Latest Entries

This Weekend: Friday Night — TIMB and The Freakin’ Hott - WooHoo!

This Friday night TIMB and The Freakin’ Hott will play at Propaganda in Lake Worth. That sounds like it will be cool. I haven’t seen TIMB up on stage for a while, which is a bummer because I think his songs are really funny.

But it’s not that big of a bummer because he’s playing this weekend — and wow, only a mere 40 miles away from Fort Lauderdale! Also, I think it’s important to notice, Freakin’ Hott Maggie has posted one of her pre-show philosophical rant blogs that start off as broad, hilarious ruminations on various life topics and taper down to show plugs. You’re sure to love the topic this time: “Balls Are What Make the Difference”. Go ahead, giggle your brains out. There she is:

I was talking to a few showgoing Fort Lauderdale locals, never to be confused with that other heinous breed of locals that do not go to local shows, about Propaganda last weekend at the “Can I Say” music and records event at Cinema Paradiso, and they said that Lake Worth is just too far for Lauderdalians to drive. Interesting. I too find it difficult, but sometimes it’s just worth it. (The July 10th show, John Ralston with The Postmarks, looks pretty promising. Ooh, Raffa & Raina are playing that night too! Exciting.) If you decide to go to this show, go early. My recent explorations of the area have led me to the conclusion that Lake Worth’s downtown is well worth exploring, and it will be easy to get a sense of the culture if you attend the Nifty Fifties Block Party hosted by The Cottage. This is just a few blocks from Propaganda. Why can’t we have one of these cool rock ‘n’ roll restaurants in Fort Lauderdale? Complain. Complain. Complain. The event starts at 6 p.m.

What’s happening in Fort Lauderdale on Friday? Why in the heck is it so impossible to find out what’s happening at Poor House? Geez.

Why Do Famous People Torture Me?

Famous people are, for the most part, walking billboards. Their publicists will bite your head off if you try to give them a gift; I’ve seen it done. Every aspect of their lives, save the “private” lives that they claim to treasure, is commodified. Yet, they are in our faces with their perfect haircuts and free clothes, glimmering in a nonhuman kind of way, all of the time. It’s very hard for me to escape Ben Gibbard right now. I made the mistake of listening to Plans the other day, and my CD player tends to repeat and repeat albums unless you manually turn the thing off. So, Gibbard’s genius lyrics have been bouncing around my head for the last couple of days. I thought that I might escape to Brew Urban Cafe for a little quiet time, and you wouldn’t believe what’s playing on the speaker here! It wouldn’t bother me but for that fact that I recently learned that Gibbard is engaged to Hollywood’s little daffy darling, Zooey Deschanel. When my mind slips into a passive mode, I think that I care about such things as this. In such moments, this union irks me. Why? Because, even though these people have absolutely nothing to do with my life, except for the occasional intersection with my radio (on which he delights me and she annoys me) and my television (on which she annoys the holy hell out of me), I prefer one strongly to the other. If you can’t tell whom, it’s “him” not “she”. I mean, M. Ward has already lost my ears because of his collaboration with daffy (I hope he’s not crying about), but that’s a loss that I can bear. But Ben Gibbard, my favorite sensitive sweater? My friend Sam has this theory that the whole world operates like a big series of rubber bands (maybe I’m taking a few liberties with his theory; it was a few years ago that we had this conversation) of sexual tension that drives everything that we do. I find it pretty believable, based on everything that I’ve seen and experienced. If that’s the case, I think it’s kind of disheartening that all of Gibbard’s scribblings were leading up to that superspecial day when he would fall hard for tootsie pop. Oh well, she’s probably really cool. Ahem. Speaking of thinking far too much about things that do not matter, my cable hasn’t gone the way of the buffalo yet. I’ve been watching the second season of True Blood, which is much better than the first. They finally took some time to mourn the death of grandma, and many of the unaddressed issues from the first season are weaving back into the plot line. Also, this new character on the show Hoyt is extremely hot. On a 1 to 10 scale, Sweet Bronco being a 10, he’s like an 8 1/2 — pretty good. I’m also happy that the world is starting to appreciate the talents of Zach Galifianakis, the shining star of The Hangover, if you ask me. But why would you ask me? Who cares? Let’s stop talking about celebrities right…now.

Can I Say Record Swap Event at Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso and FLIFF constantly surprise me with their range of event offerings. It’s like their arms are open wide to embrace the local arts community in a big, warm, sometimes drunken, hug. Yes, they always have a little bar going on the sideline of just about every event.

On Sunday night, I went to check out the new monthly record swap/film/live music event Can I Say at Cinema Paradiso to check out Band No. 12 and No Class Action. The crowd was big, tattooed (for the most part) and appreciative, and the bands were just pure loud,yelling screaming sonic good times. The in-between song banter was quite precious and amusing, but how else do you react to an audience almost entirely composed of amused hecklers, asking, without expectation, for new songs, making flatulent noises and whispering faint “I love yous” to crack everyone up? I couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off of my face the whole time. I wanted to hang around to watch The Shakers, but the dying of the night took me down with it. What? I had laundry to fold, which, as you may or may not know, has a talent for piling up, and there is nothing more depressing in life than a pile of laundry — clean, dirty or mixed.

Saturday: Poor House Show

It’s crazy, but Sweet Bronco is going to be out of town this weekend. Who am I without SB? I do not know, but that is a question I should probably ask myself in a less public forum. So, what am I going to be up to this scrumptious Saturday night? Hmmm. I hope that I can make it out to this event tonight after I do some reporting for an awesome and sexy Metromix feature that will appear later this summer.

Gosh, I am so lost in my own world right now. I guess that’s what happens when you put all of your fears of reading ineptitude behind you for a few months in order to muster the courage to plunge headfirst into the In Search of Lost Time experience. Have you done it yet? It’s kinda like Ulysses; you gotta give it a go at least once in your life. And if you (or I) fail, at least you can fudge your way through snooty cocktail parties.

Mid-Week Road Nods: Johnny Sketch at Alligator Alley Thurs. Also, Interesting Fashion on Wed.

Road Nods: Wednesday night at Culture Room two bands with names that lead me to believe I would not be a big fan of their music — Boys Like Girls and Never Shout Never — will play. I definitely will not be there, but I just have to say that this kid has awesome taste in hats.

Road Nods: Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes from New Orleans will play Alligator Alley on Thursday night. The group comes with a strong warning issued to Floridians via its website:

DRIVIN’ SOUTH…

June 9, 2009

“Florida, you had best be prepared, cuz it’s about that time again…You know, the time when Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes come through yer state like a strong hurricane”

Uh oh, sound like good times. A cursory glance of the band’s website leads me to the conclusion that the video, complete with the band getting hit on by a grizzly tattooed guy with cutoff sleves, is not embeddable, so I’m linking to the video page here if you want to check it out.

Saturday Night! This is a Tough One. Good Thing I’ll Be in Jacksonville…

…because there is no way that I would be able to make up my mind about what to do.

Rockabilly!! What is the deal with South Florida and this rockabilly stuff? I can’t wrap my head around the nuances of the subculture, but I like it generally.

Rockabiliciousness provided courtesy of Viva Le Vox and The Black Fairlanes at Propaganda in Lake Worth.

Also on Saturday, Bobby Load & the Little Bastards will play with Psycho Daisies, Vesper Sparrow and Boise Bob & His Backyard Band at Alligator Alley.

Sounds like superduper good times.

The monthly event Auter Explosion will go down this Saturday night at Cinema Paradiso. I went to the last one, and I feel obliged to put it out there that CP knows how to put on a pretty good party.

It’s all about beer and live music on the patio in the early evening, and then the event naturally progresses indoors, where the live performers put on a few intriguing shenanigans before CP screens local short films. Timb as the Craven (who will celebrate his birthday at Poor House on July 10th with The Freakin’ Hott, Zombies Organize and Thee Yadayadas), Astari Nite and The Seeds of Evolution (interesting!) will perform.

Also, I spoke with Yvonne from IWAN on the phone earlier today. She’s almost recovered from the massive event, The Bubble, that they threw at their new warehouse on June 6. I was not able to attend b/c I was in the Keys, but I sure was jealous when she told me all of the details about the mindblowing performances and exhibits. I’m certainly going to have to keep up with all of the other events that they’re doing this summer. She told me that there’s a show at Poor House tonight. Murderous Rampage will play with The Holy Terrors and The Clap.

So, it’s like I said before, good luck picking which of these awesome events to attend. I think that if I were going to be around tonight, I would have to at least start the night by checking out Bobby Load at Alligator Alley. Why? Because he’s Bobby Load, and I haven’t see him perform in a long, long time.

Tonight’s The Night…

…that I have almost no idea what the hell is going on. The Avett Brothers are playing at Parker Playhouse. I’m not a long-time fan or anything, but they sound all right. I’m saving up to go to Cat Power in July though. I grow weary of dropping $25 on freaking concerts down here, and I really, really want to see whether or not the talented Ms. Power will run off stage or hide behind her hair. I love her haunting madness, but when I saw her in New York City a few years back, it was the biggest waste of money ever. I’ll take a chance.

There’s some reggaeliciousness happening at Propaganda tonight. B-liminal and Fresh Catch will lead the headbobbing. They sound so fun and lighthearted and cool and jammy! There’s no way on Earth that I could drag Sweet Bronco 40 miles for reggae when I’m all grannied out and fatigued like this.

It is only 40 minutes until happy hour starts at Mai Kai…hmmm…and there’s always the awesomeness afforded daily and nightly by Manor Lanes.

What’s up with Quiet River? I wish that that band would play another show soon. I totally arrived late to the group’s Poor House show last month and did not get the opportunity to indulge in the sound. That was lame.  By the way, have you heard of Surfer Blood yet? I like the group’s sound, which is convenient for me because they will be playing with Stonefox at their CD release show for their second album Back On the Wire at Propaganda on July 30th. Um, nice picture, Stonefox. They are so hot. I wonder if they ever wonder what it’s like to be mortal. I doubt it. This picture is so cool that I have to repost it on my blog right now:

I love it when weekends line up like that, and I won’t even be out of town that weekend. Yay! I first heard of Surfer Blood a couple of weeks ago when I saw that it was playing Propaganda. When I looked at the bands MySpace page, I noticed there was a pretty extensive Florida-Georgia tour schedule up. One of my favorite things about Stonefox is that they do those east coast tours. I wonder what it’s like for them. It’s so rad when people make a massive effort.

So, Mai Kai it is, and the little one is going to be there and everything! Bye bye.

PS. I’m not going to be here tomorrow night, but I will put up some majorly cool happenings later tonight or tomorrow morning. I’m glad that I won’t be here because I won’t have to choose one of the many awesome events. I’m going to save SO many brain cells!

P.F. Chang’s, Being a Granny, Haterade, Moodvane Reflection and Other Things That Have Been On My Mind And In My Digestive System

Welcome to Grannyville, Moodvane! Thanks, it’s great to be here. What was up with me last night? After celebrating a friend’s birthday at Blue Martini (I know, right?) and then having dinner with my mom and her beau at P.F. Changs (again I know), I got home at 10 p.m. and dropped straight to sleep. So, I never made is over to Zoo Bar to check out Viva Le Vox. I guess it’ll have to wait for another time. I’ve been feeling pretty miserable about what I wrote earlier in the week about Robbie Hazen & the Riot. They’re talented and actually very, very good at doing something that, as I said before, doesn’t fall within my musical interests. I don’t even know how to mentally process certain types of music. so it makes little sense for me to discuss them, especially in reference to what does make sense to me. Musical preference is all a matter of opinion and determined by how much you connect to an artist’s material. I am always looking to be taken slightly beyond the peripheries of my normal experiences, and so that informs my tastes. Speaking of my tastes…

It’s true, I drank the pop music haterade in my early ’20s and I don’t listen to radio. I dislike a lot of popular bands and artists like Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon (poor Jess had to sit with me as I complained my way through this concert), Regina Spektor (vomit), MIA and on and on and on. Many many smart, in-the-know people disagree with me about this, but the only argument that I can make is that this stuff either annoys me or just plain old leaves me cold. The real issue is that… Read more

Tonight: Marc Solomon and Jungle Juice at Propaganda and Viva Le Vox at Zoo Bar

Tonight, Jungle Juice, which includes members of Spred the Dub will perform at Propaganda with Marc Solomon Band. Jungle Juice is feel good and Solomon is mellow guitar picking and his voice sounds as young as his face looks.

I think I’m going to head over to Chopper Zoo Bar to check out Viva Le Vox because I keep seeing them everywhere and I’m curious and I won’t be able to see the band play in Lake Worth on Saturday with The Black Fairlanes. I don’t think I’ll fit in all that well because it’s a rockabilly thing, but I’m going anyway. Woohoo!

So sorry about the crappy little pictures, but my media manager is acting all wonky. Maybe it’s Firefox. Dunno.

Recap Alligator Alley 7th Anniversary Party Saturday Night Rock Night

Man, am I ever worn out? It’s true. I think I need to wear ear plugs throughout my daily life to make up for the number of local concerts that I’ve listened to without them in the past 6 months. My darling one, Sweet Bronco, played at the Alligator Alley Anniversary Party on Saturday night, so we arrived at 6 p.m. — this was way too early. Starting at about 8 p.m., we watched lots of other bands that night, including one very awesome and new to my ears group called ElephantGun. Also, I caught up with Blackfinger, Robbie Hazen & The Riot and The Pretty Faces. Physical exhaustion forced me to go home before Stonefox played, which was a pity because I’ve been listening to the band’s first album Dead in the Sun constantly (they are releasing a second album On the Wire on July 30th at Propaganda in Lake Worth) and because they are such a fun live band, but necessary.

Melbourne-based group ElephantGun is sick in a good way. Their driving rhythms force you to dance.

Their show was a surprise and a pleasure.

Despite my personal bias, I must admit that Sweet Bronco was good too.

He played some of his new songs, including Out for Blood and Caveman, but his between-song chattering, stuttering and muttering drew comparisons to Pauly Bleeker, a character that we all know if just a ripoff of George Michael from Arrested Development (OMG! When is the movie coming out?)– ;(. Just wait, suckers, until he’s got his full band behind him; then we’ll see who spends the whole night crying into their pillows!

Blackfinger, who had another show that night at Dada, played a very, very long and loud set, or at least it seemed so to me because I’d already been there for 3 hours and had the beginning tingles of a headache before they began. They’re a fun, rockin’ blues band with a bit of Petty’s twang. It’s loud, original bar rock and they just released a new video for “Where’s My Parade” a coupla weeks ago at Propaganda, but since my eardrums are officially blown, I will include the video for the group’s quieter song “Sugar” below. I like the simple animation in the video. It makes me smile and want to take a nap.
Below is a random and gratuitous shot of your slave, Courtney, and Hannah from The Pretty Faces hanging out that night! You’re welcome.

Now, on to Robbie Hazen & The Riot, a trio led by recent Notre Dame graduate and singer/songwriter Robbie Hazen, who played a long set too. This band’s sound kind of came at me out of left field. It’s not something that I typically come across in my wanderings.

All three musicians in the band are talented, but this is the kind of hand-holding, let’s-get-together-for-the-first-time lyrical content that isn’t really my bag because I like to listen to songs that take me into more complicated recesses of the songwriter’s psyche (Brian Jonestown Massacre) or that forcefully thrust a party into my face (The Freakin’ Hott), which means that where this band is coming from and what I’m listening for do not agree. Mainstream audiences, however, love to eat up such sweet songs for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I think that’s good for this band. I am, however, very concerned about the incorporation of Montell Jordan lyrics, whether done ironically or not, into the set. All things MJ should be shunned not only by this band, but by all of humanity. Robbie is an inspiring young man, and I really like his enthusiasm and respect his drive, but I think that if, and only if, he wants to complicate his songs a bit, he should overlook Montell Jordan when he looks back to the mid-90s and spend some time listening to Pinkerton instead. Given Robbie Hazen & The Riot’s current sound, it is more likely to get sucked up into the sky for mainstream audiences to adore than it is to battle its way to some dark stage on the outskirts of Austin during South By Southwest. How do you feel about it? You can listen to Robbie Hazen’s songs on his website player

.

It was well past midnight by the time The Pretty Faces went on, and I was able to stay for a few of their numbers. By that point, I was exhausted. I believe anything that you spend more than six consecutive hours doing is work and I don’t like to work on Saturday nights, so I hitched a ride home from a friend and left Sweet Bronco behind to party with two of our favorite bands on the planet, The Pretty Faces and Stonefox. We are your slaves, and we love you guys!

New Times Broward/Palm Beach Photographer Chris Bellus, whose snapping talent far exceeds mine, was there on Saturday night, and a slideshow of his photos is available on the weekly newspaper’s website.

My Photo Gallery Below:

Broward Nonmorons at Bon Iver and Elvis Perkins Concert at Revolution

Some people say that there are very few nonmorons in South Florida, but I have to say that my experience last Tuesday night at the Bon Iver and Elvis Perkins and Dearland concert at Revolution Live! seriously led me to doubt the validity of that statement.

There were hundreds upon hundreds of mellow people in the venue who were really into the concert and even, rare for Soflaudiences, showed enough love at the end of the show to enable the band to give an encore without seeming to feel like they were throwing it away on a bunch of ingrates. All in all, it appears that there are a lot of people in the Broward area who know good music when they hear it, despite the radio situation. Also the opening act, Elvis Perkins, whom we’d never heard of before the concert, was amazing!

I Wish That I Could Go Out Into the World Tonight, But…

fatigue and self-preservation prevent me. Instead, I’m undertaking a very risky Betty Crocker adventure. I bought cod at Publix the other day, and I’m attempting to cook it according to the very first recipe that came up on Google for the search term “cod recipe”. How creative, right? Well, it looks like a good one.

Since Sweet Bronco and I live right around the corner from Gateway movie theater, we are going to go and see The Hangover after dinner…even though I’m in a bad mood and feeling very tiffy toward the Sweet One, who ticked me off and then proceeded to wash the dishes in the close proximity to me while I cooked and then, even after I banged the silverware drawer to express my frustration, went to read on the couch while I slaved over a hot stove. Oh well, what can I do? Appealing to my nicer side when I’m in a bad mood is a pretty futile effort anyway. I just chalk it up to the gap of understanding that exists between all human beings, no matter how close. If he didn’t have the capacity to tick me off, I’d really be worried.

PS. Please don’t be jealous of my talent for resizing photos.

I’m So Excited…Sweet Bronco and I Are Canceling Our Cable…Yay!

We’re eliminating HBO from our lives just as the second season of True Blood is set to begin. Why am I so happy about this? Because TB is probably the most overhyped, insultingly mediocre television show I’ve ever seen, and all of the accolades and awards that the first season received drove me bonkers. Also, what’s the point of paying $125 or $140 a month to get the HBO package when In Treatment is over? HBO recycles the same movies through the On Demand list over and over again. How many times can you really watch 27 Dresses or Sydney White or Waitress? I wouldn’t pay $5 a month to watch that garbage. Plus, Bill Maher is a broken record with his religious views and sexist views, so what’s the point of watching that show anymore? Speaking of too strong opinions about media, I’m so psyched about the mainstreamification of Zach Galifianakis , who’s appearing in the new movie The Hangover.

He competes with Doug Stanhope (who will perform in Lauderdale in November) for the title of Courtney’s favorite comedian, and I think he’s good for people. I might try to drag Sweet Bronco to the movies tonight to check out Zach.

Lessons from the Recent Past: I Learned a Cool, New Drink Recipe

Besides realizing that I still have the capacity to relax and enjoy myself, which was a big one, and that I do have enough courage inside of me to jump into open water for a bit of snorkeling, I learned one other thing last weekend that will change day time partying forever. As you probably don’t know, my good friends Russ & Jess are geniuses — really quite brilliant — and they shared a drink recipe with me that I would like to pass on to you. I am a tomato juice fiend and, consequently, I like to drink bloody marys now and then. The problem with bloody marys is that the vodka element tends to have a tanking effect — no not tank a**, but rather the hugging-the-toilet kind of tank. This new drink recipe, which is simply to mix Bud Light with Clamato — yeah, I know how it sounds — offers the salty yumminess of the tomato sans the drooling aftereffects of the vodka. Cheers!

All Weekend: 7th Anniversary Party at Alligator Alley

Alligator Alley’s anniversary parties always celebrate the combination of blues and rock music that the venue hosts.

Friday and Sunday night will feature The Alligator Alley Allstars with local blues guitarist Albert Castiglia. On Saturday night. local rock bands Black FingerStonefoxThe Pretty Faces and Robbie Hazen & The Riot will take the stage with other bands that have not been confirmed yet. Other than the fact that this local venue has been going long and strong for a lucky 7 years, what else is rad about this event? On Saturday night, The Alley will offer $1 burgers and dogs, $3 Cajun sausage, $2 Bud, Bud Light longnecks to all of the starving local rock fans — all that you have to do is wear fingerless gloves and put your hands together in prayer position and say, “Please govna”, when you order. Oh, wait. You don’t even have to do that, but you do have to be there between 4 and 7 p.m. to get the special prices on grub and beer.

Entrance on Friday and Saturday nights is $7. On Sunday night it costs $5 to get through the door.

FUTURE EVENT, MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
On June 20, Bobby Load & The Little Bastards will play Alligator Alley. If you’ve never seen Bobby perform, you must do yourself a favor and go. It’s a rite of passage for every South Floridian who likes to be awesome while drinking beer in public. Also,Vesper Sparrow will be making attractive sounds that evening along with Boise Bob & His Backyard Band.

Funny! When you google Bobby Load myspace, this is the second entry that comes up.

Road Nods: Tonight Jason and the Punknecks at Zoo Bar, tomorrow night with local bands The Freakin’ Hott and Angry Pudding at Propaganda

National touring band, Jason and the Punknecks, a band that self categorizes as “Punky Tonk” will play two of the most devoted live music venues in South Florida. Tonight they will plug in at Zoo Bar, the charming little lounge at the Orange County Chopper complex in Fort Lauderdale — this is on Federal Highway just north of 595 next door to Gold Coast skating facility.

Tomorrow night, the band will take the stage at Propaganda in Lake Worth with local bands Angry Pudding and, our heart’s desire, The Freakin’ Hott. The Freakin’ Hott are freaking delicious. I wonder what Maggie’s going to wear. Don’t you? Here’s a little video with a short interview and footage from Jason and the Punknecks’ live show from the band’s MySpace page:

Concerts Tonight — Does Anyone Else Think It’s Ridiculous…

that Bon Iver and Animal Collective are playing Fort Lauderdale on the same night? We get so few touring bands that I actually want to see down here. It’s been months and months of dryness, and now this! I’m bummed. I bought my Bon Iver tickets before I had the pleasure of making an informed choice. I’m not unhappy about it, but I just don’t know what to think. Which band did you choose? ;(

My Awesome Weekend in the Florida Keys

Last weekend, we went to the Florida Keys. We crashed at a house down near Looe Key with good friends Russ and Jess, who came all the way from Los Angeles to see us. Then other awesome people, my friends Todd and Stacey and Evie the Evil One, came down to visit with us on Saturday!

Good thing that I had a birthday to persuade them to come out because they are fun with a capital “F”.

We cruised down on Friday afternoon and took a long break at the Islamorada Tiki Bar , which I will never overlook again, for a few cold drinks and some seafood. Our weekend was perfect, but if I could have changed one thing about it I would have left earlier on Friday afternoon so that we could have gone in the water and bobbed around with some frozen drinks in the little roped off swimming area.
Check out the awesome sandy grounds and warm water right behind me. By the time we got to the house we were driving through a Big Fish-style torrential downpour and found ourselves without power for the first hour. Finally, Chris touched his leatherman to the side of the electrical box to open it and voila the power came right on. The next morning, we were up and out on the boat. It was too choppy to go out to Looe Key for snorkeling, so we went on a shallow reef off of Little Palm island. Normally, I am too afraid to go into open water and I usually spend the entire weekend getting sunburned on the boat, but Chris worked me through phobias and I jumped off the boat into his arms for a big hug and then snorkeled the rest of the day away as if I were just another normal person. It was spectacular! We saw all kinds of fish and even a big old ray sleeping on the bottom. I swan close to it, but not too close because I did not want to get gored by that animal.

Todd and Stacey brought their munchkin Evie into our vacation, and she upped the cute factor by like 10 whole points, which doesn’t sound like a lot but it’s pretty good considering that we were doing all right on our own. I snorkeled without overwhelming fear for a whole hour before I went back to that boat and chilled with Todd and Evie. We urged everyone to come back so that we’d have plenty of time to chill at picnic island, but the group in the water was determined to see a shark. After they finally thought they saw one, they came back and we went to picnic island, where you eat lunch, drink beer and sit around in 3 feet of warm water. It’s so awesome.

On Saturday night, we went down to Key West for a bit o’ fun and had drinks at the Hog’s Breath Saloon and made up alternate identities for ourselves with strong accents and embodied them, which annoyed the group standing next to us that was trying to enjoy the tunes of Chris Cook. Then, we went to Garden of Eden, a clothing-optional rooftop bar, where we got some interesting visuals and the guys mentally sized themselves up against the competition. It’s the rooftop on the third floor of The Bull bar.

I can’t believe it’s over. I want to do it again.

IWAN BUBBLE EVENT - Don’t Cry If You Missed It! See Photos Here! Love Your Local Art Scene, People!

Sweet Bronco and I were majorly bummed that we could not attend the grand opening of the IWAN warehouse in donwtown Fort Lauderdale. How amazing is it that the nicest most giving people in the area have created a home for the arts community? It’s ridiculously amazing. We had a blast in The Keys last weekend and I will blog about that and offer some awesome road tripping suggestions for visiting those islands in a few. I just got off the phone with Garo of IWAN who told me that New Times BPB put up a great photo gallery of The Bubble event. I’m linking to it below. If you haven’t seen the Moodvane photo gallery — basically a series of thumbnails — that shows the progression of the warehouse and the hard-working artist community in the act of planning, painting and engaging in some constructive hanging out, you should check out my photo gallery too!

Click on the the highlighted text at the end of this sentence to view the New Times BPB Photo Gallery of The Bubble event.

If you want to see my photo gallery that shows all of the main players and hard work that went into developing the IWAN warehouse click on the highlighted text to view the Moodvane Photo Gallery of the IWAN warehouse.

IWAN GRAND OPENING THE BUBBLE

Congratulations to IWAN on their newest project! The Bubble is sure to be a smash event. It goes down at the IWAN Warehouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale tomorrow afternoon through evening. All information is on the flyer below.

Below is a photo gallery of the IWAN warehouse! Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTO GALLERY FOR IWAN WAREHOUSE AND BUBBLE EVENT!

This Weekend: The Bubble at IWAN, Zombies Organize, Kilmo and the Killers, Ex-Norwegian, Stonefox, Quiet River, Etc. U Get it!

What’s happening this weekend? Just about every awesome local band is going to play somewhere around South Florida. IWAN is opening its warehouse in Fort Lauderdale, which is major. Also, all of the bands that are playing Propaganda in Lake Worth this weekend are majorly killer, so you should get to it if you haven’t been to cool central yet!

FRIDAY!!!!!
Road nods: On Friday night, blues musician Shawn Kellerman will play at Alligator Alley. Two Miami-based bands will play at Propaganda in Lake Worth, which, I believe, counts as a road trip. It’s a haul to LW from the 954, so it’s gotta be a brutal drive from Miami. What determination PRETTY PLEASE and pop-rock disco band EX-NORWEGIAN show! Also, it looks like Ex-Norwegian is going to go on an East Coast tour at the end of June. Good for freaking them! Take it off the peninsula and scoop up all that cred!

If you’re going to Supercon in Miami on Friday, make sure you connect with the superhotness of The Pretty Faces and Stonefox.

SATURDAY!!!!
The Bubble, the grand opening of the IWAN art production warehouse facility in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been popping in to hang out with Garo and Yvonne, to watch the progress of the warehouse renovation and to lend a hand when and where I could. This is going to be incredible and a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT FOR FORT LAUDERDALE’S ART COMMUNITY!

Zombies! Organize!! will play Propaganda on Saturday night with Orlando-based bandEmergency Pizza Party . Could the event get any cuter or more bubble gummy? If so, it might be hard too much to chew. As it is, it looks delightful. The Zombies played my birthday party last weekend and I was blown away by their humor and style and charm. When Mary rolls her eyes it’s like the whole world is one big eye that rolls along with her.

Here’s Rob Ruth video of Zombies! Organize!! playing Sycophantic Drudgery.

*Blues lovers beware: Kilmo & the Killers will play with Jimi Fiano and James Kidwell at Alligator Alley on both Saturday and Sunday night. Hours are the typical Alley hours. Arrive at 9 p.m. for a good seat. Arrive at 8 and eat dinner for a great seat.

SUNDAY!!!!
Also, Propaganda will have a superhot show on Sunday. The enchanting Boca-based bandQuiet River will play with a Lake Worth band I’ve never seen called Kill Now?!

All of that being said, Sweet Bronco and I are going down to the Keys this weekend for a getaway with friends that’s been planned longer than any of this other awesomeness. I’m really bummed that I’m going to miss these events, especially the IWAN warehouse grand opening. Go if you can. It’s going to be very special!

Last Weekend: My Birthday Party — I Didn’t Get Around to Doing Much Else

Last weekend, I went to the best party ever! Sure it was my own birthday party and I’m a tad biased, but that sh*t rocked! No offense to my other birthday parties, or anyone else’s for that matter, but the celebration at Alligator Alley last Saturday night was fierce. It’s true that we had the South Florida fantasy band lineup of The Freakin’ Hott, Stonefox and Zombies Organize with a Tongues of the Heartworm cherry, so I was prepared for extreme awesomeness, but these bands brought it even harder than they usually do and the crowd was just nutso.

As is generally the case with a birthday, it thrills me to no end until the day arrives, then I get a little reflective on the day itself and during the celebration (sorry to anyone who came to Alligator Alley on Saturday night about what happens when I get on a microphone), and then I’m so glad it’s gone and I feel very excited now to be in no way special. A big thanks to The Freakin’ Hott, Zombies! Organize!!, Stonefox and Tongues of the Heartworm for making us dance and scream. You guys are amazing! There are photos of some of the sexy people who showed up on Saturday below. Because I was so engrossed with the evening’s events, I didn’t take a lot of pictures. If you took some, please send them along to my facebook.

This Weekend: My Birthday, Bands at Alligator Alley! Nothing Rhymes with Orange and Black Finger and Hot Touring Bands at Propaganda, IWAN Books out Poor House

Here comes the big weekend! Happy Birthday, Courtney! Yay! Go me. The last year of my life has been so much fun. It’s been filled with inspiring people and unique opportunities! I am so grateful for all of the people who have come into my life. May 29th is my awesome birthday!

Friday:
Nothing Rhymes with Orange will play Propaganda. Honestly, I didn’t know they were still around, but I still can’t debunk the truthiness of the band’s name — even after all of this time I still haven’t found anything that rhymes with the name of my least favorite color. The last time that I saw them was at Culture Room a few years back when they out-Bono-d Bono with their dramatic stage antics.

Saturday: On Saturday night, Black Finger will play at Propaganda and premiere its brand-spanking new video for the song “Where’s My Parade”. Here’s a snippet from the vid:
Black Finger will play with Mike Dunn & The Kings of New England from Orlando. Big ups to this band for coming down to Lake Worth twice within just a couple of months. I saw them open for John Ralston and the Invisible People at Propaganda just a little while ago.

Another Lake Worth-based band called Siloh will play too.

This year, Sweet Bronco and I spent more than a few evenings going out to see our favorite bands. It was so much fun. On Saturday night, a few of those bands will come to play at Alligator Alley for my birthday. The show begins at 9 p.m. Stonefox, The Freakin’ Hott and Zombies! Organize!! will play. Entrance to the club will cost $5, which is for the bands. If you’re crazy enough to miss the line-up at Alligator Alley on Saturday, or just currently addicted to the Poor House, you can go check out the IWAN-promoted rock show at the Poor House.

Bands include Dooms De Pop, The Monday Photo and Little Beard. Below: Photo gallery of some of the fun people who will be out and about and around this weekend. These are some of my faves!

Sunday Night: Ketchy Shuby and The Methodaires Packed the Hell Out of Fox & Hound

Misha and I went to see Ketchy Shuby and The Methodaires at Fox & Hound on Sunday night, and there were at least 70 people there hanging out around the bar, shooting pool and dancing in front of the stage (well, the space on the floor that passes for a stage.)

There are few things as cool as seeing a bar in Fort Lauderdale going off to live music, especially when the place is packed with a mix of people you know and people you have yet to meet. Hello everyone!
Ketchy Shuby, a Miami-based band named for a Peter Tosh song, went on a little after 10 p.m. We really got into them, as did everyone else, because they played such a very groovy set of reggae and blues music. My main man Danny, the percussionist, worked the maracas like a madman and the rest of the band wasn’t bad either. We bobbed our heads over at the bar and reggae danced from the chest up while we drank a couple of cold cocktails and people watched with great interest! We saw some faces that we recognized but could not place with names and some faces that we recognized and could place with names. After Ketchy Shuby wrapped up its set, The Methodaires took the stage (again, floor space that serves as such) and entertained a very large crowd of dancers, drinkers and random guys sitting next to the stage in Hawaiian shirts. We most definitely want to catch another Ketchy Shuby show some time soon, especially on a weekend night when we have the energy to drink and dance all night long. Then, I won’t have to pull a fast one on everyone around me like I did at that show and drink a non-alcoholic beer. I can’t believe I just admitted to that. I thought that non-alcoholic beers were the biggest jokes ever, but I’ve changed my mind. How cool is it that you can actually sober up while pretending to drink a beer? Very!
Below: Photo Gallery from the Ketchy Shuby/Methodaires show at Fox & Hound in Fort Lauderdale on May 24, 2009.

Saturday Night: Tongues of the Heartworm, Teri Catlin and Some Local Short Films at Cinema Paradiso’s Auter Explosion

So I headed out for the evening with a new friend, Mel, to the Auter Explosion at Cinema Paradiso. These FLIFF events really break up the monotony of regular old going out. Upon arrival, we were greeted by an outside bar under the delightful little white tent on the patio.

We ordered a coupla beers and parked in the cozy plastic chairs to watch Tongues of the Heartworm, and they put on the best show I’ve seen from them so far — I’ve only seen a few. It was notable for great showmanship and wild, funny, driving rock songs. Teri Catlin, who is moving to San Francisco some time in the near future, played a few of her songs, including an autobiographical number about singing a song to her mother whom she’s never met, and a cover of Seal’s “Crazy”.

Then, we went inside and watched short films from local filmmakers. Some of them were better than others, speaking of the best film that we stuck around to see J. Vinazza’s Cut Your Hand on the Good Book

Didn’t I say that Renda Writer was everywhere? While we were watching the short films, who should pop up on the screen but Mr. Writer in a film about people smoking PCP-laced marijuana that’s rolled up in a page of the Bible. Oooops! Bloodshed ensued.