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!

Fuck Sarah Palin and Other Weekend Happenin's

Another weekend is upon us in our fair city and it has been well anticipated on my end. My new job as a web editor for a destination wedding magazine is amazing, although nothing painfully reminds you of your single status more than looking at photos of love all day.

Anyways, enough about me. How are you? Big plans this weekend? You should... it's jam-packed full of goodies. Let's get on with it, shall we?



As usual, kicking off the weekend is Get Mental, the insane dance party under the stars at Sky60. Your usual cast of characters, MOT and Andrew Spear, are back this week and Sarah Bitchface Palin has them pissed off, as demonstrated by this Myspace bulletin:

yup.
friday night.
SPEAR and MOT.
2gether once again.
I probably wont, but I'd like to play SPEED METAL ALL NIGHT,
ON BEHALF OF THIS FUCKING STUPID ASS COUNTRY WE LIVE IN !!!!!!!!!!!!

(dramatic pause)

.....there there, andrew.
you dont want to offend anyone.
you want to keep your political views out of your bulletins.

(longer dramatic pause)

..............@$%#&#$&*@$@$(*#*$#(*$.......FUCK IT !!!!!!!
the password for your free admission to SKY60 2NIGHT IS,
"LIPSTICK ON A PIG !!!!!!"
and if you dont recognize the reference then you should !!!!!
10pm -- downtown rooftop
word the fuck up --power to the people---Andrew

Saturday night's festivities begin with a fashion show slash art, music, craft event over at the Say It Loud building. The lovely Katie of Etoile Boutique and A Rare Bird is teaming up with Keiko from Postlapsaria.com to bring you fashions that will knock your vintage socks off. Also on hand are plenty of crafts and goodies from local designers and the major attraction: a Men's and Women's Vintage Clothing Swap. So bring the clothes you never wear anymore to exchange and some cash to support your local designers. Suggested donation is $5.



Next up on Saturday's agenda is brought to you by Hoochie Productions, who will be bringing Andy Caldwell yet again to The Social. I'm pretty sure this is the 800th time he's played in town (Kaskade being the only house DJ topping his record) but that doesn't mean people are sick of him yet. Presale tickets are $10 at the Social box office and $13 day of show.



And who doesn't love Sunday brunch (read: drinking to cure Saturday's hangover)? Instead of cramming in to the official afterparty that is Dexters of Thorton Park, why not contribute to a good cause? Crooked Bayou is holding a brunch to celebrate the birthday of recently deceased Donald Johnson, a local man who helped shape Orlando's dance music scene since the early nineties. Sue and Fluff will be concocting Cajun brunch specials and pouring mimosas and Bloody Marys for the occasion with music by Tard and Dante. Proceeds benefit the Donald R. Johnson Charitable Account.



After you get your brunch on, grab your bathing suit and head over to the Metropolitan at Lake Eola. The SPLASH! Pool Party is the infamous Sunday gathering where meatheads meet scenseters (questioned by Defame:Orlando as: "THEE weekly 'party' in which we all coexist and love one another???"). The mere $8 admission (seriously??? you have to be joking) supposedly includes free BBQ, a margarita, and a free massage. I guess that’s worth it… maybe. Music this week will be provided by Anna Dang, Cub and DJ Dirty Sneakers.



And finally, if you still have it in you, Sunday night kicks off Season 8 of Rockstar Bowling at Colonial Lanes. This ain't your parents' bowling league -- it's geared towards the folks in the service industry who are stuck serving our drunk asses every weekend. Since it's technically their "Saturday" night, things can get pretty messy (read: Drunky McDrunk Drunk). Those who can't handle Monday morning hangovers need not apply.

Good night and good luck.

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!

Tonight: Club Queso + Get Mental

I don't get it.

Margaret Cho is "performing" at Hard Rock Live tonight and it's fucking SOLD OUT.



Really? There are really that many people who would buy her tickets??? Seriously??? Orlando, how can I keep sticking up for you if you are going to keep doing this to me???

Anyway, on to the REAL events for the evening.

Tonight at The Peacock Room is everyone's favorite Mexican wresting-themed monthly party, Club Queso, hosted by Q-Burns Abstract Message and Hoochie Productions. This time the theme is "disco" -- quite possibly my least favorite theme besides Pimps and Hoes.



It's not because I hate disco, it's because I love disco: the music, clothes and everything associated with the whole scene. I seriously can't stand when people try to replicate the era in a cheeseball way. Here's a good example of what I mean:



Sigh. Not to mention that Q-Burns won't play anything that even remotely resembles disco. He probably has a bajillion disco records, too, so why not play some at a freaking disco party???!!!???!!! Okay, now I’m just getting mad.

Let's watch the real deal.



Now I feel better.

If middle-aged white folks dressed in bad afro wigs isn't your scene, then join Andrew Spear and MOT over at Sky60 for their new weekly party, Get Mental.



Tonight they invite you to join them for "Dirty Dancing" and the password for free admission is appropriately "Nobody puts baby in the corner." You'll have the time of your life and you'll owe it all to those two.

Tonight: Phat 'N Jazzy with BMF and Q-Burns Abstract Message

What happens when two of Orlando's best DJs team up to create a new brainchild? The answer lies within tonight's episode of Phat-N-Jazzy. Here's some background info:

"From beyond the stars comes the mysterious John Bigbooty, an interstellar super-group prone to dusty vacuum tube beats and distorted hyper-melodies blasted out of hi-fidelity megaphone speakers. Delicious breakbeat buffoonery mingles with hip-hop sample catching in four outrageous studio productions bound to start a dancefloor pogo riot.

John Bigbooty is rumored to be a one-off collaboration between Eighth Dimension stalwarts Q-Burns Abstract Message and DJ BMF arising from a presumed-forgotten session of beer drinking and beat making. It's been unearthed and repackaged for widespread release and is a sure-fire winner for fans of labels like Wall Of Sound, NinjaTune, and Bastard Jazz. Lap it up."



I have to be honest: I'm a fan of both of these DJs but the name John Bigbooty is terrible. I'm not sure why, but it reminds me of a two-person horse costume.



Still, all things aside, the music should be pretty dope. In addition, tonight is also advertised as "Swamburger's Expo Tees" but I'm not really sure what that means. I'm guessing there will be t-shirts to buy. The B-Side Artists will be doing their thing, and Maria Diestro, the driving force behind local house promoters Hoochie Productions, will be celebrating her birthday.