When Black Friday Comes...

Welcome Orlando kids who have stayed in town this holiday weekend. I took the last few days off to do the family and cooking thing, but now I'm here with your leftover Thanksgiving weekend events.

Right now, as we speak (or, as I type would be more correct) The Milk District is hosting one of their killer parties in honor of Black Friday. Head over to Etoile Boutique, Covert and Beta for awesome sales, leftover potluck goodness, potent holiday punch and dope ass music. Party is happening until 7PM.



Tonight, don’t miss an awesome show concealed by a shitty marketing title. The 2K Sports Bounce Tour hits House of Blues tonight in an effort to promote video games. Oh, and Q-Tip and Cool Kids are headlining.



Over at BackBooth catch Too Hot Redux, a music and art show featuring Peter Baldwin, Unique Assassin with DJ Dirty Sneakers and aesthetic by Mokobun.



Peacock Room is helping you work off your extra helping of turkey with their Stuffed party, featuring Latenight Society, Atnarko and Tard.



Also helping you work off the Turkey Day fat are the Spam Allstars at The Social. The 9-pice band blends “electronic elements and turntables with Latin rhythms, funk, hip-hop and dub to create an eclectic, original sound.”



Saturday night don’t miss Mumpsy and Yip-Yip at BackBooth.



Also tomorrow night kicks off a new party - Secret Saturdays at Bikkuri Sushi. This week fesatures LT Smash and Kittybat.



Hope you’re having a great holiday weekend!

Doug Stanhope (and Hands Up!) @ Backbooth

Man Show veteran Doug Stanhope dresses like that guy you used to buy weed from in the back of the quickie mart when you were a git. He "bases himself out of Bisbee, Arizona, continuing to record, tour, pander, subvert and cancel according to the demands of supporting dogs Ichabod, Henry Philips and Bingo his Bipolar Girlfriend." He's a funny fucker.

Tonight, Stanhope was set to appear at Will's pub, which we know, is still not open, so instead, will appear at backbooth. Tickets are $20 (age 18 and older) and doors open at 10:30. Here's a video of what you can expect.



Also, stick around after the show for Hands Up!

Brett Johnson + Atmosphere + Legendary J.C.'s + Hoochie Productions + The Walkmen

Our first October weekend is upon us and thank god!!! I don't think I could take another day of the blistering Florida heat (although it will totally creep back in... we're not in the clear until November). Since the weather is so gorgeous, it would be a perfect night to go to Sky60 right??? Nope. Tonight they're closed for a private party, so the guys of Get Mental have the night off.



Other options? Well, First Friday equals Club Queso. This month, the crazy Mexican wrestlers are featuring Brett Johnson, the Dallas-ite who's produced tracks for OM, Classic, Brique Rouge and 20:20 Vision (to name a few). He’ll be gracing the stage at The Peacock Room tonight along with Atnarko and Sleazy McQueen. $5 cover, Free CD to the first 50 people.



Tomorrow is a very special day indeed. October 4th is our very own Melanie (Monster)'s birthday!!! I would tell you to find her downtown and buy her fine ass a shot, but she’ll be in Miami so you'll have to take a rain check.



Saturday night there is a super dope hip hop show over at Firestone. It's about time they redeemed themselves - they have been sucking so bad lately. Anyway, don't miss headliner Atmosphere on his Paint The Nation tour, along with Abstract Rude, Blueprint and DJ Rare Groove.



Also on Saturday night at BackBooth, catch the Legendary J.C.'s dropping their unique blend of funk, soul and insanity. The band has been through some musician changes recently, so it will be interesting to see if they’ve still got their umpf.



Also tomorrow, Hoochie Productions is hosting a party at Crooked Bayou. Click the flyer for more details.



On Sunday, everyone's favorite indie band, The Walkmen, return to The Social.



Happy October!

Get Mental + Footloose + Pulp

It seems like we may have escaped the wrath of little Miss Hanna, but now it appears that her little buddies are bubbling to life in our mighty oceanic neighbor. Hopefully, they'll stay away till Monday, at least. Alright so I'm going to do this a little differently, because to be perfectly honest, I get to be unbiased this weekend because:

1. I love Pauly, Andrew and Mot, and have too many friends moonlighting as Backbooth employees
   
2. I have surrendered my weekend plans to my friend Katie, because It's her birthday and she gets to pick where we go (except Sunday, cuz its too hot for Islands of Adventure)

So without Further Ado, Here are your Friday Options for you:


Wanna Stay Local? Here are two Options for ya.

Get Mental @ Sky 60
Always a good time to be had under the stars at Sky 60. Plus this week, you get to watch Don't Sleep's very own Miss Becky behind the turntables, and, If you're really lucky, you get to watch me harass her with pictures, and cat calls as she does it.

The password is "Rock you like a hurricane" and Andrew ensures me that he will remain sober enough to play a full set this time, and not be at the airport or somewhere else, or sweating in a cabana wearing a headdress and a goofy smile. Katie and I will be there in full celebration mode. Photos by KColl as usual.

Location:
54 North Orange Ave. Orlando, FL
The rooftop of The Social/BBQ.
GOOGLE MAP

Drink Specials:
8pm - 11pm: Half Off Cocktails
11pm - 1am: $3 Beers and $3 "Three Olive Vodka" Drinks

Details:
$5 or Free w/ Password
Doors @ 10 / 21+ ONLY

Footloose @ Backbooth
Footloose used to be on wednesdays. Then it got cancelled because backbooth was having a hard time booking actual shows and concerts since the night starts at midnight and its hard to get everyone done and out by then.

Now footloose has moved to Friday. It took me a minute, but here is the updated Flyer, at least, for the new friday night.Still the best of 80's Dance music, that drink specials include a free keg of Miller High Life, and cheap drinks.

Location:
Backbooth on
37. West Pine Street
GOOGLE MAP

Drink Specials:
See above, otherwise, your guess is as good as mine

Details:
Doors are at 10pm, 18 and up $4, 21 and up Free
There may still be a guest list involved, but I don't know where it is

Wanna Get Out of Town? Drive to Tampa for Pulp.

Pauly Crush and le Friends are once again hosting/welcoming/chaperoning Designer Drugs at Club Czar. The event is doubling as a video shoot for Yo Majesty's single Club Action. Dress the part, bring your friends, enjoy the open bar and free beer, and have a blast. Resident DJs will be performing as well.

The weekend will present more goodies I'm sure, but for now, my boss is glaring at me like i drowned his kittens for doing nothing but blog posts all morning.

Toodles.

The King's Bday + Organic Oil Wrestling + Pumpkin Beer + Designer Drugs

Today is a very important day in the world of pop culture because the king himself has turned 50. Although I prefer to remember him in his pre-surgery heyday of late 20's to early 30's, the day should still be given its due credit. In celebration of his birthday, and another regular club patron (also conveniently named Mike), the password for Get Mental this evening is Hey, Mikey! He Likes It. I'm hoping last week's effects of Fay haven't turned Sky60 into a swimming pool but I guess we’ll have to see.

Michael Jackson - Rock With You (Daft Punk White Label Mix).mp3



Saturday night is the best hybrid of sexual exploitation and the ever-popular "going green" trend I have ever witnessed: hot chicks wrestling in organic oil. Ummm... yeah. At least it's for a good cause. The event starts at 9PM at the Orlando Brewing Company and is hosted by the ladies of The Girls Gone Green Radio Show. Guys, there's a price to pay for hot chick organic oil wrestling, of course: you'll have to fork over $10 in advance or $15 day of. Ladies wanting to support Mother Earth can also register to wrestle by emailing your info and photo (duh, no fatties!) to info@thegirlsgonegreen.com.



On Sunday, kiss the summer goodbye and say hello to autumn with your first taste of Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale. Although the weather will still be a million degrees and the leaves won't change, Crooked Bayou is hosting a Pumpkinhead Release Party at 9PM. Local bands Bughead, Mumpsy and
The Little Debbies will be on hand, along with DJ Tard, and every Pumpkinhead you buy will enter you for prize giveaways. The five bucks you pay at the door will also get you one free beer -- pretty much an even trade, if you ask me. $3 drafts and PumpkinBomb specials all night. Mmmmmmmmmm.... PumpkinBombs.... mmmmmmm.....



Finish up your weekend proper by getting wasted Monday night at Crush, where special guests will be the heavily-hyped electro outfit, Designer Drugs. Sign up early for the guestlist because I wouldn't doubt they'll be hitting capacity. Shit will be especially bananas, Labor Day-style, so you'll probably want to blow off work on Tuesday.

Flou - Les Gens Pour Ce Qu'ils Sont (Designer Drugs Remix).mp3



Have an awesome day of Labor!!!

Crush Celebrates 4 Years of Partying.

(click for full size flyer)

Every Monday night, there is a group of die-hard, ready-for-the-party kind of kids that gather at backbooth for One of Orlando's longest running weeklies, CRUSH. Its surprising that in a town occupied primarily by transients and tourists, a party like crush would've managed to survive. But perhaps the best summation of its success comes from the man behind it all, Pauly Crush:

CRUSH is special. It's a Monday night in a city whose nightlife is as fickle as its weather. How has it lasted? Why are we still here? It's because of you. It's because the people that come to CRUSH love what we do and they guide us towards becoming better DJs, more informed musicians, and unintrusive marketers. It's because our friends and fans work as hard as we do to make sure every night goes off. It's because our party is not a business. It's a party.

Now, "1,040 Hours of Partying, 2,088 Tracks First Heard at Crush, and 208 Free Kegs Later,
(but still the same F*ckin President)" Crush celebrates its 4th anniversary, which is one hell of a feat.

So come out and celebrate with Pauly, Miss Fit, Justin Scott and E.Strange and all the regulars, the occasional visitors and the new faces, as they welcome the fifth year of the party's existence. Join us in pretending that It's Friday, drinking way too much for a Monday, and waking up on Tuesday feeling like hell. I'll be there, and here's a visual clue to help you find me:Doors open at 10pm but get on the Guest List and get in Free before 11. 18+ welcome. $3 After Midnight. Photos by Kcoll and Kapoow

Cures for the Summertime Blues

Let's see... it's 90+ degrees outside, it rains every afternoon at 2:00 and the mosquitoes are a-bitin' ... Summer in Florida must be in full effect. There's plenty going on in Orlando this weekend to kick off your muggy season properly.



First up, the new weekly Friday night party at Sky60: Get Mental with MOT and Andrew Spear. These guys totally kill it and usually have a few tricks up their sleeve (like wearing KISS makeup when they opened for MSTRKRFT). Not to mention, they write the best Myspace bulletins ever:

Holly SHEET man the weekend is here. You know what that means? Me neither. But you can sweat fluorescent light bulb funk from the office out of your system and replace it with alcohol fueled dancing at the most mental party on the planet.

We don't fuck around when its time to play our favorite tunes.

Wait we totally fuck around. We are idiots behind the decks in the most AWESOME way to show YOU a GOOD TIME...Does that make sense? Hell yeah that makes sense!!!! Who's Mental. I'm Mental when I write these Bulletins. Anyway.

So come GET MENTAL Friday Night at Sky 60 with MOT and ANDREW SPEAR.

Password for free admission is "Bipolar as I wanna be"



If you're low on cash but still want to get your drink on, hit up Crooked Bayou tonight for "Indulgence." There's no cover, but dropping $20 at the bar will get you all you can drink (!!!!). Wow. Quite a bargain in my world. Music provided by Nic Alvarado and T.A.R.D.



Over at The Peacock Room, Induced Grooves is hosting a "Celebrity Trash Theme Party." Dress like your favorite celebrity and get in free before 11. DJs Kevin Terry, Quez MV and Just Affects will be on hand and there will be giveaways from Van Gogh Vodka.





Tonight at BackBooth, local band Summerbirds in the Cellar will be making a hometown pit stop on their summer tour through the Southeast. Also playing are Athens band, Maserati. They always have dope flyers.



And Saturday, if you're looking for an alternative to Wall Street's Beerlympics, look no further than Orlando's favorite organic brewing company, Orlando Brewing. From 4 PM - Midnight, they will be hosting the Brew Music Fest with local bands Fairweather Friend, XOXO and The Sugar Oaks to name a few.



If you're a Cancer and celebrating your birthday month (like me!) hit up the Chuck Norris approved B-day bash Saturday night at Crooked Bayou. This is the part where I would tell you who's playing but since I can't read the flyer, you're on your own. C'mon, DJ's!!! Use readable fonts to promote your parties, please!!! Still, the name of the party is funny, so I am posting it.



Have a great weekend!

Wonder-full Birthday Weekend!!!

This weekend, I'll be in Boston celebrating the final year in my 20's, but I won't leave you high and dry. Did I mention I'll be seeing Stevie Wonder on Sunday night?!?!?!? I did?



Okay, let's move on to what's happening here in town:



Of course, you should know by now that I am having my (Stevie) Wonder-full Birthday Party tonight at The Peacock Room. I'll be DJing with Ken Sherry and Andrew Spear, so come out and buy me a birthday shot!!!



Tomorrow, summer is officially here! This doesn't mean as much to Floridians as it does to northerners, but still. Soul Elevation Music is kicking the season off proper with their monthly party, Saturday Sessions, at Downey Park from 12 - 7 PM. The music will be on the deep house, NYC garage and afro beat tip -- perfect for a summer day. Click the flyer above for more info.



Saturday night at BackBooth, local band the Sugar Oaks are having their official release party for their EP, No One Can Love You Like Me. If you're not sure who these kids are, check out Jason Feguson's article in the Orlando Weekly. 5 bucks gets you in to see three bands -- Sugar Oaks (obviously), Look Mexico and The Alvarez Quartet, plus a copy of their new EP.



I haven't heard his name in a minute, but Chez Damier is DJing Saturday night at Crooked Bayou. Back in '98, I couldn't stop hearing his song Close; it was pretty much on every compilation and mix CD I bought at the time. His name was synonymous with Pepe Braddock, Julius Papp and Alex Gopher (on a side note, I love how Alex Gopher has totally shifted gears from the dreamier, airy side of French house to the heavier, grittier French electro scene). I was looking for some background on Mr. Damier but all I could gather from his Myspace page is that he's turned into a religious nut (or perhaps he's always been one). Jesus freak or not, don't miss the chance to see a staple in the deep house scene at an intimate venue.



Sunday brings us another installment of "I'm Dat Digga" -- a BBQ and record exchange at Post Renaissance. Last time the selection was mostly hip hop, but I managed to score some dope funk on vinyl: Open Sesame by Kool and the Gang, Too Hot to Handle by Heatwave and On The Rise by SOS Band. Total spent: $4. Not too shabby. Click the flyer above for more info.

Have a nice weekend, kids! I know I will!!!!!

Heavy Metal in Baghdad + Mr. Gasper

BackBooth seems to be the hub of all things awesome in town this evening. At 8 PM there will be a free screening of the new documentary by Vice Films and VBS.tv that's so metal it hurts. Heavy Metal in Baghdad shows the struggle of Iraqi band, Acrassicauda, as they battle for freedom in post-Saddam chaos. They will also be selling DVDs of the film with proceeds donated to the band. \m/



After the movie, stay to check out LA-based DJ, Mr. Gaspar. Here is some background via a Myspace bulletin:

Mr. Gaspar is a funny little fellow with about a gazzilian wicked good remixes out of a funny town called Las Angeles. He's been featured on a dozen or so sites and here are a few of them below. My favorite remixes by him are:

Pictures (Mr. Gaspar Remix) - Sneaky Soundsystem
American Boy (Mr. Gaspar Remix) - Estelle
Love Fool (Mr. Gaspar Remix) - The Cardigans

All of which and more are available from these fine resources:
http://www.thefastlife.org/2008/04/02/gaspar
http://www.amfmpm.org/2008/02/how-insanely-hot-are-those-new-m.html
http://thelemurblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/mr-gaspar.html
http://hotbiscuits.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/mr-gaspar/



If you happen to miss the movie, you can still get in free before 11 by signing up for the Crush guestlist.

Friday the 13th !!! (and the 14th)

There are plenty of bloodcurdling events taking place tonight to help you get your Friday the 13th on. First up are Killer Robots at The Peacock Room -- join Strobo, Maximilian, and Auto as they perform in Daft Punk meets Gwar fashion. The visual aspect alone is worth the cover charge.



Next up, we have a themed punk rock show taking place at BackBooth, aptly named Mosh of the Zombies. If you want to get in on the zombie-fied action, stop by A Comic Shop between 5 PM and 7 PM to get free zombie make-up. Makeup will also be provided at the door and zombie films will be playing throughout the event.



Crooked Bayou is hosting a "5-hour Nightmare of Terror," with Latenight Society and T.A.R.D. providing the tunes. Since the music won't be very scary, take advantage of the terrifying drink specials: $5 Bloody Marys, $4 Red Death shots and $3 drafts.



Grab your bike for a ghoulish midnight trip from cemetery to cemetery. The Ghost Ride will be gathering at the Baldwin-Fairchild Cemetery (301 N.E. Ivanhoe Blvd.) at 11:30 PM and riding over to Greenwood Cemetery (1603 Greenwood St.) promptly at midnight (which is technically Saturday the 14th, but who's counting?). Ghost and zombie costumes encouraged!



The hockey mask antics continue on to Saturday the 14th, with the return of MSTRKRFT to Firestone. Every time these guys play, they are on point: it's definitely a show you don't want to miss. Andrew Spear and MOT will be opening and have hinted at a special surprise in the works. Hmmmm....



And finally, this has absolutely nothing to do with Friday the 13th but is still awesome enough to list. Saturday night, Hard Rock Live is hosting Classic Albums Live featuring Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. With all the layered studio work this album encompasses, I can't even fathom seeing this album performed live -- especially considering the 35-piece Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will be backing up the musicians. It should be pretty spectacular, to say the least.



Be safe this weekend, be wary of your friends named Jason and try to avoid any zombie bites!!!