A Quiet Place Writing Duo on Their New Screamfest, Haunt

A couple of hours before the world premiere of their new movie, Haunt, at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival, co-writers and directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are reminiscing in Fort Lauderdale’s Savor Cinema about their youth in Iowa. “Every Halloween, we’d drive out to the middle of nowhere to…

Modern Whale Is a Labor of Love for Robbie Guariglia

Robbie Guariglia spent years as a music industry professional producing, writing, and gigging with touring acts such as the Veronicas, Ryan Shaw, Oh Honey, and Phoebe Ryan. But it was a time of tumult that led him to take center stage with Modern Whale. “I had lost my dad to cancer,” Guarjila explains to New Times.

David Crosby Is Still a Vital Folk-Rock Performer

People rarely mention Coconut Grove as a historic hotbed for folk music, but according to legendary singer David Crosby, the Grove in the ’60s was right up there with New York’s Greenwich Village. “I was living in New York when someone told me there were coffee shops down in Coconut…

Sznpass Wants to Be the Netflix of Live Events

Like many South Floridians, Matthew Redler found there were more local events he wanted to attend than he could afford. “I was priced out of exploring all the sports and music events Miami had to offer,” the Plantation native and University of Florida student says. Out of that disappointment sprang his eureka moment…

Okeechobee Fest Is Canceled for 2019

For those eagerly anticipating the 2019 edition of Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, there’s some bad news: It’s not happening. Thursday afternoon, the festival announced on its Facebook and Instagram pages what many had suspected because of the delay in announcing a lineup: There will be no…

Elton John Is the Last of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Piano Men

It wasn’t always guaranteed that the guitar would be the instrument associated with rock ‘n’ roll. At the birth of the rock era, piano men such as Little Richard and Ray Charles made hips shake and hearts ache by hollering while tickling ivories instead of plucking strings. Elvis even had a piano-playing rival…

Burt Reynolds Was a South Florida Movie Machine

When Burt Reynolds passed away yesterday, much was made of his Florida connections. The star of classics such as Deliverance and Boogie Nights graduated from Palm Beach High School and played football at Florida State University. With the star power to be crowned box office champ every year from 1978 to 1982…

Scott Yoder Is a New-School Crooner

There aren’t too many crooners in modern rock like Scott Yoder. But it’s not Roy Orbison or Chris Isaak who Yoder is channeling when performing. “I always had an affinity for the classic films, like Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel,” Yoder says. “In these film-noir movies, they usually had a scene…

Wayne Kramer Relives the Legendary MC5 With MC50

When the garage-rock political revolutionaries of MC5 recorded their live album Kick Out the Jams at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom in 1968, it became an instant classic. But guitarist Wayne Kramer still has an uneasy feeling about that concert. “It was a monumental night, but the pressure was too much…

Pixies Power Through 41 Songs at Secret Show

Last month, when a band named after the Pixies song “Debaser” was announced the night before the Pixies were in town to coheadline a tour with Weezer, the hint seemed pretty clear: The Pixies were using an alias, which happened to be the name of one of their most popular songs. Although there was no official confirmation, enough people took a leap of faith to sell out the room. They were amply rewarded with an action-packed set that was almost like a riddle or an SAT math question. How can a rock band play 41 songs in two hours?

How Not to Interpret the Pixies

I got into the indie-rock legends not long after they had broken up in 1993. It took a couple listens for me to fall into their spell of the dynamic that inspired Nirvana, Radiohead, and every other band of the era. Their music had no dead spots. It was all energy and drive. The lyrics, though, were what kept me coming back. They were mysterious enough that it was hard to know what singer Black Francis was hollering about.

Are the Pixies Playing a Secret Show at Revolution Live?

Yesterday the Fort Lauderdale music venue Revolution Live issued a news release announcing an act called Debaser will play there Thursday, June 21. Ever heard of Debaser? Me neither. But because “Debaser” is the name of one of my favorite songs by the Pixies, I scrolled down the screen, eager for more info. Under the “who” subheading of the news release, where normally every facet of a band’s existence is usually recounted, all it said was: “DEBASER – A CULT BAND!”

Fort Lauderdale Pirate Festival Launches at Esplanade Park

Ahoy, matey, have ye a brand-new eye patch and nowhere to wear It? Are ye disappointed there is no new Pirates of the Caribbean movie coming out this summer? Are ye suffering the effects of scurvy? If ye answered “aye” to any of these questions, the inaugural Fort Lauderdale Pirate Festival just might be the event for you.