at least now, you can discover records more quickly in order to determine if they’re worth the steeper price. He also added a case of higher quality vinyl that’s worth perusing, but you’ll need to ask one of the lovely ladies up front to unlock it for ya.
As I’ve alluded to before, Peacock Room is undergoing some major changes. In addition to transitioning the place into a nonsmoking bar at the beginning of this month, the owners are also looking to add a porch in back, which would eliminate some parking in the snug back lot. But considering all the parking available in the dirt lot just behind the venue, it shouldn’t present any issues, unless you have a problem with folks Peacockin’ outdoors. What ruffles more feathers, surely, is that risk-taking event organizer and local musician Phil Longo is leaving town, so we’ll no longer enjoy the creative spark he lent Peacock through his capable booking and music community support.
The theming at Winter Park Saloon is incredible, but what they need to work on still is their theme nights. Imagine my disappointment when I showed up during what was supposed to be a curated, Hank Williams-leaning DJ set and discovered the classic country night had been canceled. It was the third week of its short lifetime, and the bartender said poor attendance made it financially unsound. Three strikes you’re out, I suppose, and shame on me for being late to the party, but my advice for future nights the Saloon might consider is to give the organizer more than just a couple of weeks to get some traction. I couldn’t have been the only one hearing DJ White Lightning promote the night on WPRK ’til he was blue in the face. Check out Orlando Music News at blogs.orlandoweekly.com for a classic country playlist of dramatic songs I wallowed in later that night, after the regulars shamed me for accidentally turning off “Red Solo Cup” in favor of “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” on the jukebox. Sorry, cowboys.
Warehouse shows are back, hot damn. Keep an eye out for Facebook events and show posters that direct you to “the 13” for hardcore punk shows in a different setting. Speaking of show posters, I’m going to be watching them more closely from now on, so if you see a cool one around town, Instagram it and tag me – @ashleyedits. It’s a huge plus if you can also tell me the artist’s name. Thanks, anybody willing!
