Dear recent Orlando transplant:

Ok, so you just moved to Orlando from New York / Philly / Chicago / San Francisco / et al. You feel lost, uprooted, misplaced -- you're starting to think Orlando might suck. Eager to find some nightlife in this town, you go to Lattitudes on Church Street, Slingapour's on Wall Street and that mega-club on Orange Avenue owned by one of those Backstreet Boys (Orlando's finest celebrities). Maybe you even think International Drive, Citywalk or Downtown Disney is where everyone hangs out in this town. Now you really think Orlando sucks.

Well, you're wrong. There is more to this city than theme park "nightlife" and crappy clubs with guys wearing shiny shirts, but you have to know where to look. Instead of complaining about how lame Orlando is compared to your city of origin, why not get out there and support your new scene -- it's a lot better than you think! After all, you moved here for a reason, right? (I'm guessing to escape the cold weather.) So you can do one of two things: either 1) move back to the city you think is sooooo much more awesome or 2) quit bitchin', check the events below and DON'T SLEEP on the shit that is happening!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wednesday is going off!

Tonight has a lot in store to "get over your hump day" or "cure your mid-week blues" or some other dumb phrase to describe getting drunk on a Wednesday.

First up is Múm, who (according to the most reliable source of information on the web) is an "experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments." All I know about them is their names are hard to pronounce (God, I am such an American) and their stylist seems to want them to be the most stereotypical hipsters I have ever seen, as demonstrated below. Emo song titles include "We Have a Map of the Piano," "Weeping Rock, Rock," and "Dancing Behind My Eyelids." If this sounds like your scene, they are performing tonight at The Plaza Theatre.



Next we have Meat Beat Manifesto, another experimental outfit of the heavier variety, playing tonight at The Social. If Múm is airy and dreamy, MBM is synthy and dark. Their live show incorporates more of an audio-visual aspect and I'm guessing drugs would enhance the experience.



If you know me well enough, you would know I would never set foot on Church Street without a good reason. Unfortunately tonight, there is a good reason -- one that will force me to go to Antigua for the first time ever. While I roll my eyes at shiny shirt guys and under-dressed chicks with fake boobs, Andrew Spear and DJ Mega will be providing the tunes. Redeeming qualities of the night include awesome music, 3 for 1 drinks until midnight and 2 for 1 shots after midnight (hellllloooooo Thursday hangover!)



The Carnival kids are doing what they do every Wednesday at Suite B. Tonight they will be seeing off resident DJ h∆LLc∆LL for his NYC tour. Shit will be bananas, as it is every week.



And last, but definitely not least, The Peacock Room will be presenting Remember When, a "live retrospective into funk, soul, hip hop and jazz" hosted by Stereo 77 and Rod-1. Should also be pretty dope.



PS... I want to wish a SUPER HAPPY AWESOME BIRTHDAY to my boy Tony, aka Schwa who is currently residing in Dallas and taking over!!!! Miss you, kid!!! :)

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Excuse me, stewardess! I speak jive!



Tonight at the Enzian Theater, you can catch the cult classic Airplane! for only five bucks!!! Recite all the lines with other nerds just like you while eating awesome food and getting drunk! What could be better than that??? The only showing will be at 9:30 and you should probably buy your tickets ahead of time -- these things tend to sell out.

Jive ass dude don't got no brains anyhow!

And speaking of Jive talking:



Check my mad Photoshop skills, eh??? That's right - this Friday I will be spinning with DJ Nigel at The Peacock Room and you should be there because this flyer rules the planet. Word :)

Monday, April 28, 2008

Tonight: Tapes 'N Tapes

It's my understanding that all the cool indie kids will be at the Tapes 'N Tapes show over at The Social this evening.



This photo is very serious.

The band has free MP3s available for your downloading pleasure on their website.

Afterwards (as with every Monday) Crush will be out of control at BackBooth. Get in free before 11 by signing up for the guestlist.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Beer fest + John Beltran + SOS Band + Tittsworth

Blogger power outages and a musical about two witches has left me MIA the past few days. (ADD moment: speaking of MIA, I am absolutely in love with the Soulwax remix of 'Paper Planes,' a song that is normally almost unlistenable. Go download it from Glitter and Gold right now!!!!!) Also, forgive me if I don't link everything below -- I am running late, as usual. Anyways, what was I saying? Oh yes...

This weekend is totally going off. Tonight there's an over-priced Beer Fest taking place at Heritage Square that may be worth checking out. Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes these things can turn into drunken frat boy fests (try saying that five times fast!). Not my scene, jellybean.

The Fast Forward crew will be bringing another one of Ubiquity's golden boys, John Beltran, to DJ at the Peacock Room this evening, alongside Dr. Um and Riverside. Nujazz, soul, funk, broken beat and house music lovers unite!



And on to Saturday's events.

The house kids in this town have been trying to pull together a daytime pool party for ages, and it seems as though it's finally happening on the roof of the Vue building downtown. Not too shabby. The free party goes from 12 - 6 PM with DJs Atnarko, Edson, Rob Slac, Mo Negro, Nat, Buckner and TARD.



Old skool kids can relive their Firestone days for a good cause. Tomorrow night a memorial party will be held for Donald Johnson in an effort to raise money for the family he left behind. The lineup includes Stylus, Sandy, Rob E and more. Click the flyer for full details.



Orlando is on a roll with awesome disco-band reunions -- tomorrow Star 95.4 will host a free block party on Central Ave between Orange and Magnolia. Who's performing? None other than the S.O.S. Band. You know them -- they sing "Baby we can do it, take your time, do it right, we can do it baby, do it tonight!" Since I can't find any awesome funked out photos of the band, here is a great album cover that could have easily been shot last week at a hipster fashion show.



And here are two dope songs from the same album:

S.O.S. Band - You Shake Me Up.mp3
S.O.S. Band - Can't Get Enough.mp3


The big event of the weekend will take place right down the street from the block party. Art and music nerds alike will be flocking to the warehouse space at 630 West Central Ave. for the Pintura International Graffiti Conference. The all-day event begins at noon and will continue until the wee hours of the AM. Headlining the event is Tittsworth; other talent on the bill includes Kittybat, Swamburger, Phat-N-Jazzy Collective, Andrew Spear, MOT, Mega, Cub and a ton more. Find all of the details on WPIentertainment.com and MBArtProjects.com.



Grab the Tittsworth remix of AC/DC at Awkward Pirates (and grab the Crookers version too, it's sick).

And finally, if warehouse graffiti parties aren't your thing, the Peacock Room is hosting its new monthly hair metal party, "Turbo Love Machine," and DJing this month are Anti Social and Angry Asian. Come prepared to rock out with your cock out.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday

Lately, I've been hearing that Tuesday nights at the Matador are going off. The flyer already makes it awesome.



If you feel like bustin' a move to Kris Kross and Vanilla Ice, Tuesdays are 90's Night at Voyage. According to their Myspace page, they promise "NO Lil' Wayne, NO Rhianna, NO 80s backbeat with a new hip-hop vocal, NO Reggeaton, NO CRAP!!!" Fulfilling this promise tonight will be DJ Y-Not and LT Smash.



Or, join the hip hop kids over at Phat-N-Jazzy with music by BMF and live art from the BSide Artist.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Earth, Wind and Fire Still Rules + Glitter and Gold Launch Party

Whatever joke I was trying to make about Earth, Wind and Fire in my previous post (i.e. they're past their prime, will only play the hits, not quite the show it used to be, etc.) was completely, utterly, totally and absolutely WRONG!!! Thank goodness. They may have bad hair but MY GOD, they are entitled to rock whatever hairstyle they want while we humbly bow at their feet.



The three original members of EWF are still on point: Philip Bailey's voice is ridiculously amazing, Verdine White can thump a bass like nobody's business and Ralph Johnson is a mean percussionist. The musicians they found to fill in the gaps also didn't disappoint and the show included a few jam sessions where they proved they could funk out just as well as the originals. In addition to the hits, they touched on a good portion of their catalog that I wasn't expecting to hear: among the songs were Serpentine Fire, Brazilian Rhyme, Kalimba Story, Mighty, Mighty and On Your Face.

It was definitely worth the overpriced admission fee and fighting the crowds to see them.



Tonight head down to BackBooth where the fabulous ladies of Glitter and Gold, a super dope music blog, will be hosting their launch party. Tunes will be provided by Pauly Crush, Miss Fit, Justin Scott, Ge30n and Koolbreeze. Get in free before 11 by signing up for the Crush guest list.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Sky60 Password for Tonight and Weekend Happenings

The weekend is upon us and, fortunately, there is a ton of stuff going down. Those who aren't taking the road trip to see Flosstradamus in Ybor City this evening should come to Sky60 to see me and Andrew Spear play. The weather will be awesome and there's nothing better than drinking and dancing outside at a roof-top bar. The password for free admission is "I'm here to arrest the DJs."

After I recover from my inevitable hangover tomorrow, I'm heading over to Universal Studios Mardi Gras, which seems to run waaaaaay longer than the average Mardi Gras, to see one of my favorite funk bands of all time: Earth, Wind and Fire!!!!!!! And even though they will be lacking most of the original cast members, I am still giddy with excitement!!!


It was extremely difficult to narrow down, but I picked out three of my favorite EWF tracks to post here, even though they probably won't play any of them live. You may recognize In The Stone as the intro to Justice's Essential Mix, but they cut it off before the song even starts.

In The Stone.mp3
Sunshine.mp3
Mighty, Mighty.mp3


Tomorrow night is also going to be insane at Crooked Bayou, where they will holding a birthday bash for Susan, the awesomely awesome owner of the bar, and anyone else who happens to be an Aries. I have been to these b-day bashes at the Bayou before (how's that for alliteration?) and there is always a tendency towards free shots... which lead to boobs and ass flashings. The soundtrack to the craziness will be provided by Pete "The Shaker" Bones, T.A.R.D., Corey Harpin and Michael McNabb.



For all the vinyl junkies, Saturday, April 19th is National Record Store Day and you can celebrate locally tomorrow at Park Ave Cds. For the occasion, they'll be featuring exclusive releases and a sidewalk sale. Click the flyer for more details.


The wax-loving continues on Sunday with a record-trading BBQ called "I'm that Digga...still digging" where you can bring rare vinyl to trade with other record enthusiasts. Check out artwork by the B-Side Artist and music provided by Y-Not, Rod-1, Stereo 77 and Rice & Beans.



And finally, have you ever wondered why you can't bring your beloved dog with you to the bar? This Sunday, the 6th Annual Dog Fest Event is taking place on Central Blvd downtown. Also known as the "Doggie Day Street Party of the Year!" the event includes doggie vendors, live entertainment, food and drink specials, pet contests (Best Look-A-Like, Best Costume, Best Trick), moonwalk bounce house and face painter for children. So grab Fido and head to Casey's bar for all the canine action.

Tons to do this weekend -- so stop saying Orlando is boring!!! Hope to see you all out and about!!!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Shameless Self Promotion


Tomorrow night I am playing with Andrew Spear at Sky60. Their website is promoting us as "O-towns infamous she/he dj-duo spinnin everything!" Sounds about right. It also uses my old-school DJ name - B-Strong - which I get a kick out of too. But the night is best described in one of Andrew's crazy MySpace bulletins, as you can see below:

***
THIS FRIDAY APRIL 18, 2008 can only mean one thing.

ANDREW SPEAR & BECKY KINNEAR @ SKY60 !!!

here's how it goes.

this is our dj breakdown.

.... BECKY will start, cause i can't, then i'll get nervous that no one will show up, cause it could rain, and then i'll start drinking, and so will she, then people will start to pour in and buy us shots, and someone will come up to us and request some type of music that isn't even close to what we are playing, and i'll insult, then forget who was there and how i got home, and the next day i'll think that i drank too much and left my records there, but they're in my car, and i'll promise myself i wont do that again,

THEN REALIZE HOW MUCH FUN IT WAS AND WANT TO DO IT EVERY WEEKEND !!!!!

but you don't need to know all that.

..... but you do need to know that this friday is

ANDREW SPEAR & BECKY KINNEAR
at SKY60 and that it's the best option you have.

and it's free with the passwords,
" i'm here to arrest the dj's "


FRIDAY April 18th, @ 10 p.m. without a doubt, o.k.
***

Oh worrrrrrrrd. So use the password and come out and see us. We promise you will not regret it! And the whole thing is weather permitting, so start doing those anti-rain dances, kids!!!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Put Your Hands Together and We'll Set This Night On Fire


VHS or Beta returns to Orlando tonight to rock The Social and I am totally stoked. The last time I saw them was in 2004 when I was obsessed with Night on Fire. All I knew about the band was that the lead singer sounded extremely similar to Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran. But during that show, not only was the group completely on point, they turned the place into the biggest dance party I had ever seen -- a surprising feat for live band. I felt like I was watching a DJ. You definitely don't want to miss out.

Doors for the show tonight are at 10 PM and opening acts include Tigercity, one of Rolling Stone's Artists to Watch, and Orlando's own DJ Diddles.

Here are some MP3s from VHS or Beta's most recent album, Bring On The Comets:

Time Stands Still.mp3
Take It Or Leave It.mp3
Burn It All Down.mp3

And for the heavier crowd, here are some awesome remixes:

Burn It All Down (Surkin Remix).mp3
Burn It All Down (Fred Falke Remix).mp3
Can't Believe a Single Word (LA Riots Remix).mp3

Monday, April 14, 2008

Kittybat's new mix - "What the Hell You Just Standin There For!?"


Man oh man. There are some people in this town that everyone knows -- and, more importantly, everyone loves. You probably can't find a single person who has something bad to say about these select few people. They are just (somehow) down with everyone.

Kittybat (also known as Mike(y) Cortez) is one of these people and has been around forever. Some may know him as the most awesome Park Ave CDs employee who will help find whatever type of music they are looking for. Others remember him as the badass guitar player for the Spitvalves.

Well, he's also a dope DJ with crazy skills and awesomely eclectic taste in music. He has shared his new mix with us and you should go download it now:

Kittybat - "What the Hell You Just Standin There For!?" (via DivShare)

Check the tracklist:

1.Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (intro)
2.Wale - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
3.South Rakkas Crew - Mad Again (Diplo Club Edit)
4.Kardinal Offishall feat. Busta Rhymes - Watchalike
5.Dead Prez/M.I.A. - Warzone Explosion (Kittybat Blend)
6.Rockmaster Scott & the Dynamic Three - The Roof Is On Fire
7.Aaron LaCrate & Amanda Blank - Get Um Girl
8.Wing Wang Twins - Bmore Enure
9.Kid Sister - Beeper
10.Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir - Know How Theme Mix
11.Daft Punk/the Perceptionists - Electro Shake (Kittybat Blend)
12.Shawty Lo - They Know (Mano Remix)
13.Kill To Win - Peaches and Dro
14.M.I.A. - XR2
15.Bonde Do Role - Gasolina
16. Dj Tameil - Trans Newark Express
17.Fully Fitted & XXXChange - 100 Million
18.Pase Rock & Amanda Blank - Sexy Motherfucker
19.33Hz feat. Devin the Dude & Teki Latex - Paris, Texas (Inflagranti Mix)
20.Masterboogie Song & Dance - Roll the Joint
21.Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face?
22.The Clash/L'Trimm - Rock the Cars That Go Boom (Kittybat Blend)
23.Sammy Bananas - K7
24.Bird Peterson - The Jump Off
25.Def Jef - Droppin' Rhymes On Drums

Saturday, April 12, 2008

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.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Tonight - Andrew Spear and MOT at Sky60


Your best bet this evening (weather permitting, of course) is to catch Andrew Spear and MOT under the stars at Sky60. One is an artist and one is a skate shop/sneaker entrepreneur: together they make up one of the best DJ duos in town.

What makes them the best? Maybe it's their eclectic music selections that range from electro to disco to rock to hip hop. Maybe it's the chemistry they show when they play off each other. Maybe it's the way they insult the crowd if they happen to have a microphone. Maybe it's all the Jager shots they put down.

Whatever it is, you should check them out. Tonight they claim to be playing "the shit that makes your parents want to cheat on each other." What more do you need???

Free admission with the password: "I'm here to Divorce my Parents!!!!"

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Pauly Crush VS. Firestone

It appears that the folks at Firestone got into a little tiff with Pauly Crush this past week and things don't look promising for Saturday Thursday. In addition to PC, everyone who used to be on the roster has officially severed ties with the night -- Miss Fit, Justin Scott, Kittybat, Diddles, and Y-Not -- all gone. Taking their place are a bunch of kids I have never heard of -- DJ Marcos, South Rakkas Crew***, DJ Deville and DJ Elementz -- and Firestone seems desperate to keep the crowd coming by lifting the cover and offering free drinks until 1 AM. It's rumored that Pauly will be starting a new night at a different venue to compete with ST but I guess we will have to wait and see. His crew is definitely loyal to him and there's no doubt that he helped make the night what it is (was) today. It will be interesting to see what happens with ST going forward, but there's a good chance it will fizzle out before too long.



***EDIT: Ummm... the South Rakkas Crew??? Ummmm.... they're like, freaking everywhere now... Urb Next 100??? They are all up in the scene, way more than li'l ol' me. So, I was super mega wrong on that one -- I can admit it. Still haven't heard of the other guys, though. Hopefully I won't have to follow up with another edit, eh??? :)

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Condo Art + Krames Say Relax

Orlando is the land of oversaturated, unnecessary, overpriced condo developments. The newest installment in this trend, Mills Park, on the corner of Mills and Virginia, is hosting its very first art show this evening. Bay Two is being curated by Lot1433 and features over 25 local artists. Supposedly the warehouse space is dope and, if all goes well tonight, could make for an awesome new art venue in town. The show starts at 7:00 PM, and the $7 cover includes an OPEN BAR. Yeah!

Artists include:
Christian Guevarra, Charles Marklin, Frank Gady, Johannah O'Donnell, Robert Beck, Robin Pedrero, Vadim Malkin, Ryan Burkhart, Anna McCambridge, Doug Rhodehamel, Adriaan Mol, Elizabeth Shupe, Jessica Peguero, Brigan Gresh, Dana Hargrove, Andrew Spear, Dina Mack, Mark Hofreiter, Andrew White, Elizabeth Nelson, Parker Sketch, Paul Sanders, William Volker, Ryan Kittleson, Rachel Simmons, and more!


So support your local artists, get a nice buzz and then head over to Suite B with all the cool kids for Carnival. Tonight's special guest DJ is Krames of Cobra Kai (the promoters, not the Karate Kid dojo). His Myspace page and Missingtoof both have a bazillion mixes and tracks you can download if you want a sneak preview of what's to come.

***Warning: Staring at this photo too long may induce seizures***

My personal favorite track that he did is called 'Relax in the City', and is a mashup of Glenn Frey and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. It's a bit slow to be played out at a club but it's still completely awesome anyway.
Krames - Relax In The City.mp3

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Feliz Cumpleaños, Swamburger


Tonight, the Solillaquists of Sound will be hosting Phat 'N Jazzy to celebrate frontman slash artist Swamburger's birthday bash, and apparently try to get him elected as a public official. Kind of like the time Billy Manes tried to run for mayor. Or not. Either way, Swam and co. will be joining the absolute hands-down best DJ in Orlando (and nicest man on the planet) Mr. BMF for a night celebrating music and art, P-N-J style.

Monday, April 7, 2008

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.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

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.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Tonight: Lismore, Purple Haze, Robitussin


Oh, Miami, why do you always leave me in such bad shape? I was fine for a few days... then this monster cold gripped onto my chest and won't let go. Unfortunately (for me), tonight I will be downing bottles of Robitussin (not in the good way) while Lismore performs live at The Peacock Room alongside Orlando's own Q-Burns Abstract Message.

If I am lucky, this villainous cough will take a friggin hike ALREADY and I can catch them this Monday at Crush. Le sigh.


Also happening this evening at ex-Blue Room turned Voyage is Purple Haze, a mysterious event claiming "YOU are the star." As instructed, I checked the Myspace page for more info (there wasn't any). What I do know about the event is that Miss Fit, one of Orlando dopest girl DJs, will be playing and that's reason enough to go. She's also behind an awesome blog, Glitter and Gold, which was kind enough to drop the new Mstrkrft track a few days ago. Muchas gracias!