Surf Expo After Party + Dirty South BBQ III

Yeah, yeah. I know.

I haven’t been here in awhile but this is an excellent weekend to return. Why? Because of these two things:

First up, you may or may not have heard the news about Covert getting robbed while MOT was out of town. Lame. So tonight, in an attempt to bring up his spirits, check out the Music Never Forgets party with Mot, Spear and Ken Sherry at Sky60 (I don’t want to cave to their new branding until I absolutely have to!). And since it’s an offical Surf Expo after party, things are gonna get nuts (read: Jager. And lots of it).


And on Sunday over at the Milk District is the 3rd annual Dirty South BBQ. Etoile, Covert and BETA bring you the dopest potluck party of the year including Dj's, live bands, lola's pizza, dunk tank, bike tune ups, crafts and vegan hotdogs! 12 pm – 8pm, rain or shine (hell yeah, we got down in the rain a few years ago). Donations welcome!


So come out and support your local kids who are doing their best to make it happen in the midst of thieving assholes and a shitty economy!!!!!

Magic Playoffs + Extended Drinking Hours = Extreme Work Hangovers

You may or may not have heard by now that you can get your drink on until 3 AM tonight and Thursday due to the Magic playoffs. This is a bittersweet victory for a few reasons: 1) Umm… don’t most people have to be at work early on Wednesday and Friday? and 2) Really, City of Orlando? All it took to extend drinking hours was the economy tanking and the Magic finally making the playoffs? If we ever hope to get back to the days of clubs actually staying open late, maybe we’ll just have to conjure some unicorns or teach pigs to fly. If the Magic can make the playoffs, anything is possible, right? Oh yeah, and fuck you for that parking ticket the other night. I was one minute late and on my way to refill your stupid meter!!!!

Wait, what was I saying? Oh, right… more time to drink tonight! If you want to get all up in the downtown chaos, Crooked Bayou is a great spot to watch the game. Not only do they have awesome food (try the Danimal with honey mustard and a side of tater tots), but they’ve also been featuring Magic-al drink specials throughout the playoffs.


Redlight Redlight will also be showing the game this evening, along with hosting a special beer-tasting event. The Left Hand Brewing Company will be serving up beer flights to try their southpaw-style beer and the first 48 people get to keep their pint glass.

(Note… Not sure if Redlight Redlight gets that extra-hour extension. According to the official press release of the City of Orlando, “alcohol can be sold until 3:00 a.m. (instead of 2:00 a.m.) and that closing of properly licensed establishments (within the City’s corporate limits) will be 4:00 a.m.” This fun little parentheses may very well screw over places like Redlight Redlight, Will's Pub and Peacock Room.)

And the award for most creative way to rip off the Magic’s logo goes to Covert Skate Shop!

Even though I'm the opposite of a sports fan, I can't help but be stoked for my li'l ol' town of Orlando getting national recognition. Hopefully they won't get their asses handed to them again! Happy hangovers to all planning to celebrate (or drown sorrows) tonight and Thursday!

My Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard

Damn right, it's better than yours.



Block party today at the Milk District! (That's the retail area by the TG Lee cows on Robinson and Bumby in case you weren't sure.) Highlights include DJs, bands, a vegan hot dog eating contest and a mural unveiling by Andrew Spear. It's all going down in the parking lot behind Covert (2428 E. Robinston St.) so get down there now!!!

Alt. Post Title: I Drink Your Milkshake!

Fucking Finally - A Weekend Post!!!

To quote the great Sir Boy George, "I know you missed me, I know you missed me, toniiiiight!*" and "Time won't give me time." After over a month in limbo, for which I have no excuse except extreme busy-ness, I'm back to give you the skinny on this MLK JR. weekend.

(*I just found out the words to this song are "I know you'll miss me, blind" so I have been singing it wrong forever. Oh well, it's already too deep-rooted in the brain to change it now).

First up tonight, bundle your happy ass up and hit Sky60 tonight for the Obey Party, presented by Covert Shop. They promise free gear and stickers, 2 for 1 drinks until midnight, and dope music from MOT, LT Smash and Johnny 5 Mikes. Password for free admission is "OBEY THIS".



If braving the cold ain't your thing (pussy!) then hit up the Bangers and Hangers On party over at Crooked Bayou.



And, finally, the main event, the highlight of the weekend - month - year - decade, etc.: The Stevie Wonder party at the Peacock Room. Yes, I may be a tad biased because myself and Andrew Spear and throwing it, but still - it's an event not to be missed!!! Rumor has it that Stevie himself will even make an appearance.



So there you have it. If I hear of anything on Sunday, I'll update this post. Enjoy your long weekend, if you have one. We finally get Obama on Tuesday, and that's reason enough to celebrate. Hope to see you out, kids!

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!

Busiest.Weekend.Ever.

Busy, busy, busy. I'm busy -- you're busy -- we're busy -- this weekend is super busy. You'll probably have to clone yourself at some point to keep up. Due to all this busy-ness, I don't have much time to add a heavy dose of my usual witty commentary. I'll do my best, though.

First up, tonight. Don't go see Jeff Foxworthy or you're an idiot. If you're going to do something semi-embarrassing, go see Extreme at the House of Blues. Admit it -- you loved "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted" back in the day. Dear Nuno Bettencourt, I would have 10,000 of your babies. <3 Becky.



Playing at The Social is Japanese cover band for The Beatles, The Silver Beats. Here's their awesomely Engrish description: "Of note here is Eric, who is a dead ringer of John Lennon, not only for his appearance, but for his movements and voice. One feels the ghost of John on stage when Eric sings. As an anecdote, Tadaaki sang "Yesterday" for more times than Sir Paul!?"



Over at Crooked Bayou, they'll be welcoming Mala all the way from the UK. More info on the flyer.



Hoochie Productions is hosting a party tonight at The Peacock Room with Jevne. Also more info on the flyer.



Get Mental is in full effect at Sky60 with Spear and MOT. Password tonight is Blah, blah, blah, mental.



On to Saturday. The newly coined Milk District is hosting a super-dope BBQ in the parking lot for Covert, Beta and Etoile Boutique. The best DJs in town -- Kittybat, Diddles, MOT, Spear -- will be on hand for your listening pleasure and mad sales will be going on at all three stores.



Taste is having a fundraiser for local animal rescues in the form of a Zombie Trailer Park Car Wash. Say what??? There will be bands also - check the flyer.



Tomorrow night at the City Arts Factory is Spoiler Alert, an art show featuring Bask, Tes One, Parskid and Steakmtn. Awesome DJs too! More info on the flyer.



Phew. Plenty going on in our sleepy li'l town, eh? Hope to see you out, kids!

LL Cool J + Guns 'N Roses Tribute Band + Art and Fashion Show

There's plenty to choose from on this lovely Saturday evening. Brave hip-hop souls who feel like fighting off tourists can head to Universal Studios for Mardi Gras, where the infamous LL Cool J will be taking the stage. Don't call it a comeback -- he's been here for years.

Now a second photo for the ladies. DAMN.

Metal heads can check out Appetite for Destruction, the ultimate Guns 'n Roses tribute band, at The Social. My favorite writer, Chuck Klosterman, has a whole chapter dedicated to the popularity of these guys in Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs and I would image they more so resemble G-N-R than the actual band itself.

If you're in the mood for a vintage fashion slash art show, you can head to the bright orange Say It Loud building on Mills (you know, the one with the best logo ever and the orange sneakers hanging from the power line to grab your attention??? Brilliant). You Love to Hate features the artwork of Dolla Lama, Bask, Tes One and a ton more (click the flyer to view the full list). Also showing off their fashion skills will be Etoile Boutique, If You Nasty Vintage, Covert and Beta, with hair and makeup by Alchemy. Tunes for evening will be provided by Kittybat, Kidgusto, and the best Simpsons rip-off DJ name ever, LT. Smash ("Lieutenant Smash? That's right -- Lieutenant L.T. Smash"). Last but not least, there will be FREE BOOZE, thanks to the Shipyard Brewery. All this can be yours for a mere $10 donation.

Wet BBQ + Art Opening + Lismore again

The BBQ at Etoile yesterday was amazing! The tarps shielded us from the pouring rain (sort of) and it was one of the most fun dance parties ever, thanks to Kittybat, Diddles and MOT. I love when DJs go all over the board and these guys tore it apart -- hip hop, disco, funk, soul, 80's, 90's, indie, mashups... unreal. Huge thanks to Katie Reynolds for throwing such a great customer appreciation party. We <3 Etoile!


And now on to tonight's festivities. The Peacock Room is hosting the artists' reception for the group show Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World from 8 - 11 PM. The show features works from Terribly Odd, Horsebites, Cathey Miller, Adriaan Mol, Mania, Robt, and Moore. Music will be provided by DJs Nigel and Cub.


After getting your drink on at Peacock, head over to Crush at BackBooth to get your second fix of Lismore. See them for free by getting on the Crush guest list. Mondays are usually insanely packed at BB, so get there early. Or, if you get there late, you can always chuckle at the paradox of the hipster entrance line at BackBooth vs. the homey entrance line waiting to get into the club next door.

Rain, rain, go away...

Well, today is the One Year Anniversary Party and Dirty Dub BBQ for Etoile Boutique and God has opened the sky to pour his wrath upon their shindig. But, the show must go on and Katie and MOT have scrambled to build tents for the occasion. So come out, dance in the rain with two of the best DJs in Orlando, Kittybat and Diddles, drink free PBR and support locally owned independent clothing stores like Etoille, Covert and BETA.