Daily Loaf

The air is getting cool and crisp, and let’s hope it stays that way, because it is time to chill – in every sense of the word. Chillounge Night – sponsored by Cointreau and created by a Sarasota gallery owner – transforms a four-block area in downtown Tampa into a swanky lounge and nightclub. The outdoor lounge, decked out with lights, a banging sound system and hundreds of stylish daybeds – for those who want to kick back and enjoy a tasty beverage – is a great way for people to mingle in an unusual, elegant environment. If you don’t feel like chillin’ then take your pick of entertainment: festivities include tango dancers, opera singers, jazz musicians, a fashion show, a cigar lounge and a grand finale Brazilian Samba Parade. This ingenious party is bound to be kick-ass and, as if you need another reason to attend, the event benefits Friends of the Festival. Sat., Oct. 10, 6 p.m.-11 p.m., $15 per person in advance, $20 per person at the door, $75 VIP, attendees must be 21+, downtown Tampa along Franklin St., 941-448-0995, chilloungenight.com. – Lily Reisman

A traveling exhibition organized by Chattanooga’s Hunter Museum of American Art, I Heard A Voice: The Art of Lesley Dill brings nearly 30 of the acclaimed contemporary artist’s works — with an emphasis on sculptural installations — to St. Petersburg. Poetic and psychologically charged, Dill’s constructions often combine fabric and figures (or dress forms) with text to spellbinding effect; works featured in I Heard A Voice respond to poetry by Emily Dickinson, Salvador Espriu and Franz Kafka. Expect to be moved by the artist’s ideas and awed by her craft. (Pictured: “Rise,” Laminated fabric, hand-dyed cotton, paper, metal, silk organza with cotton. Courtesy of the Artist and George Adams Gallery, NY) Oct. 10-Dec. 27, Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg, 727-896-2667, fine-arts.org. – Megan Voeller Read the rest of this entry »

This weekend, The Florida Orchestra kicks off its 2009-2010 season with a masterworks concert of fiery Latin sounds – Rhythms on Fire.

TFO is joined by two internationally-recognized mega-talents for the program: Cuban native classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco, who’s been composing, recording and performing for more than three decades; and bandoneón master Daniel Binelli (pictured, photo by Peter Schaaf), an Argentine musician, seasoned composer and experienced arranger specializing in all styles of tango. He’s also the torchbearer of the music of Astor Piazzolla, with whom he has collaborated. Among the compositions featured include Piazzolla’s tango-tastic Double Concerto for Guitar and Bandoneón, Manuel de Falla’s flamenco-flavored El Amor Brujo (Love Bewitched), Arturo Marquez’s playful Danzón No. 2 and Silvestre Revueltas’ haunting Read the rest of this entry »

The Studio@620 has collaborated with more people than Kanye West, now teaming up with The Florida Orchestra for An Intimate Collaboration, an up-close, once-monthly, themed performance on the Studio’s cozy stage. Tonight’s entertainment is based on “Rhythms of Life,” and includes a combo of “dance, song, rhythm, poetry and music” under the steady baton of conductor Stefan Sanderling, accompanied by rich, sultry-voiced mezzo-soprano, Jennifer Hines (pictured). Tues., Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., The Studio@620, 620 First Ave., S., St. Petersburg, $10, studio620.org.

Read the rest of this entry »