Totem Pole at Radioactive Records

On Thursday night, I went to the “Free Bl*wjobs” show at Radioactive Records. I got there kind of late, so I missed Kenny Millions ‘ set (and I’ve never seen him before even though he looks very entertaining on myspace, so that was kind of a bummer) and only arrived in time to hear him say, “You’re the best f*ing audience I ever had…” or something like that. I went to Kim’s to get a drink, and then came back for the next band, which I later learned was called Totem Pole. I must say that I enjoyed their improvisational rock music. They look like youngsters too!

I called Sweet Bronco to come down and see them play. It’s so refreshing to see young musicians get wild and have a little bit of fun. Watch the video below to see what Totem Pole was up to on Thursday night at Radioactive Records. They claim Brian Jonestown Massacre as an influence — yay — keep music evil always and forever!

Tonight We’re Off To…

…See Gray Girls at Radioactive Records in Gateway. We’re going now and we’re positively psychopathic with excitement. We like shoegazers…if they’re any good.

Garo and Yvonne of IWAN are putting on a show with 5 bands tonight at Poor House, so I might finally get a chance to see Miami-based band Rimsky (if I can drag Sweet Bronco downtown) featuring the dude from Humbert. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen Dooms De Pop or Tongues of the Heartworm, so it would be majorly fun to check them out tonight. Who are Confused As Ever and Jolly Badfellow? Never heard of these bands before, hm. Oh yeah, I spoke with Peter Giovenco today. He’s a metal sculptor and the man behind the art shows at Full Circle Gallery, including the Blender exhibit that’s currently on display. He let me know that the show will be open on Friday and Saturdays between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. for the next couple of months. Gotta run, but I will discuss what’s so special about this exhibit in a later post.

This Coming Weekend: March 26 through 29 Things To Do That Aren’t Mind Numbing or Offensively Lame

Thursday, 03-26-09:
Free Blowjobs at Radioactive Records. I hope that no one is taking this too literally. I can only imagine that because the main name on the bill is “Menny Killions” that it must mean Kenny Millions, and that this is going to be some wacky kind of musical affair.

Friday, 03-27-09:
David Shelley and Bluestone at Alligator Alley. It’s always nice to have an excuse to go hang out with Kilmo at Alligator Alley.

Quiet River High at Backbone Music in Delray Beach. I really like the sound of this band and I want to check them out some time soon. I don’t think that I will make it to this show because Friday night is Misha’s birthday!

Saturday, 03-28-09:
The Gray Girls at Radioactive Records — New Times article on this band, classifying them as shoegaze and giving a little background on the genre. Sweet Bronco and I were enjoy looking at our kicks and taking in ambient sounds, so we’ll definitely try to check Gray Girls out this Saturday.

The Hep Cat Boo Daddies at Zoo Bar at 8 p.m.

Kill Miss Pretty at Dada in Delray Beach.

PBR Pics from Zoo Bar. Yes, I Know It’s Stupid Awesome

If you think you looked hot on Saturday night, you should see how hot you looked with a big bottle of PBR right next to your head…or foot. The $1 PBRs at Zoo Bar make great accessories for photos. I think we can safely assume that all subjects in these photos are posing (when it is voluntary) with an appropriate understanding of the irony of posing with a PBR bottle while rocking out or getting rocked out. If you think the Hep Cat Boo Daddies look hot in this poster with a big PBR bottle right next to their heads, you should hear how hot they sound in concert at the Zoo Bar next Saturday night, the 28th of March.

Last Weekend: Zoo Bar – The Freakin’ Hott and Stonefox Show

Why does PBR always crack me up?

Perhaps it’s its indie-er-than-thou reputation, which makes it even funnier (to me) that we were drinking $1 PBRs at Zoo Bar (good deal, right?) while watching arguably the best two indie bands in South Florida, Stonefox and The Freakin’ Hott.Unfortunately, The Windtalkers from Port St. Lucie did not make it to Fort Lauderdale for the March 21st show at Zoo Bar. We’re keeping our eyes open for this band though. Keri (Modest Bombshell) and I were talking about ‘em, and we decided that they sound a bit like Vampire Weekend and a bit like the Jacksonville Band Black Kids. We also whispered about Boca band Quiet River High, which she said was awesome and I replied that they sounded awesome on the MySpace. Then, The Freakin’ Hott began its set and all conversation was out the window. We went to this show after attending the Blender exhibit on Saturday night. So, not only did we get to see the mild and charming Raffa & Raina, but we also got rocked the hell out by the same old bands we like to get rocked the hell out by. These loud f*ck-all rock bands are obviously big fans of each other — and both for good reason. Still, I was a bit surprised when Jordan and Dave jumped up on stage and sang along with Maggie and Aaron.
Maggie and Aaron are so eye-catching and their personalities synonymous with The Freakin’ Hott that it’s all-too-easy to overlook the man who keeps time in the rear — Dean. I took this hot video of Dean pounding it out at the Freakin’ Hott show:
Fresh from two mid-week Georgia dates (Atlanta and Athens), Stonefox took the stage after Freakin’ Hott. Though they sometimes play as a 3-piece band because bass player Ross lives in Atlanta, all four tight-jeaned boys were onstage Saturday night. It’s pretty impressive to see these young dudes — everyone in the band is about 22 — play a live show because they’re so talented and in sync with each other. Every time I get to talking to people about music at watering holes around town people ask me, “Have you heard Stonefox yet?” I’m like, “yeah, they sound good.” But the thing that I like the best about this band is that they boys don’t just rely on the occasional partial attention of South Florida’s slacker music fans for audience; they tour like maniacs. After playing originals, the three local boys — Jordan, Dave and Jeff — played some trippy Beatles covers. Gallery from Saturday Night Show Below:

Last Weekend: Blender Exhibit at Full Circle Gallery – Mix Miami and Fort Lauderdale Art and Music, Saturday March 21st

Despite the horrible rainy weather on Saturday night, the Blender exhibit opening at Full Circle Gallery – south of the river in downtown Fort Lauderdale — was well-attended and full of audio and visual wonders. Blender was a very cool mix of both aspiring and top visual artists from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and the people who turn out to enjoy their work and support the scene. The show’s artist include Francesco Lo Castro, Peter Giovenco, Skot Olsen (we really liked Temple of Poseidon), Todd Nolan, Rhee Polamus, Lisa Parrot.

A wonderful Miami trio called Raffa & Rainer performed in Giovenco’s studio at the warehouse. The standup bass and Raffa’s gorgeous voice united for some very beautiful and cleverly-crafted tunes. If you’re a lyrics person like I am, you will definitely like R&R. The sky opened up on that rainy night and just added water: Sweet Bronco and I were instant fans.
Image gallery for Blender Exhibit and Full Circle Gallery below:

Full Circle Gallery Blender Exhibit, Freakin’ Hott and Stonefox Togeth at Zoo Bar

Tonight at 7 p.m. Sweet Bronco and I are going to go to the Blender exhibit at Full Circle Gallery on the southern side of the New River right in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Raffa and Rainer will be playing a set at the art event. Peter Giovenco, Skot Olsen and Francesco LoCastro, among other prominent local artists, will exhibit works. Then, we’re heading over to Zoo Bar for rock ‘n’ roll with The Freakin’ Hott and Stonefox. I hope that The Windtalkers from Port St. Lucie are on the bill tonight. I’ve seen them listed on this show in some places and not in others. They have a really good sound, and I’m seriously psyched about checking out regional bands that drive down here.

Pridefest – This Weekend – On Rainy Days, Let the Rainbow Out of Your Heart

I totally forgot that Pridefest was happening this weekend at Holiday Park and War Memorial Auditorium in downtown Fort Lauderdale. I’ve been looking out off the balcony at the park in the distance all morning and afternoon — I’m too far from War Memorial Auditorium to see the crowd from here — and there haven’t been thirty minutes together without some kind of rainfall. I hope it’s not interrupting the festivities too much! I regard myself as an ally to the gay community, which means that I interrupt and correct heterosexual people when they, whether inadvertently or intentionally, trash talk gay people. Anyway, that’s on from noon to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow. It’s 8 bucks to get in, and I’m going to try to go tomorrow.

South Florida Local Shows & Events That Will Not Be Horrible

Guaranteed cool happenings for this weekend are below. Two things tonight, two things tomorrow night. Attending these events will help you to get away from the people you always complain about when you go out. Those people do not hang out at events like these.

Friday night, tonight

The Marchen and Quiet River High and Stonefox at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach tonight.

Friday night Spring Equinox bonfire and drum circle at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park tonight from 7 p.m. to midnight. $7 This is going to be majorly hippie dippy. I’m all over it. Shoot, I might even go over to the Kava Bar across the street from the park first for a couple of rounds of that mellow-making Fijian root.

Saturday night at Zoo Bar at Orange County Choppers Stonefox and the Freakin’ Hott. Two of the top local bands to play loud dance-inspiring rock music until…you beg them to play more.

Saturday night from 7 p.m. to midnight – Blender art exhibit featuring the area’s top artists opening at Full Circle Gallery.

These are all going to be very very cool events. I am very eager to see The Marchen and Quiet River High play live, but I don’t think that I will be able to make it up to West Palm tonight. I’ve got family in town and I’m going to try to check out this bonfire thing at Hugh Taylor Birch. Tomorrow night, I’m going to hit up Blender and the rock show at Zoo Bar. Good luck to me on that! Hope you find some cool events to do this weekend.

Tonight, Like in 30 Minutes, Free Booze at Exchange Lofts

From 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. tonight, so, yeah, starting in like 30 minutes, “Event” will be going on at Exchange Lofts in downtown Fort Lauderdale. DJs Adam Foster and Vinwat will spin, and there will be free vodka, red bull and Budweiser. I think that I will try to pop in on it to check it out, but I’m a little bit afraid for two reasons…

…the first is that the beverage of choice is vodka (vodka drinkers are, in my opinion, notable for their lack of gravity and intrigue) and the second is that the promo picture is of a red carpet — not only am I afraid of red carpets for the typical reasons (fear of rejection by people whom I would like to reject and the suggestion that one moment or group of people are more important than other moments and other groups of people) but I am also afraid of people who are drawn to red carpets. Anyway, I don’t think that will stop me from stopping by to see how the night unfolds. I didn’t RSVP on the 16th as requested, but I’m hoping that they will still let me onto the red carpet, if there is one, and through the door. When that’s all wrapped up, I’m going to Magoo’s for beer and nosh and, possibly, poker. The poker nights are slammed and highly competitive — so fun! But, don’t get hooked.

PS. I don’t want to hear any bitching about the late notice. I mentioned this event in a blog post about YOLO DJ Adam Foster a few days back.

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