5 Can’t Miss Fall Shows - Becky's Picks

What do I love about fall? Pumpkin everything (especially beeeeer), wearing layers (although that might not be well into November) and Halloween. And the best time of year in the Sunshine State brings a cornucopia of shows to our fair city. So grab an Octoberfest brew, grab a (light) jacket and head to one of these five. (And be sure to check out Amy’s picks too!)

Friendly Fires, The Social, October 8
Ask most people about Pala, the latest album from this British trio, and they’ll annoyingly say they like the first album better. I am curious if these people have ears. Sure, the first self-titled release was good, but boy am I obsessed with the intricate layers of their second endeavor. (“Blue Cassette?” Goosebumps. “Hurting?” Gut-wrenchingly awesome. “Helpless?” Ohmygod, yes.) Eh, maybe it’s because I’m getting over a breakup and my emo side is shining through. But if you’re as stoked as I am to see how they’ll perform the complex studio work live, check them out this Saturday.



Eat to the Beat Concert Series, Epcot, Dates Vary
Ok, so most of the bands performing during Epcot’s Food and Wine festival (Air Supply, Hanson) can only be enjoyed ironically. However, there are a few not-so-guilty pleasures in the mix (ok, maybe a little guilty) like Boyz II Men, kinda-sorta ELO and Billy Ocean, who I saw a few years ago and was totally dope. (He rocked long white dreads and a fresh blue suit, and opened with the song "Nights (Feel Like Getting Down"). Um, hells to the yeah.) Check the full cheesy band lineup and dates here, and if none of them strike your fancy, there’s always drinking around the world and Norway’s boat ride.



VHS or Beta, Will’s Pub, October 14
It’s been awhile since these guys have visited our town but they’re back to promote their new album, Diamonds and Death. Stream the whole thing over here, then catch them at Will’s along with Britt Daley and Yogurt Smoothness. Expect a dance party.



The Cool Kids, The Social, October 22
These dudes bring a hipster element to hip hop, while keeping it on the lighthearted tip, sans the bitches and bling (see also: De La Soul). Internet buzz helped spread the word of their first EP, Bake Sale, making the follow up, When Fish Ride Bicycles, their first official album release. But don’t dismiss it just because you can’t get a physical copy or because of the huge Mountain Dew logo on the cover (guys’ve gotta eat, right?). Instead, drop a few bucks to support their live show so they can keep doing their thing – making fun hip hop music the 90s would be proud of.



Who’s Bad, The Social, October 27
It’s no secret that I love me some Michael Jackson. And since I’ll never get to see him live, I’ll have to settle for the next best thing: an MJ tribute band! And really, what better way to get into the Halloween spirit than with a re-enactment of "Thriller?"

5 Can't Miss Fall Shows - Amy's Picks

Fall is here (even if it doesn't quite feel like it yet) and besides the insane amount of pumpkin bombs I'll be enjoying for the next couple months, I'll also be reaping the benefits of the onslaught of incredible touring acts making their way through town. Here's my Top 5 ... Becky will be posting hers later this week, plus check out the column on the right for even more listings.

Mates of State, The Social, October 7
It’s been a not-so-secret goal of mine to marry a musician babe and tour around the country with our daughters in tow like Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel of Mates of State do. They’re out in support of their seventh album, Mountaintops, which is more guitar-heavy than previous releases (which used to be just drums and keys), but it's still just as upbeat and melodic. Expect lots of pretty people and tambourines.

Stars, Firestone Live, October 15
Last year I drove to Atlanta to see this band of Canadians (half of them also play in Broken Social Scene), because I thought, "Oh they'll never come to Orlando." Well, here they are, less than a year later, touring in support of the same album (Five Ghosts). This means they’ll likely play the same set I saw last year which doesn’t really bother me one bit because they are one of the most hauntingly beautiful bands I’ve ever seen.

Butch Walker & the Black Widows, The Social, October 31
He was a one hit wonder in the 90s (Marvelous 3, anyone?) and now he's more banjo than bad-ass, but I still have a really strange crush on him. If you go to the show you’ll see why, or just think I have weird taste, but whatever. Butch is on tour with his folk backing band, The Black Widows, promoting the release of their brand new album, The Spade.

M83, The Beacham, November 2
Turns out I’m not going to be in town for this show, but I’m still so excited about it for your sake that it had to be included. Hurry Up We’re Dreaming is my favorite new album of the year, and I’ve never seen M83 live, so someone needs to go and tell me how it is. Okay now I’m sad.

Orlando Calling Festival, The Citrus Bowl, November 12
I realize this first-ever festival has the potential to be a giant, shitty mess -- annoying crowds, expensive beer (may I suggest a flask?) -- but this is The Killers’ first show on U.S. soil in more than two years, and there’s a bunch of other excitement-worthy acts on the bill (The Avett Brothers, The Roots, Gogol Bordello) that may make this worth it.

Happy Birthday, Michael Jackson!

Today would have been the King of Pop’s 53rd birthday. Sad face. Luckily we can still remember him and his music (and try to forget about those crazy years towards the end there). Every year around this time, DJ BMF gathers his friends for a proper commemoration, Phat ‘N Jazzy style. This year, the 3rd Annual Michael Jackson Tribute Party is this Friday, September 2, at The Social and features Gerry Williams and Swamburger to name a few. It’s always one of my favorite parties of the year, hands down. So dust off your fedoras and get ready to dance, shout and shake your body down to the ground.

Rest in peace, MJ. We <3 you!!!

Lif + Larva

If you’re feeling political and hip-hop-y, don’t miss Def Jux's golden boy, Mr. Lif at The Social.



If you’re feeling artsy and bugged out, check out Doug Rhodehamel’s latest art installment, Larva (Get it? Bugged out? Larva? Anyways.) over at Will's Pub.



Here are the copy/paste-style details since the flyer is a tad small.

LARVA
an installation by Doug Rhodehamel

Will's Worm! Will's Worm! Party Time! Excellent!

On Tuesday May 26th I will create a giant, inflated, larva-like structure in the lovely Orlando Florida cozy spot that is Will's Pub.

This will be my first attempt at something like this. If all goes well, it should look really really cool!

Speaking of really cool, A Scissors, as well as Algarhythm will be making some music!

All for the unbelievable price of FREE!

Recap:

- Big air filled Larva.
- Music by: A Scissors.
- Free!

See? Not a single hater remark in this post! Aren't you proud of me? It doesn't matter - my opinions are what make this blog worth reading. You know you love it.

Charles Marklin T-Shirt Art + Pop Off Presents Yip-Yip + Twin Peaks Party

Ok, the plan was to post this waaaaay earlier in the day, but the day job has taken over (as it has a right to, of course). And since time is no longer on my side, here are tonight’s events, summarized in 20 words or less:

Can’t afford the real work from Charles Marklin’s art show? Get it on a t-shirt tonight at Mother Falcon.

The monthly installment of Pop Off features the black and white stylings of Yip-Yip tonight at The Social.

I never watched Twin Peaks but if you did, check out the themed fundraiser party at The Lodge.

Be back tomorrow with more weekend goodness.

Silver Streak + Dolla's Solo Show + Awesome Afterparty + MC Chris

My apologies to all of you faithful DSO readers (hopefully there are some of you left) for slacking on updates. Last week I was in Fiji for work (aka relaxing in a villa with a private pool on a gorgeous private island resort) so I have been especially out of the loop. Did I mention I have the best job ever? I did? Okay... so yeah, the best job ever is taking up a lot of time and energy, which doesn’t leave much for this blog.

Anyhooooo... Here are some events going on this weekend:

Tonight at Peacock, you should check out Silver Streak. No, not the Gene Wilder / Richard Pryor movie, but rather a DJ trio consisting of Nigel, spaNk and Rhett Elliot. Peep their promotional video below.

Silver Streak May Dates! from Rhett Elliot on Vimeo.

Saturday night the most awesome local art gallery ever, Bold Hype, is having their first solo show featuring Dolla. Seen those smiling Buddhas around town, the ones that say Dolla Lama? Yeah, that’s him. He also has a promotional video – check it (promotional videos are the new black).

$TILL PAYIN' DUE$ from VЯL♳ on Vimeo.

Then over at Stardust, the official afterparty begins with Andrew Spear and yours truly. It’s going to be awesome, we promise.



Finally, instead of watching 60 Minutes and dreading the coming work week, wrap up your weekend by seeing MC Chris at The Social on Sunday night.



Have a fun weekend, kids!

Today Sure is a Good Friday, Huh?

I never could figure out why Christians call this day "Good Friday" when their favorite dude was crucified. I would think "Black Friday" would be more appropriate, but I guess that name was already taken by the post-Thanksgiving retail store hell. Anyways, here’s what’s going down this weekend:

Mr. Religulous himself, Bill Maher, is spitting his brand of religiously-offensively-awesome humor tonight at Hard Rock Live. I wonder what he has to say about Good Friday and Easter. If you want to find out, tickets start are a mere $55 + Ticketmaster fees. Ouch. Here he is with a penguin.



I have said before that Kittybat is the best DJ in Orlando, no question, hands down. I’m pretty sure it’s because he’s so damn versatile musically – in fact, he plays bass in a rock band called The Attack. They are playing the early show at The Social this evening along with Fake Problems and the River Boat Gamblers. Show starts at 5PM (yikes) and costs $12.



For a cheaper road, check out the Disco Disco party at Peacock Room with Latenight Society, Tard and Nigel. Don’t let the name fool you – not a drop of disco music will actually be played. I scoured the interwebs for a flyer, but all I could find was this video:

disco!disco!


Or, if tasty kid snacks and punk rock is your thing, check out the awesome all-girl band The Little Debbies over at Crooked Bayou. I was always a fan of the oatmeal creme pies.



And on to Saturday. Hipster favorite, Ratatat, will be playing at House of Blues. I don’t really have an opinion on them either way, but I do dig these Bjork and Kanye West Remixes.

Bjork - Wanderlust (Ratatat Mix).mp3

Kanye West - Get 'em High (Ratatat Remix).mp3



There’s also a Ratatat afterparty going down at The Social. This is the part where I would tell you who’s playing (I believe the aforementioned Kittybat is in the mix) but the social’s website is down at the moment, so I cannot fact check. Hopefully by the time you read this, it will be back up and you can get all the info for yourself.



And last, but certainly not least, we have The Empyres a band formed from ex-members of The Hatebombs, Fantasie and View-finder (and also Swami and the Salamis, if you remember them). They’ll be playing over at Peacock with Vanda.



If you believe in the Easter fairy tale, then have a nice one. If you don’t, have a kick-ass weekend anyway.

See Kid Koala for Free

The post-WMC haze is in effect but that's not always a bad thing for us Orlando-ians, especially since we still get a few DJs to pass through our town on their way home from Miami. Tomorrow night turntablist extraordinaire, Kid Koala, will be visiting Phat-N-Jazzy before leaving the Sunshine State. Tickets range from $12 to $14, or you can send an RSVP to RSVP@thesocial.org for free entry. (Only confirmed RSVPs will be valid and you have to be 21+.)



PS... I'll try to be better about posting ahead of time. I am the queen of procrastinating.

Art Shirts + French Invasion + Pop Off

It’s quite a busy Thursday in our not-so-sleepy li’l town. First up, everyone’s favorite large-headed artist (as so lovingly coined by this interview on SmileForCamera.com), Andrew Spear, is teaming up with everyone’s favorite make-your-own-super-awesome-tshirt company, Mother Falcon. From 6 PM – 9 PM tonight, the store will be holding a jump off party featuring Spear’s artwork on limited edition t-shirts. I bought a daft punk shirt last weekend and I <3 it!!! If you can’t make it tonight, be sure to stop by the store before April 15th to grab a Spear shirt. Hell, just go to the store, period! They can make any image into a rad shirt for you!!! I can’t believe no one has done this yet.



Also tonight, we have a French invasion in J.E.S.U.S. land. Institubes labelites Bobmo, Orgasmic, Das Glow will be gracing the stage of Club Icon, along with the regular cast of characters assembled by Pauly Crush. Is it just me or does this lineup keep changing? I thought I saw Curses’ name on here this past week... maybe he’s too busy being Drop the Lime these days. And whatever happened to the real meat and potatoes of the crew: Surkin and Para One? My guess is the lack of bodies the last time they played might have something to do with it.



Last but not least we have the Pop Off crew over at The Social. What to expect: dope ass music, hipsters with angled haircuts and extremely overpriced drinks. Luckily, there are 2 for 1 wells all night... too bad you’ll pay $8 for one. (To be fair, Club Icon’s drinks are even worse. I think we dropped $50 on 3 drinks last week. They might have been doubles, but still!!!)



Happy Thursday!

Jellyfish and Other Weekend Events

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, my apologies for less-than-frequent updates as of late. My home computer has finally died a nasty death, leaving only my work computer to access the internet. And in today’s hard economic times, my jobby job is very important to me. Ok, enough woe-is-me talk – let’s get some weekend action up in this piece.

First off, we have an art installment from Doug Rhodehamel. Remember when he was collecting all those plastic bottles a few months back? Turns out he wasn’t cashing them in to pay he rent, he was creating sea creatures. Night of a Thousand Jellyfish takes place at the City Arts Factory from 7 to 11 PM with music by DJ Nigel. It’s 2 bucks or you can opt to bring a cheap bottle of wine. I know which one I’m choosing!



And over at the place you never thought would open, Will's Pub, catch The Empyres – a band consisting of ex-members of The Hatebombs, Fantasie and View-finder. Or Dave Ewing, Jeff Orlando and Aaron Zacktan if you need names to go with the faces. Special guests: The Bell Towers. $5, 10 PM.



Continuing down the 17-92 pub crawl, we have The Future on Films in Space playing at the Peacock Room. $5, 10 PM.



Househeads should stop in at Crooked Bayou this evening, where DJ Chang (best known as resident DJ at the ecstasy-filled nights of club Simon’s in Gainseville) will be the special guest. No cover, 10 PM.



Kick your Saturday off with a group art show dedicated to life in Central Florida. Altered State features work by Johannah O’Donnell, Joseph Williams, Linda Hartmann, Morgan Steele, Pam Treadwell, Patricia Coyle, Peg Martin and Tom Hope. Each artist will be showing their perspective of life in our fair city – it should be interesting to see the outcome. It’s being held at my favorite bight-orange building, Say It Loud. $5, 7 PM, soundscape by Adriaan Mol.



Also on Saturday, The Spam Allstars will be heating up 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.” Special guest: The Gerry Williams Band. $10 in advance, $12 day of show.



And finally, the last Saturday of each month marks the Dublife party at Crooked Bayou. Hosted by Jungala, No cover, $10 PM.



Have fun :)

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!

Pop Off is .... errr... Popping Off Tonight

The holiday edition of Pop Off is going down tonight at The Social. If you're so inclined to brave the semi-cold weather and get there at 9, you'll be rewarded with free admission and an hour of free wells and PBR tall boys. If you'd rather go a tad later, there will be $5 Patron shots to keep you warm and $1.50 PBR's for all you cheap hipsters. I would stick with these specials since the drinks are grossly over-priced at The Social these days. Music will be provided by the ever so talented Rocksteady Soundsystem (aka the dynamic duo of Kittybat and Diddles) along with the horribly named FISHDICKS + Hardersauce. 18 and up welcome, $5 cover after 10 PM.

PS... I love how fly Obama looks on the flyer.

Keep Feeling Fasciinatiion

The Faint is back in Orlando tonight, making a stop at Firestone on tour to promote their new album, Fasciinatiion. They put on a hell of a live show at The Social Pavilion a few years back, packing the parking lot venue and turning it into an electrified indie dance party.

The Faint - The Geeks Were Right.mp3
The Faint - Paranoiattack.mp3

And bonus remix from Does It Offend You, Yeah
The Faint - The Geeks Were Right (Does it Offend You, Yeah remix).mp3

Pop Off is hosting an official afterparty over at The Social, which is free with your ticket or $5 otherwise. BEWARE: The Social has recently converted to non-smoking (probably a good thing) and JACKED up their drink prices ($9 for vodka + soda?!?!?! You have to be out of your mind!!! This is not Miami!!!). While we definitely want to support the Pop Off guys because they kick so much ass, this will most likely force us to promptly head next door to more reasonably-priced Bar BQ Bar for alcohol.

Lupe Fiasco VS. Nikka Costa

We're lucky to have two awesome choices tonight: Lupe Fiasco at the UCF Arena ($25) or Nikka Costa at The Social ($20).



Since they're both crazy talented and have similar cover charges, your decision will most likely depend on your proximity to east Orlando versus downtown, or if you're a UCF student. (The kids get to see Lupe for free. I'm jealous.)

What's your choice? An upcoming king of hip hop?


Or a super hot queen of soul whose skimpy blue outfit is barely hanging on?


I'm going with Nikka... mostly because I live downtown.

Hip Hop Tuesday

B-boys and b-girls rejoice! Tonight you've got a full agenda as two special tours hit up our city on the same night.

Start out your evening by making the trek out to Disney property (I guarantee it will be worth it) for The Roots, Gym Class Heroes and Estelle performing at House of Blues.



Wash it down at with a special Phat-N-Jazzy over at The Social. The Smash Mouf tour (no, not the shitty band that sings "Walking On The Sun") is promoting the collaboration between Roc C from Stones Throw and IMakeMadBeats as The Transcontinental. Check the flyer for more info.

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!