Daily Loaf

Paula, I feel your pain.

The “nice” American Idol judge (AKA the “nutso” American Idol judge) gets lots of flak for being overly kind to even the most unlistenable contestants. But as one of three judges last night for GaYbor Karaoke Idol II, the entertaining weekly competition at Streetcar Charlie’s in Ybor, I now realize how tough it is to tell someone to his/her face that singing might not be the best career choice if you can’t carry a tune for shit.

Actually, it wasn’t that much of a problem that we were unable to tap our inner Simon Cowells (even though I know that my fellow judges, Albert the Realtor and Tara the International Woman of Mystery, definitely have some Simon in ‘em). The five contestants all showed merit, and a few were just downright good — particularly the winner, Yarrick Conners, whose awesome range and rhythmic precision suggest he should get himself to an AI audition as soon as possible (plus, he kind of looks like Taye Diggs). Read the rest of this entry »

“Bring on the Men and Let the Fun Begin.”  That was the opening number of M.A.D Theatre’s Broadway Gay Cabaret (M.A.D. stands for Music, Acting and Dance).  And they truly did bring on the fun.

I walked into Streetcar Charlie’s in Ybor not really knowing what to expect.  As a friend of mine said, it could be really good, or it could be really bad.  There was a small stage area with a white gauzy curtain.  The performers (about ten men and women) were dressed in basic black and added props appropriate to the various songs.

Director, producer and performer Justyn Wade Dansby introduced the show as a “Fabaret” that would cover the themes of love, life, happiness and unhappiness, and he was right.

I was pleasantly surprised.  The group had some truly kick-ass voices. Read the rest of this entry »

Brian Ries recommended some sports-bar alternatives where the crowds wouldn’t be on Game Day, and he was right about the attendance. At the start of a Super Bowl that would turn out to be one of the best ever, Ybor City (hung over from the night before, perhaps) was very quiet. But if nothing much was happening yet in the bars themselves, the denizens of the bars were happy to talk to Creative Loafing’s camera.

Alton Isings of L’Olivier’s Restaurant (and Miami Modern) asks a key question:

More videos after the jump:

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