Tonight, We Go See Some Bands That Aren’t New!

A dizzying number of new band names are popping up on flyers and show listings. Presumably this means that even more new bands are emerging or that previously non-gigging bands are taking the stage or that we’re seeing more side projects from the already considerable number of musicians who are entertaining South Floridians week in and out. Exciting as that is, tonight it’s all about the tried-and-true South Florida bands that have been gigging the area for a few solid years. Propaganda’s got The Pretty Faces and Blond Fuzz (Stonefox),  who will share the club’s stage with newer acts The Clementines and Everymen, a pack of shirtless, suspendered madmen. This is a line-up that’s definitely worth checking out, even for Broward crews. Despite feeling exhausted, I will probably try to catch this show. It could be The Pretty Faces’ last South Florida gig, according the article I wrote for New Times BPB.

The Broward temptation that puts this plan into question is the show at The Monterey Club with the truly old school 954 rockers from Tongues of the Heartworm and Mr. Entertainment. Hmmm.

Mid-Week Shows and This Friday Night

What is with all of the mid-week shows lately? Goolsby will play tonight at Propaganda with Kill Now and A Hunter’s Pace, but we’ll try to catch them at Respectable Street on Thursday with Sleigh Bells.

Speaking of mid-week shows, I finally saw twin brother-fronted The Dewars perform last Wednesday night at the oil spill benefit show at Propaganda. They were nothing less than phenomenal. I’ve got to get deeper into their recordings. They’re going to play again this Friday night at Propaganda, but I need time to digest what I’ve already seen. The Jameses killed it too, but they always do. We picked up their single record, which I’ve had to flip back and forth and back and forth just to give both songs “Rat People” and “The Haunted Rider” a few listens. We’ll catch both of those bands on August 7 at the Lake Worth It festival. Surfer Blood was awesome too. The band’s live show didn’t always live up to the hype, in my opinion, which would have been hard to do because the hype around that band was pretty big. Now, Surfer Blood really sounds and performs like a national band.

Instead of heading up north this Friday, we’ll likely go to Monterey Club for TIMB‘s birthday party. It’s been a while since enjoyed the classic line-up of Zombies, Freakin’ Hott and TIMB in a Lauderdale club. You can’t go wrong wtih that. The following Friday, the 16th, at The Monterey club will be Tongues of the Heartworm, thank God. It’s been a while since we’ve seen these guys — heard somebody had a baby. They’ve even got a new logo that’s sure to make you barf if their name hasn’t already done the job. Wait! MJ designed it? That’s bass player Mike Johnson. What? Awesome!

Ahem, Hi There Everyone

Aghh! This feels good. It’s been a while, eh? I don’t have too long to blog now, but I just want to mention the rooftop party that’s going on tomorrow night at Nu River Landing. Twilight Notes, the DJ group that spins at downtown Brew and other local venues, is celebrating its two year anniversary. That’s a big deal, especially considering that their parties have kept getting bigger the entire time. But, what I think is going to be super radical about the whole thing, besides the music and the company and the fact that it benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is the whole rooftop angle. It’s running like charity events tend to with the steep cover price of $25 that’s not really that steep because it’s all inclusive. Good job, Adam. Good job, Eric. Good job all other TN-affiliated DJs. If we could all be as cool as you, we’d probably try and still eff it up.

Also, despite the distance I’ve been keeping from my internet, I have been going out and about for the last few weeks. There’s lots of new stuff to know (Stonefox changed its name to Blond Fuzz. Did you know that? If not, you’re further out of the loop these days than I am) and new people to meet (Have you seen the new local blog by the Fort Lauderdale Collective? They’ve got five bloggers and Mood Vane only has one. No Fair!!!! New Times Music Editor Reed Fischer already wrote about it at New Times recently-launched BPB-centric music blog County Grind. No Fair!!! Why’s everyone got to be so diligent all the time?). Also, there’s very likely going to be a not altogether new but very exciting venue opening in downtown right behind Maguire’s Hill 16 (Magoos!) in early July. Will discuss later.  Bye Bye! Miss you! Hi Shmee!

This Weekend: It’s a Little Mind Boggling, But…

…we’ll be cool as long as we don’t try to do everything. Chris and I might, and that’s a big might, go see Flaming Lips at Sun Fest on Thursday night. After spending an hour hating them the last time I saw them at Langerado, and complaining the whole time that my party made me stand there and watch a bunch of furry creatures dance around the stage while Wayne Coyne crawled around the audience in his big clear ball acting like he should be (at the time, I thought undeservedly) adored, the band played one of my favorite songs, “Do You Realize”. Oops. Chris will never let me live that down. So I gave the band a few hundred spins over the years and Flaming Lips has become one of my faves. You know what other band I passionately hated the first time I saw it on TV? Arcade Fire. Nice instincts, Court. The other bands on Thursday aren’t as fabulous as the Lips and likely will not merit the 45 minute drive plus 30 bean per person drop. We’ll see.

Friday: Here’s a nice suggestion for Friday night: Alexander and Bastard Love Child of Rock ‘n’ Roll at 1921. Also, I haven’t been able to confirm it, but I think that the hilarious, wandering, bluegrass-playing, storytelling one-man band Smokestack and the Foothill Fury will be at The Monterey Club on Friday night. It’s on his MySpace calendar but not the club’s calendar. I hope he’s coming. We had a blast the last time we saw him. Smokestack’s gritty, but I highly recommend catching his show if you’re not otherwise engaged on Friday night. He’s always on tour, which is pretty inspiring for all of us regular folks. PS. Monterey’s very close to 1921, so it would be possible to hit both clubs. Keep in mind that these are not expensive venues. Five bucks here, five bucks there. How much do a couple of O’Doul’s really set you back?

Saturday, Huge Partay!Also, The Bubble’s big anniversary blowout is this weekend. I would go into the significance of the occasion, but it would be redundant to and a muted echo of Erica Landau’s brilliant article in New Times on the evolution of IWAN, the promotional group, and The Bubble, the space. Plus, I’m quoted in the article, which I believe is the first time that anyone’s ever asked my opinion in all of my, ahem, 27 years on the planet. If you hate poetic prose and just want to know what in the heck is gong on, the quick-and-dirty version is that IWAN is going to celebrate its anniversary with an all-day event at THE BUBBLE and all-night event at POOR HOUSE and an acoustic Sunday night show at JIB ROOM. I believe that event has gone monthly, and was a very fun affair last month (thanks, Trav). The line-up is listed on the Facebook invite. Also, the portion of the party at Poor House will feature a mysterious band called Falco, which I’ve heard is a lot like Stonefox, the tight-pantsed blues rock trio that broke up 3 months ago, but three months older and, if I’ve heard correctly, the members of Falco have beautiful muffintops.

Seriously, they do look a lot like Stonefox. See for your own self: Stop it, Stop rocking right now, silly boys! Stop banging your heads. It’s insuh-portable! Isn’t it weird that the weekend of Stonefox’s last show was the last time Smokestack played in Fort Lauderdale? Hmmm? Can we say full circle, kids? Can we say muy interesante and totally random? We can say whatever we want…almost.

Trips down memory lane are wonderful, aren’t they? Check this photo gallery out! Photos:
What did THE BUBBLE look like in the early days?

Also, if you’re a Palm Beacher, Saturday’s show at Propaganda looks way better than decent. Miami’s indie pop band Ex-Norwegian, a female fronted trio from Atlanta called Geri X, Mike Mineo and The Still Voice.

I think Saturday evening at Bubble and the Sunday acoustic at Jib will consume all of the energy that I’ll be able to muster, but running around to Friday’s events could be interesting too. I don’t want to miss Smokestack…if he’s really coming.

A Few Days in the Keys and the Keys to the Weekend…

Chris and I are going to be scooting on down to the Florida Keys for a couple of days, and we’re surely going to miss ya’ll. But, what can we do? We need a little sunshine and warm water! Seriously. Last weekend blew by in a showless blur of ham, furriness and resurrection. The shows are gonna be crazy this weekend though.

I’m not going to be able to do everything, but I am going to try my very darndest to make it out to see Fire Zuave, Goolsby, Black Finger, Noble Rocket, Cracker, Zombies Organize, and some other bands.
If we get back into town on Thursday night, I’m going to cruise up to Propaganda to check out Fire Zuave, The Dewars and Goolsby. If we don’t get back into town on Thurs, I am contemplating skipping Sweet Bronco’s Gainesville trip for a Friday night show with Ancient River (that’s drummer Chad Voight’s band — ya’ll remember him from The Outrights back in the day?), a psychedelic blues rock shoegaze band (bluesgaze is what Chris and I like to call it) that absolutely kills it, and going to check out Fire Zuave and Goolsby along with Tampa-based bluesgaze (aw yeah! anotha one) band Sleepy Vikings at Monterey Club on Friday night instead — it’s always cool when people take the time to come down to SoFla to play for us. Thanks, dudes. Chuck Andrews of Fire Zuave, a South Florida band that relocated to Athens, compares the college town’s music scene to a skate park, where everyone is pushing each other forward, and says Fire Zuave is sitting on two albums worth of material and rehearsing four hours a day to push it forward in a serious way. Darn, they must put on one hawt live show.

I’m gonna go to Propaganda for the 1-year anniversary on Saturday, so I’ll miss the metallic mastery of Murderous Rampage and Shroud Eater and Junior Bruce at Poor House. Who’s Junior Bruce? I get so behind on these things sometimes. At Propaganda on Saturday, The Broncincators are going to play with darling, sexy, smartypants rappers Zombies Organize, The James and Everyman. Everybody was cuckoo for The James last time we saw them.

OMG, there is waaay too much happening this weekend. Sunday, Cracker will play at Propaganda. If you can fill in this blank, you might be a top contender for attending the show. “I’ll be with you girl/Like being low/Hey, Hey, Hey like ___________”. Shh, don’t sing it out loud. They have other songs too. They’re playing with Noble Rocket and Black Finger. Have you ever seen Black Finger? It’s been a wicked long time since I’ve seen the group. I’ve caught Greg and Andy in action with John Ralston’s Invisible Music, but it’s been just about forevs since I’ve seen the dark digit as such.

Sheila Hafsadi, frontwoman for A Hunter’s Pace is pushing to promote the bejesus out of her April 17th Reckless Dames event with Viva Le Vox and Kill Now?! show. I mention this because I like to see people put in effort and also because I still haven’t seen the buzzed-about Viva Le Vox, one of many reasons that I’m thinking about going. I’m not going so that I can get spanked by an oversized lollipop. That’s next weekend.

Wow, this is one crazy week. I think I’m gonna need a nap.

Look How Cool I Was

Hey suckers! Look how cool I was for like 30 seconds last Thursday night when I posed like a big poser with the Paul Simundich at the Retrocities/A Hunter’s Pace show at The Monterey Club. I had a blast watching the show and will post some photos of the bands soon. Saturday night’s shows at The Bubble and Poor House were also insane as you shall see.

Have you heard Paul sing “Anchor”??? It’s fab!

Happy Halloween, Suckers!

The line-ups of local shows are going to be stacked with talent this weekend. IWAN’s The Bubble warehouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale celebrates the scariest of nights with performances by Rob Elba, Dooms de Pop, Alex Nelson, Doersam, Matilda Lights, Flees, Sweet Bronco, Trav and Fantastic Amazing. The indoor/outdoor gallery space and concert venue is going to be the place to see and be seen in your scariest Halloween costume this Saturday night.

Moving up the coast a few miles, Propaganda in Lake Worth will host “A Nightmare on J Street”, an all-night party featuring top local bands Zombies Organize, The Freakin’ Hott, Stonefox, TIMB and Bonnie Riot. The rock will be loud and the talent is sure to frighten you with its brilliance. Local music lovers, get ready to get rocked this Halloween!

I’m so curious about this Squeeze Halloween party at SeaMonster. Of course, that’s the same location as the original Squeeze nightclub. I never went there, so I definitely want to pop in to check it out after the IWAN event. We’ll see if Sweet Broncula will actually indulge me on this.

Also, on Friday night, IWAN is putting on its monthly show at Poor House. I’m not sure who’s playing, but I think that I’m going to go to check out the changes to the venue. I’ve heard that it’s unrecognizable. Also, on Friday, there’s a triple feature horror night at FLIFF — three horror movies, a hot dog, bottomless popcorn and 2 drinks for $25. Those flicks are The Seventh Moon, Audie and the Wolf and Paranormal Activity.

Keep your eyes open for Sweet Broncula and Moodvein. We will be the scary vampires with sharp teeth!

Saturday Night: Alligator Alley Closed with Final Performance by Stonefox

Every occasion that has meaning contains a moment that represents it. When you remember the occasion, you really just remember that moment and the way that you felt. The closing show at Alligator Alley was one of two dramatic moments that I was witness to at the little club in Oakland Park during its final week in operation. The first occurred during Kilmo’s birthday party two weeks ago when Albert Castiglia thanked Kilmo for giving him a job — playing blues guitar on the stage — for seven years and then turned around and kissed him on the forehead.

The second occurred during the very last moment that sound ever slipped from the speakers at the club when the members of Stonefox brought Kilmo up to jam on the final song of their set with them. Although it’s sad that the venue closed last week, I feel confident that Kilmo and Co. will be back in business in the spring in a new location with a slightly different format. It was also inspiring to see the cool peeps who came out to bid the club adieu, including New Times Erica Landau, Sun-Sentinel’s Sean Piccoli, City Link’s Danation writer Dan Sweeney, local rocker Scott Putesky and, of course, Moodvane wouldn’t have missed it for the world. By the way, Stonefox, if I haven’t already said so, each member of Stonefox has showmanship and generosity of manners well beyond their years. (Plus, are you guys getting hotter? I thought that wasn’t possible. Weird.) Stay classy, Stonefox. You were the perfect band for this occasion. It is with more than a bit of sadness that I publish my last Alligator Alley post of 2009. Adieu little watering hole on Commercial and Dixie. Kissing you off to bigger and better. Parting shot:

Black Dynamite and FLIFF’s Arrival — Bands, Last Alligator Alley Shows

I get lost sometimes. The world is so fast, and my perception, I often feel, is just a little too slow. I have been so much in my own mind lately that external happenings have rushed by without grabbing my attention. But now I will look to see what of interest and consequence will occur tonight, tomorrow and perhaps even on Sunday. Of course, we all know that FLIFF kicks off tomorrow night with Timer, a romantic sci-fi comedy about a chick with a timer implanted into her arm that tells her when she will see the love of her life for the first time. Of course, I don’t have $80 to throw at FLIFF just yet — maybe next year!! — for a flick and a party. It would be better for me if I went to fewer parties than I already do, so there’s no need for a simple gal like me to spend so much for both when it’s possible to gain access to the film for $10. Unfortunately, it will air all of the way out in the boondocks at Nova Southeastern’s Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center (could the name be any longer?). Although I’m a sucker for romantic comedies, I don’t see traveling for a film in my immediate future.It’s far more likely that I will attempt to see Black Dynamite this weekend.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Alligator Alley will host its closing parties. On Friday, blues musicians will play, including Albert Castiglia, Kilmo, Jeff Watkins and John Yarling.
On Saturday night, it’s gonna be Stonefox, Whirl and other local rock bands. We’ll be there. We wouldn’t miss this.

On Friday night, Tongues of the Heartworm will play with Gray Girls — that’s Radioactive Records Richard’s band — at Propaganda. Tongues! Tongues! Tongues!

Last Weekend: Big Concerts And The End Of, Or At Least An Interruption Of, An Era of Local Live Music

Sweet Bronco and I went to see The Bravery at The Culture Room on Friday night. It was pure fun! The crowd ranged from very young teeny boppers to people in their mid-40s, which provided a great deal of entertainment because some of the kids who were trying to mosh around in the middle of the floor got reprimanded by nearby stand-ins for parental figures. Crash Kings, the second opening band, was pretty good, but the first opening band, The Dustys from Arlington, Virginia should probably break up and all join different bands. That band was just not as entertaining as one would hope that the opening band for The Bravery would be.

Leonard Cohen’s concert at The BankAtlantic Center on Saturday night was precious (he’s a 75-year-old man who skips) beautiful (lush female harmonies and LC, an accomplished poet and novelist, even delivered some of his songs as spoken word poems) and inspiring (now we all want to be as wonderful as LC). The 75-year-old singer/songwriter/novelist/poet/monk was exactly what every artist could ever want, but most could never hope, to be: while exhibiting musical and linguistic talents well beyond the scope and scale of what any mortal could ever pine and pray for, he was humble and generous with the audience, exuding gratitude and hopes that none of his new South Floridian friends would get sick from the sudden weather change — which occurred during his concert! Worship him!

Sweet Bronco and I popped by Kilmo’s birthday party last night, which was a blast but for that lingering issue of the current venue’s fast-approaching demise, which drew tears from more than a couple of faces. There is some talk about the well-branded institution resurfacing some time in the spring, but for now it’s uncertain — as so many things are…for now. Albert Castiglia, Kilmo and others played blues song after blues song, interchanging players on different numbers. I don’t know that I’ve ever gone to the venue on a blues night and just sat there and listened before, but it was so fun and, despite the circumstances, everyone, even the birthday boy, seemed to be in good spirits. The venue’s final show will be on Saturday — Stonefox and Whirl with Nikki Maoz and other bands!

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