Orlando Music Blog

Guerrilla love

If anyone knows who did this outstanding mural on the south wall of Will's Pub, please contact me at baolehuu@hotmail.com. According to Will, it was done some time between closing Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. It's a great piece of urban guerrilla art that places an image of Will himself on the Virgin Mary. That's love there. That's how much the place meant to people. Awesome.

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Will's Pub... c'est fini

That's all, folks. The movers at Will's Pub have until tonight to clear everything out of the bar, though some friends and I have already done some of their work for them. By the time I left the pub to head to The Social to catch the Smoking Popes, there was a line around the building to get in. Never have I seen a queue like that there, so I'm duly heartened. Not to take anything away from the justifiably legendary Sam Rivers, but this crowd wudn't there to see him.

Thanks for the memories, Will's. You've been a second home to me and countless others. But I've moved past all the boo-hooing. I will now remain in a state of expectation for the second verse.

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A cease-fire?

Tonight's An Albatross/Gil Mantera's Party Dream show will mark a very weird occasion: BackBooth and Fighting Records working together. Not that the two organizations officially have anything against one another, but there is some seriously bad blood between the club's current management and some people at the record label who used to be part of the previous management. It seems to be a strictly logistical/business accord, but it's very interesting nonetheless. With Will's Pub just about to be out of picture, at least for now, we'll see if this blossoms into a relationship.

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Phat 'n' Jazzy goes live

The Social has recently been injecting Phat 'n' Jazzy, their long-running acid-jazz night, with live music. Last week brought the spirited "Afro-Urban" music of K-G and The Band. This week, Wisconsin's Soul System took a improvisational band approach to electronic music, essentially crafting live house music. Gerard Mitchell, the club's co-owner and steward of Phat 'n' Jazzy, says they'll be looking to incorporate more live music into the night's format so keep an eye out for that. Both shows I caught were good.

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Will's Pub - the homestretch

Only two more weekends before Will's Pub closes its doors. AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

But before our local scene suffers a big, gaping hole, this place is going out with a bang. Not only is a sterling critic-picked local lineup playing there tonight (the proceeds of which will help fund the relocation), but there's the Severance Fest going on all day Sunday. Tons of great punk rock bands and free BBQ (!!!). And the final weekend will be an unbelievable blowout with a not-so-secret Orlando favorite from Memphis and none other than the one and only Bob Log III. So brace yourself and try to stay hydrated.

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Save Will's Pub!!!

Activism: good in concept but a total bummer in execution, right? It just takes so much effort.

Well, not this time, sweetie. The Will's Pub Benefit that the Weekly's Jason Ferguson and I have put together is goin' down this Friday. This ain't yo' daddy's benefit. We've got a great lineup of bands in store and DJ sets by us, your hosts, at the end of the night. Never before has doing the right thing been so dern fun, nahmean? Doors at 8p, performances begin at 9p. Donation is only 8 trifling bucks. It's gonna be so much fun that I don't even have to resort to guilting you into going. Riiiiight?

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Yes, Orlando has hip-hop you can respect

Super dope hip-hop duo X:144 & SPS will be releasing their debut album September 26 on Nonsense Records, a local indie hip-hop label that put out stuff by Sol.illaquists of Sound way before Epitaph Records even heard of them. But patience is for suckers, right? So go to their pre-release party at The Social this Saturday and pick one up.

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Help a brother out

My recent discussions with Will Walker of the imminently closing Will's Pub have me plagued with unease. If anyone has any leads on a good space or is sitting on a big bag of money, please contact me or Will directly (thepublife@aol.com). Before I get an ulcer already. Geez...

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When bands act out

Boffo art-core band Happy Valley will be playing BackBooth this Friday (August 11). But the reason for this post is to give you the inside track on what sort of misdeeds they're planning for this show.

I always said these guys were bizarre, and here they go proving my point once again. This sure-to-be-wildly-unorthodox set will include two "theatrical performances." The skits' titles are "The Evan Shefran Theme Song" and "The Bloody, Bloody Death of Mike Holt." Now, c'mon cats, don't tell me you're not curious...

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Shine on you crazy diamond

On August 11 at the Peacock Room, The Sunshine Artillery's Freddy Mullins and Johnny Wells will be jamming with Matt Herston and Dave Lane of Franchise in a SYD BARRETT TRIBUTE! Also performing will be Jim O'Rourke and the Filthy Little Lies and Syd Zedd. DJs will also be spinning in what they are billing as a "psychedelic dance party."