Lantana Oktoberfest 2011: Survival Guide (for 2012)

Saturday, Rebecca Dittmar attended Oktoberfest 2011 at the American German Club of the Palm Beaches in Lantana. Check out our slideshow here.Deutschland is probably not the first association to spring to mind when one thinks of South Florida, but the American German Club of the Palm Beaches has been throwing its…

Honey Train Unveils Demo 10/12/11

One of the most pleasant discoveries of this year’s Death to the Sun festival was the psychedelic sounds of Fort Lauderdale’s Honey Train. And what fun it is when a band can withstand the pressures of today’s fast-moving recording cycles and lay down several recordings at once.In this case, it’s…

Band in Heaven Launches T-Shirt Kickstarter Project

West Palm Beach shoegaze act Band in Heaven has hatched a “pyramid scheme” of sorts to fund and sell a spooky new T-shirt design. Although the shirts won’t be ready until January of next year, BIH is undoubtedly cashing in on a “just in time for Halloween” promotional push.At the…

Kiss Kruise 2011: Lick It Up (Our Complete Coverage)

The very first Kiss Kruise is now a wrap, but County Grind’s recap of this past weekend’s adventure has only just begun. As you can see, the newly chartered Kiss Navy is a passionate bunch — for the band and each other. Photographer Ian Witlen and I wore our white…

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Respectable Street

Rocky Horror diehards — freaky people dressed in tutus, devil horns, leather, and chains — filled Respectable Street on Friday night.  Before the show, DJ Danxiety spun tunes by the Clash, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie, and the room was filled with smoke and sexual tension. That’s probably…

Live: New Found Glory at Revolution, October 16

“Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour” with New Found Glory, Set Your Goals, the Wonder Years, Man Overboard, and This Time Next YearRevolution, Fort Lauderdale Sunday, October 16, 2011 When New Found Glory lead guitarist Chad Gilbert told the crowd, “We have a ‘no asshole rule’ tonight — we deal with enough assholes…

Live: Toby Keith at Cruzan Amphitheatre, October 15

Toby Keith’s “Locked & Loaded Tour,” with Eric Church and J.T. HodgesCruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm BeachSaturday, October 15, 2011See a slideshow of the action here.Better than: The “Gun Control Means Hitting Your Target” Tour.Toby Keith turned 50 years old a few months ago (don’t tell anyone), but he never really…

Happy Birthday, John Mayer!

For a man who’s still of relatively tender age, John Mayer has chalked up quite a career. With a prolific output that’s taken him from Pop to Blues and earned more accolades than most artists achieve in a lifetime, he’s managed to secure his place in the spotlight for the…

Kiss Kruise Day 2: The Boat Really Rocks

KISS Kruise The Palladium Lounge, Carnival Destiny Friday, October 14, 2011View all of our Kiss Kruise coverage here. After an unmasked Sailaway Show on Thursday, KISS Kruisers got the full-on, legend-making experience Friday. The mild-mannered Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer morphed into seven-foot-tall aliens to the…

Kiss Kruise: Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed Wear Wedding Rings

View all of our Kiss Kruise coverage here.Gene Simmons and new wife Shannon Tweed are having a honeymoon of sorts during the inaugural KISS Kruise. Here is a photo of them boarding the ship on Thursday afternoon for the weekend cruise from Miami to Half Moon Cay to the Bahamas…

Win a Free Bruise Cruise Cabin and Other Goodies

Alright, so last year, it was fair if you waffled about forking over the cost of a cabin on the inaugural Bruise Cruise Festival, the world’s first garage-ish rock cruise. After all, it was the first-ever attempt at putting that kind of craziness at sea — but, if you followed…

Radio-Active Records Moving to Federal Highway

Radio-Active Records is exiting the Gateway Shopping Plaza on Sunrise for a prime spot on Federal Highway in November. A grand opening party for the 845 N. Federal Highway location is scheduled to follow on Saturday, November 5. UPDATE: Radio-Active Records’ Grand Opening Bash: Little Beard, Luma Junger, & MötherskyAccording…

Q&A: Keith Morris of OFF! Culture Room Show October 23

Though introductions should be entirely unnecessary, Keith Morris was a founding member of seminal punk band Black Flag. Shortly after he left that band, he founded the Circle Jerks, which he fronted from 1979 until quite recently. Keith now performs with the hardcore punk supergroup OFF!, which also include members of…

KISS Kruise: Pajama Party and a Full Moon

Our complete Kiss Kruise coverage is here.The KISS Kruise pajama party late Thursday evening was feisty. First of all, it turned out to be more like a sleepwear slugfest. With only 500 sets of pink, black, or white fleecy goodness available to many more KISS fans, the lines set up…

KISS Kruise Day 1: Sailaway Show Unmasked

Check out all of our Kiss Kruise coverage here.It turns out that Paul Stanley knows KISS Kruise attendees better than they know themselves. “You don’t really want to hear us play,” said the KISS singer, relaxed a linen turquoise shirt, sunglasses, and absolutely no black-and-white makeup. “You want the all-you-can-eat…

Live: The Sounds at Culture Room, October 12

The Sounds Culture Room, Fort LauderdaleWednesday, October 12Better Than: Singing at the top of your lungs and dancing around your apartment to the band’s entire discography. Maja Ivarsson is one hot ass bitch. There is no denying that. But there isn’t any smoke or mirrors — or auto-tune — when…