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A few weeks ago, I went off about the coming back of comebacks, especially when it came [back] to those New Kids on the Block.
Now Yahoo weighs in…
Have you seen NKOTB’s new video? It’s ridiculously lame — can’t take my eyes off of it. Happy Tuesday, folks.
You hang tough, guys. You. hang. tough. [tee hee]
Courtesy the modern marvel of Facebook updates, this from CL Best of the Suncoast Man-About-Town Matt Orr, whose status as of 1:19 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7 reads, “Matt Orr is excited about the random and underground art show happening on Main and Lemon tonight at 8:00. I hear there will be flaming absinthe.”
You had us at random. And flaming absinthe.
Top o’ the TGIF to you, folks. Below, a few late-breaking options for this, your post-election weekend. Yes, you can do all of these things — at least with proper time-management.
MUSIC ON MAIN
Fri., Nov. 7
Main St. at Lakewood Ranch, 907-9243, shoplakewoodranchmainstreet.net
Along with the Rum Runners band, the Manatee County Cloggers (!!) perform at 7 and 8 p.m. tonight, while the Hernando De Soto Historical Society presents the Crewe of De Soto — an educational troupe clad in authentic 16th century Spanish attire. There’ll also be face painting, eats and more, to benefit the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. There’s no admission charge.
FAIR TRADE PERUVIAN ART QUILT SHOW
Fri., Nov. 7
Artisan’s World Marketplace, 128 S. Pineapple Ave., downtown Sarasota, 365-5994
Peruse this 3D Arpillera Art Quilt Show 6-9 p.m., featuring the original work of 15 Peruvian textile artists. The event runs through Nov., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. Admission is free.
SIDEWALK ASTRONOMY
Sat., Nov. 8
Parking lot next to Chico’s at 8141 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 907-9243
The Deep Sky Observers invite you to observe the cosmos, beginning at sunset and going until 10 p.m., weather permitting. Telescopes are provided. The event is free.
FILM NIGHT
Sat., Nov. 8
Parking lot behind The Little Salon, 426 Central Ave., Sarasota’s Rosemary District
At 7:30 p.m., screen the work of local filmmakers Brian J. Boyd and Harlan Schmidt on a king-sized overhead outdoor movie screen with “vintage intergalactic hi-fi stereo sound.” Boyd also plays deejay for a vinyl showcase, and Wildly Ripe Catering serves up some munchies. There’s no admission fee.
IMPACT’S THIRD ANNUAL FAMILY FUN DAY
Sun., Nov 9
Arlington Park, 2650 Waldemere St., Sarasota, 330-7648, smif.org
The Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation sponsors this day of face painting, swimming, deejay, a “color war,” ice cream and more. Guests are invited to bring travel-size toiletries to benefit the Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC). The fun runs 12:30-3:30 p.m., and there’s no charge to attend.
Check out the asterisked p.s. in this election eve post from Matthew Caws, lead singer of power pop trio Nada Surf.
And a p.s. of our own: Have you voted yet?
The thrifty folks at dealnews.com provide this handy rundown on how to cash in by casting your ballot tomorrow. From morning java and doughnuts to a chicken sandwich and happy hour scoop of ice cream, it’s democracy in action.
No word on what gyms are offering similar deals for how to take those LBs off.
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock the last couple of days, Suncoast residents have a chance to participate in a damn near historic moment this morning. Senator Barack Obama visits Ed Smith Stadium (2700 12th St., Sarasota) today in an 11th hour campaign rally. Gates open at 9 a.m., the program starts at 11, and tickets aren’t required for entrance to the free event.
If you’re still undecided, curious or just keen to witness one for the books, you know where to go.
On that note, did you watch Sen. Obama’s half-hour infomercial last night? As primetime offerings go, what popped to mind? Deal or No Deal? The Amazing Race? or Dirty Sexy Money?
A couple of comments, courtesy of posters at Defamer.com:
“After Obama’s term ends, he has a real career in infomercials. He could sell ShamWows like nobody’s business. He’s THAT smooth.”
“I just hope I get to see what happens on this show next week. They set up a really good cliffhanger at the end.”
“Like ‘Who Shot Joe the Plumber?’”
This week’s Townie, Danae O’Leary, and her husband Ron need our help. On Sept. 5, five days shy of a year that they opened downtown eatery The Bungalow – and Ron’s birthday – he was admitted to Sarasota Memorial. The 36-year-old was diagnosed with a rare cardiomyopathy and now anticipates a heart transplant – and a half million-dollar bill: He’d passed on health insurance to instead finance the couple’s dream.
The Sarasota Herald Tribune did an in-depth piece on their story last month.
Several fundraisers are being organized to help out the couple, 30-year residents of Sarasota and longtime supporters of the local music scene. And if you can’t make it, visit ronolearyfund.org or send your snail mail to the Ron O’Leary Fund at P.O. Box 50631, Sarasota, FL, 34232. You can also make a donation at any Wachovia Bank branch.
Benefit concert with Elysian Sex Drive
Sat., Oct. 18, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
T’Katz Pub, 2920 Beneva Road, Sarasota
tkatzpub.com, 924-0283
$5 donation at the door
BBQ dinner and music benefit
Sun., Oct. 19, 1-5 p.m.
JR’s Old Packinghouse Café, 987 S. Packinghouse Drive, Sarasota
oldpackinghousecafe.com, 371-9358
$10 donation at the door
Benefit concert with The Strangeways
Sat., Oct. 25, 9 p.m.
Champions Pub, 3676 Webber St., Sarasota
927-7686
Benefit concert with Elysian Sex Drive
Halloween night, Fri., Oct. 31, 8 p.m.-midnight
The Bungalow, 301 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
365-4430
Costume contest and food, beer and wine specials
Benefit concert featuring music by The Velvet Hammer Band, The Venturas, John Howard Band, Al Fuller, Greenhouse Effect and Mitch Clark
Sun., Nov. 2, 1-8 p.m.
Sponsored by the Sarasota Film Society/Burns Court Cinema
Silent auctions and raffles for goods and services from local business
The Bungalow, 301 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
365-4430 or 364-8662
Hair Cut-a-Thon
Sat., Nov. 8, 3-7 p.m.
Artisan Hair Studio, 5918 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, 341-0688
Live music, barbecue, raffles, and haircuts with donations
Happy Friday, all…
The 941’s been less active than usual. We know this — we don’t like it, and we’re working on it. Keep tuning in, folks, and thanks for your patience. We’re working to get the blog bumpin’ again, scout’s honor.
And with that, a few options for your weekend. Have a good one.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
ROD MACDONALD A key figure in the ’80s Greenwich Village folk renaissance, MacDonald mined his law, history and journalism background for politically-aware anthems like “A Sailor’s Prayer” and “American Jerusalem.” The latter – a New York set piece off his 1983 debut, and his signature tune — remains a timely, poetic study in social contrasts, while post 9/11 material (2003’s “My Neighbors in Delray,” this year’s “After the War”) has only furthered the Florida transplant’s comparisons to Dylan and Phil Ochs. (Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Bradenton)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
BRADENTUCKY BOMBERS BENEFIT w/REDLINERS/THE BRENTFORD SOUND/SPANKIN’ FRESH/WHISKEY ROMANCE Tampa’s rockabilly Redliners and Fort Myers’ reggae-ska act The Brentford Sound share a bill with B-town garage punkers Spankin’ Fresh and Whiskey Romance in support of the resident roller derby girls. (Pastimes Pub, Sarasota)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
MICHALE GRAVES w/THE DEAD POPES/THE IN-CROWD Former Misfit and horror-punk showman Graves (“Dig Up Her Bones,” “Saturday Night,” “Fiend Without a Face”) returns for the second time this year. (Pastimes Pub, Sarasota)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
BEN PRESTAGE The grandson of a Mississippi sharecropper, one-man guitar band Prestage is known for his down-home diddley bow, cigar box and lap steel stylings. The music’s informed by his swampy, deep south roots; it’s an earthy brew of blues-steeped folk, ragtime, country, and Americana that’s even more potent live. (Ace’s Lounge, Bradenton)
CL Tampa colleague and old pal Wade Tatangelo was gracious enough to invite a friend and me over to his place on Friday evening. We’d been in town to check out Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, opening for Stone Temple Pilots at Ford Amphitheatre. I’ll spare you the late night bombshell that, honestly, wasn’t all that shocking: Read Wade’s Tampa Calling blog for details. What follows is my acronym-heavy account of the pre-AWOL STP experience wrought by BRMC – which, as I suspected (and wrote about in CL this week), made a few new fans Friday night. (more…)
This roundup’s been idling in the blog machine for days, and we still can’t fix the formatting, so here goes the [Stop] route. Our apologies. [Stop]
A day to defeat the video game, a lifetime to live down the shame. [Stop] Big ups to web traffic! [Stop] Jessica Simpson to stump for beer. A light beer. Substance-less, in fact. Yep, that sounds about right. [Stop] Winehouse back to rehab-Blake redux. Again. Once more. [Stop] Dave Matthews’ sax player LeRoi Moore, dead at 46. RIP. [Stop] Hasbro’s Clue circa ‘08: The butler did it, in the bathroom at Koi, with the knife seen in those scandalous pics with Lindsay Lohan. And don’t forget the super powers. [Stop] Not content to live la vida loca with one bambino, Ricky Martin does dos at once. [Stop] Forbes reveals the hip hoppers living largest. (Guess which money-monikered rapper?) [Stop] The New York Post has no love for our Cous Cous. That’s okay, we have plenty. [Stop] Bleep, meet the new bleeping bleep. Really bleeping funny, you bleeper.
