I found myself at a bar on lesbian night recently because I’d been whisked away (long story) from a house party packed with womyn planning a feminist revolution (longer story). Elements is nearly hidden; it’s an unassuming storefront without a sign. I passed seven bucks over to the doorman for…
I first met Don in February, when he was slinging the highest-quality beers from around the world at the Upstairs Lounge of Beach Bar. He left to find a home base that could offer him more freedom and fridge space to spread his passion for microbrews. Many months passed, and…
Sometimes I just need to hear live music, and I don’t care what it is. Going to shows is a ritual, and when I miss a week of seeing bands play, I get the itch to worsen my tinnitus. I wasn’t in the mood to drop $20 to get bumped…
Without a doubt, Battle Axis is one of South Florida’s hardest-working (and most underpaid) rock bands. It usually plays live twice a week and can be found in almost any rock-friendly venue with a stage — most recently at the South Florida Tattoo Expo, where it played an hourlong set…
I’m usually a beer drinker. I’ll drink Belgian imports in places where I’ve got to put on one of those fancy shirts with buttons, or I’ll chug Buds elbow to elbow with seedy guys at dives. Either way, a good time will be had. It’s a rare occasion when I…
When I finally hit that glorious age of 21, my friends and I made the trek from West Palm Beach down to Fort Lauderdale for a very specific reason: Beach Bar. If you’ve been to the beach at the end of Sunrise, you know the place. It’s that corner open-air…
Renda Writer’s personal motto, according to his website, is “pimp yourself.” It’s a constant theme throughout the 33 tracks on his second full-length, Eclectic Poetic, an album that is half hip-hop and half spoken word. Writer’s beat-backed tracks like “We’re All Connected” and “3:15 am” outshine the a cappella ones…
After making a wrong turn out of Dania Jai-Alai recently, I ended up in the parking lot of the King’s Head Pub next to a red phone booth that looked like it was shipped over from London. From the outside, the place looked like a little bed-and-breakfast that belongs in…
When word came my way that CJ’s Draft House in Boynton Beach had changed hands, I figured it was time to pay an old haunt a new visit. CJ’s new owner, Robert DeBlasio, bought the place four months ago and renamed it The Ref. The sign that changes have been…
South Florida is choked with English and Irish pubs, so it isn’t news that another one is turning 10 years old. Only, in this case, Blue Anchor Pub is really turning 141 years old, and here’s how: In the mid-1990s, the pub’s façade was taken apart and shipped over from…
Whenever I ask people if they want to see a show at Gumwrappers, they say, “Hey, isn’t that a strip club?” Well, sure, back when Reagan was president. The joint on A1A has been through a transformation that still doesn’t get it the attention it deserves. Just four years ago,…
It all started when Mike Goede was 14 and charged his friends $5 a pop to see local bands play in his parents’ garage. Now, 30 years later, Mr. G has done what every kid dreams of — opened a serious rock bar. With Clematis Street barely twitching anymore, Goede…
In South Florida, you can’t get far without running into a mega-chain store. Wal-Mart and Burger King have taken over the foods we eat and the clothes we wear, but the problem doesn’t stop there – even mega-nightclubs have moved into town, a.k.a. Scores and Coyote Ugly. Is this a…
It’s somewhat clichéd to say that comedian/actress Mo’Nique is large and in charge… but damn if it ain’t true. Like most standup comedians, Mo’Nique has made her rounds on the little and big screens in the past seven years, starting out on the somewhat popular TV series The Parkers, which…
Despite having gone through three guitarists, three singers, three bass players, and two drummers since 1998, Florida-grown hardcore band Poison the Well has managed to gain popularity over the years. Even with a constantly rotating lineup, this cast of metalcore characters has kept a similar sound for eight years –…
So, you want to help the kids? You could donate, volunteer, or even lecture them about the good `ol days. But who has that much free time, cash, or dedication? Instead, head up to West Palm Beach and spend a few hours in the sun getting some exercise at Saturday’s…
Be a witness as Texas old school collides with Motor City throwbacks at 9 p.m. at the Bamboo Room (25 South J St, Lake Worth). Kim Wilson, former frontman for Austin, Texas’s own Fabulous Thunderbirds, joins Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones for a night of blues grooves and note-bending…
Since the 1970s, runners from South Florida have been forced to travel to freezing cold cities to qualify for the ever-popular Boston Marathon. Those days are over. Hometown runners can now stay in their own weather and run the A1A Marathon without freezing their asses off. It’s the perfect place…
The last place you’d expect to find a crew of low-tech beat artists is at the King’s Head Pub (2692 N University Dr., Plantation). It’s an old style English pub that highlights its darts and imported beer — not usually its rappers. But that’s what GLUE is all about. This…
Robert Schimmel is from the school of hard knocks. Lots of people claim to have started off there, but his schooling was extreme. Ten years ago, Schimmel got his start in comedy, when he went to L.A. to visit his sister and she dumped him onto stage at an open-mic…
Pun alert: the Palm Beach Zoo (1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach) is “dragon” your ass in – just in time for Dragonfest, the zoo’s seventh annual cultural celebration of the Chinese New Year. All right, so the zoo’s six days late, but the holiday never does jive with our…
In the rough-and-tumble world of the American Basketball League, the Florida Pit Bulls are busy tearing the throats out of the competition. They shredded the Indiana Alley Cats’ undefeated streak without a scratch and took the fire out of the San Jose Sky Rockets recently. Now on game 27, the…
