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About 130 LGBT-rights activists took to the streets of downtown Sarasota last Saturday afternoon to make their voices heard at the Equal Civil Rights Rally. The attendees met up at Five Points and marched to the bayfront with banners waving and rainbows flying. After a few speakers, some rally chants and plenty of honking cars, they continued their march through the downtown farmers’ market where they were greeted with an outpouring of support from local vendors and shoppers. “They all walked out of the booths clapping as we walked. It was such an amazing feeling,” says Shannon Fortner, head organizer for the event. “I felt Sarasota is that open minded that equal rights was a great reason to be marching for.”

Fighting to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to allow same-sex couples the right to marry was a major push at the rally, but Fortner says it was about a broader range of civil rights issues, such as repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and ensuring adoption rights for all. “The focus of the Rally was really to do with UAFA (Uniting American Families Act) as well as Repeal DOMA, because nothing can happen until it is removed,” says Fortner. “But I am not fighting for same-sex marriage, I think until DOMA is repealed that is impossible. The separation of church and state is the real issue. No religion should keep American citizens from having the same set of laws.” (more…)

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“Quern” by B.L. Elkins will be displayed at the Creative Arts Association Fall Art Show Sat., Nov. 21

Ed. note: This piece was compiled by Danielle Favreau.

VISUAL ARTS: OPENING

ALLYN GALLUP CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY 1419 5TH St., Sarasota (366-2093 or allyngallup.com). William Nichols Enveloped Outside will be on display through Nov. 28.  Normal hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Free.

ARTCENTER MANATEE 209 9th St. W., Bradenton (746-2862 or artcentermanatee.org). On and Off the Wall, an open, juried all media exhibition will be on display through Dec. 4. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Free.

ART UPTOWN 1367 Main St., Sarasota (955-5409 or artuptown.com). Laura Avery’s solo show Atmospheric Abstracts will feature her foil on canvas works. Also on display will be Boots Culbertson’s ceramics. Regular hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Free.

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Pete Yorn plays at Push Ultra Lounge Thurs., Nov. 12

Ed. note: This piece was compiled by Jennifer Almond.

THURSDAY, Nov. 12
THE FLYING DOG CAFÉ Open Mic/Jam Night
THE GATOR CLUB The Cherry Bombs
HONOLUANA ISLAND GRILL Open Mic w/Lynn Haines
THE IRISH ROVER Rhythm & Blues w/Paul Duffy
MATTISON’S RIVERSIDE The Tony Tyler Band
OLD PACKINGHOUSE GreenHouse Effect
O’LEARY’S Willie BeThere (Early)
ORPHEUM Captured! By Robots A one-human experimental comedy rock act, JBOT (aka Jay Vance), is backed/enslaved by inhuman (robot, ape and ambiguous) players: DRMBOT 0110, a severed doll’s head on drums, assistant drummer AUTOMATOM, GTRBOT666 on bass and guitar, The Ape Which Hath No Name on tambourine halo, The Son of the Ape Which Hath No Name on monkey cymbals, and on horns, despite missing key air-conducting parts, the Headless Hornsmen. —Leilani Polk

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Former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham is currently Chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism and a member of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. He speaks in Sarasota next Wednesday.

Sen. Bob Graham
7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 18, Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, 349-8350 or forumtruth.org, $20 for Forum Truth members, $25 for non-members.

How do you feel the talks with Iran about its uranium enrichment have been going?

Slow, but at least they’re going. During the Bush Administration we took the position that it was beneath us to talk to Iran. On the day Bush took office in 2001 Iran had no nuclear program, but by January 2009 there were over 500 centrifuges in Iran. So the policy of disengagement didn’t seem to be very effective.

What do you think is our biggest direct threat in the Middle East?

Pakistan. Pakistan is the blanket containing every thread that is necessary for any organization that wants one to get a weapon of mass destruction. They are the number seven nuclear state and the security of their weapons is suspect. Pakistan has a very unstable government and a shaky relationship between civilians, government and military. It has a 60-year hatred of India and that has been their reason for developing so many weapons. They have had a history of active proliferation of nuclear weapons. Part of the reason that the president is taking the time he is to decide what to do in Afghanistan is because people are urging him to see Pakistan as an annex for Afghanistan. In other words, what do we have to do in Afghanistan to contribute to what we are trying to achieve in Pakistan? Afghanistan is not nearly as important as Pakistan. Joe Biden raises the question that for every dollar we’re spending in Pakistan, either military or non-military, we’re spending $30 in Afghanistan. Is that the appropriate allocation of our resources?

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Photographer Patsy Hall will have her work displayed at Artists’ Guild Gallery on Nov. 13

Ed. note: This piece was compiled by Danielle Favreau.

VISUAL ARTS: OPENING

ALLYN GALLUP CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY 1419 5TH St., Sarasota (366-2093 or allyngallup.com). Enveloped Outside, an exhibit by artist William Nichols, will be on display through Nov. 28. Normal hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. Free.

ART CENTER SARASOTA 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota (365-2032 or artsarasota.org). Join Sean and Marina Colson for a Hungarian night of ethnic food, fun, culture and art. 6-9 p.m. Nov. 12. Normal gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Free.

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The Suncoast has never been known as a haven for alcohol producers, and until recently locally made spirits were tough to come by. But over the past year two local companies have jumped onto the scene in an effort to give Sarasota its own distinctive flavor. Drum Circle Distilling and Jalehouse Beer are helping to create a new aspect of the area’s identity — our very own booze. And the two companies may soon be tied together.

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The Sarasota Herald-Tribune broke the news yesterday that Justin Matthews, the owner of Matthew’s Wildlife Rescue  who made international news for planting his 14-foot pet python “Sweetie” in a Bradenton storm drain, has been charged with a third-degree felony for misuse of a 911 emergency system and a second-degree misdemeanor for maintaining captive wildlife in an unsafe manner, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Matthews could face up to five years in prison for the stunt, which he says was an attempt to bring attention to the Burmese Python problem in Florida. The Herald-Tribune says that Matthews was released from the Manatee County jail Thursday after posting a $5,750 bail, and that he thinks the charges are “extreme” and plans to hire a lawyer. David Sadkin, a volunteer director at Wildlife Inc. Education and Rehabilitation Center, compared the staging to a “wildlife version of the balloon boy.”

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Hello, fellow Sarasotans. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my new blog, which I have oh-so-fittingly dubbed “The Starving Artist.” My goal for these posts is to give you an insider’s view into the trials and tribulations of a musician trying to start a music career on the Suncoast. I plan to provide you with some valuable tips on how best to market your music and get shows booked, and also what it’s like to play at our local establishments from an artist’s perspective. I’ll let you know who draws the best crowds and how receptive they are to the music, what venues have the best sound, what it’s like dealing with the booking agents and what you can expect to earn for a night’s work. I hope I can entertain and enlighten you on what it really means to be a starving artist on the Suncoast.

First thing’s first. Any musician that wants to break into any music scene has to start by getting their name out there. And before you can do that you have to have a name. I will be writing this blog from a solo artist’s viewpoint, but most of the information should translate to full bands as well. A stage name or band name can be the most important decision a musician will ever make. Once you put all the legwork into marketing your name — website, MySpace page, press kit, promotional materials and, most importantly, public name recognition — you’re pretty much stuck with it. Unless you’re Jack White and you can come out with a new band every few months, you will probably be tied to that name for the entirety of your musical career.

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Miss Tess & the Bon Ton Parade play at New World Brewery Wed., Nov. 11

Ed. note: This piece was compiled by Jennifer Almond.

THURSDAY, Nov. 5
ACE’S Vulgarrity/Muphin Chuckrs
AMERICAN LEGION POST 312 Smokey & Duane
THE FLYING DOG CAFÉ Open Mic/Jam Night
THE GATOR CLUB The Cherry Bombs
HONOLUANA ISLAND GRILL Open Mic w/Lynn Haines
THE IRISH ROVER Rhythm & Blues w/Paul Duffy
LEBARGE BC Hathaway
MATTISON’S RIVERSIDE The Billy Rice Band
MOTHER’S MUSICAL BAKERY Open Mic
OLD PACKINGHOUSE The Wire Beaters
PALLADIUM THEATER Dr. John & The Lower 911 w/Bill “The Sauce Boss” Wharton Longtime New Orleans musician Dr. John plays blues-, boogie- and R&B- saturated rock, his key-playing and coarse, deep swamp drawling vocals backed by slinky funkin’ beats and grooves made for moving. Much of his songwriting focuses on his home, including 2008’s City That Care Forgot, about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the years of neglect and social turmoil that have followed. Dr. John is joined by his full band, the Lower 911. Wharton cooks up his own brand of spicy blues to kicks things off. —Leilani Polk
SHARKY’S David Moore

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A still from Delta Rising, which will be screened at Burns Court Cinemas at 5:45 p.m. Sun., Nov. 8

Cine-World Film Festival
Burns Court Cinemas: 506 Burns Lane, Sarasota, 1-10 p.m. Nov. 6-12; Lakewood Ranch Cinemas, 10715 Rodeo Drive, Lakewood Ranch, 7:45-10 p.m. Nov. 7-12; 955-3456 or filmsociety.org.

The Sarasota Film Festival has become a sizable event in the movie-making industry and our city loves its brief time in the spotlight each spring. But in the off-season, another festival has been entertaining our film-feinding citizenry for the past two decades: Cine-World.

This year’s edition features an impressive list of domestic, foreign and documentary films, screened at Sarasota Film Society’s Burns Court and Lakewood Ranch Cinemas. The Film Society continues its tradition of bringing in top-notch independent movies filled with big-name actors from countries all over the world, and mixing in local flicks and smaller projects that made it happen without the Hollywood budget. This year’s Cine-World selections reveal the many tiers of film production, and prove that no matter what kind of money, talent or location you’re working with, it all comes down to passion. We spoke with the directors from three of the festival’s films to get a glimpse into their process. (And don’t forget, we’re giving away to “Black Passes” to the festival.)

Special O’Laughics
Burns Court: 3:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 7

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