The lack of originality, emotion, or substance on the radio really bothers me. For instance, how does Black Eyed Peas get away with randomly inserting generic party phrases, rarely ever having to write a meaningful or clever lyric, boggles my mind? Or does anyone else notice that Ke$ha and Katy Perry are sharing instrumentals? Does Pitbull ever use an original beat anymore?!? Anyway, if any of the above bothers you, I recommend you check out some of the sincere tuneage from local quartet What Glorious Things.
The most noticeable aspect of WGS is the passion they evoke on stage. I’ve have the good fortune to catch the band a handful of times, including their performance alongside Grammy winner Alex Cuba in Miami a few months ago. Every time I watch them, its evident that the band actually enjoys and believes in the music that they’re playing.
The best thing about their latest recording Magnitudes, is that the EP captures the intensity and emotional aspect of their live performance. My favorite track is Fail Safe Solution (which is streaming below, as well as the remix), but Heartstrings and Like Lines are also well crafted songs with deep meanings.
Lucky for you, the band has uploaded their album on the emerging music site Bandcamp (the new Myspace?) for your downloading pleasure — you name the price. Also, check out some pics of the band at last Thursday’s Digital Love party, courtesy of KRo Photography (http://www.flickr.com/photokat57) and Mik-E Fotographiti (http://mikefoto.shutterbugstorefront.com)
For better or worse, Broward County can be a funny place to live — just spend a Saturday afternoon people watching on FTL Beach or the Dale-ien Gap. Despite that fact, we lack comedy clubs where a local stand-up comedian can poke fun about our off-the-wall community. Fortunately for laugh addicts, a new-ish comedy club, National Lampoon Underground, has opened up near the beach, right next to Primanti Brothers.
Not too long ago, Fat Hand and I decided to check out the spot and were instantly intrigued by the three story building’s potential, specifically the amazing performance area (floor #2) that could be used for for a live music showcase, and the stunning view from the third floor sundeck that towers over McSorleys similar rooftop bar. This particular night, a local posse of funny people known as The Have Nots successfully entertained the modest sized crowd. And even when a punch lines failed, the awkwardness evoked just as much laughter. Overall, I was impressed with the effort and poise of the local comedians. As I see it, music and paintings aren’t the only forms of art– it takes a special talent to make an audience keel over with laughter.
All jokes aside (pun intended), it’s difficult to imagine this venue surviving in the long-run (my opinion, of course). As I see it, the bar has two major hurdles to overcome:
The name is painfully lame and narrow minded. Call it just Underground and the possibilities for different types of events are endless.
The location is amazing, but inconvenient at the same time. Most heavy drinkers prefer the Las Olas intersection of the beach to consume their Miller Lites or High Octanes and the locals that do frequent the Sunrise/A1A portion of FTL Beach will need more than a lineup of unknown stand up comedians and Norman Rockwell toga party flyers to be dragged away from Eagles game at The Parrot or their beer pong match at McSorley’s.
First and foremost, I’d start referencing the bar as The Underground, rather than the full name. A lot of people I’ve talked to are turned off immediately by ‘National Lampoon’. It sounds like it’s catered only to tourists. The nickname could also open the floodgates for different types of events such as live music showcases. Bands bring fans, as do DJs. In addition, throw a huge party and advertise the hell out of it. I’m thinking some kind of all-you-can-drink draft special ($10), no cover, discounted food, 2 or 3 bands on the second floor with stand-up comedy in between, and DJ on the roof. This will get people to familiarize themselves with the spot, and hopefully entice them to check out future events.
Either way, in National Lampoon’s current form, its definitely worthy of your dollar bills. I highly recommend visiting The Underground on open mic night Wednesdays or a Thursday showcase by the Have Nots. Maybe even opt to take a date here; it’ll be more memorable than a standard dinner and a movie and probably score you some ‘creative’ points.
National Lampoon Underground is located at 900 Sunrise Ln, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33304 . Check their site http://underground.nationallampoon.com for more details about upcoming events.
For Art’s Sake Typeface is set to showcase intricate print art from artists such as Chris Ro, Cindy Rodriguez, the show’s own Jose Lopez, and silkscreen-favorites Iron Forge Press. The exhibit will have a two-night opening this Friday and Saturday from 7pm-12am at The Collide Factory, one of Ft. Lauderdale’s newer co-working spaces. Typeface should be a promising show as For Art’s Sake Birdwatch(click for our review from May)was quite the event featuring local eats, music, and beautiful feather-friendly art.
Peep the info below for details. Art will be up to view for free from February 21- March 4 9am-6pm, minus all the opening night goodness of course.
2 Night Opening:
February 18 | 7:00pm–12:00am | Music by Alexander |$5.00
February 19 | 7:00pm–12:00am | Music by Jennie Mahood | $5.00
Hailing from where else, WPB, the local trio Lavola has built a lot of momentum in a relatively short amount of time, opening for the Silversun Pickups and Against Me! less than 6 months after their first live performance, playing shows all over the tri-county area, and releasing their latest EP last week with a wild performance at Propaganda. And let me say, on my first listen, their EP blew me away.
Like a finely tuned elevator pitch, track #1 The Queen Is Dead on the band’s Leaving Paris EP immediately drew me in with its clear At The Drive In-esque vocals and shoe tapping beat. In fact, the opening track might be the strongest first tracks I’ve heard in 2011. That’s not to say that the rest of the EP isn’t stellar though. The next 4 tracks might be less aggressive, but they successfully showcase the band’s range of emotions and versatility. And just when my heart rate reaches an acceptable level, the title track picks up the pace again and offers a worthy grand finale to an all-around excellent release by the frenetic ensemble.
I have yet to behold these guys in action, but word-of-mouth from everyone whose been to one of their shows, these guys are a big ball of kinetic activity — some might even say their shows are like a volcanic Lava-ola eruption (fail?). Bad wordplay or not, I wouldn’t miss the next time these guys play a venue near you (hint hint, look at the italics at the bottom of the post).
Stream the The Queen Is Dead below and download the EP by clicking the album art on the left sidebar or the link below (pay what you want, $0 to infinity dollars).
The long anticipated opening of the new Ft. Lauderdale joint Laser Wolf occurred this past Friday, and the FTLC is happy to report our fair city has a cool new triangular-shaped alternative to check out. Laser Wolf is sure to become a top hangout for Broward artists, musicians, and other people making this city cool (like bloggers). Co-owners/brothers Chris and Jordan Bellus’ new tavern features a beautiful hand-constructed bar, 6 taps pouring craft beers, with another dozen or so craft brews available in bottles or cans, a good list of imports and another 5 or 6 quality domestics. Do not plan on drinking watered down American macro-brews at Laser Wolf, as the selection was hand picked to satisfy even your most annoying beer snob friend. The beer list will be changed periodically, and prices range from 3 to 6 bucks with the majority being either 4 or 5. Wine and sake are also available.
The decor features local artwork, murals by professional skateboarder/artist Kris Markovich and local artist Erick Arenas (one of the murals is in the bathroom so be sure to drink enough beer so that you can’t forget to check it out), a set of antique doors, and portraits of Ronald Reagan as far as the eye can see. Guess which part of the foregoing list is untrue.
An outdoor patio in the back has several tables and is adjacent to a grassy courtyard around which several business are located. All of the neighboring businesses are open daytime only, so there is pretty much unlimited outdoor space. It will be interesting to see how all that space is utilized in the future.
The music situation has the bar controlling the tunes played over its system, which is a good thing, because when a cool bar has a jukebox with a poor selection, patrons are doomed to listening to the same Top 40 songs all the freaking time (bars, you know who you are). This correspondent did not hear a single Black Eyed Peas tune all of Friday evening. Live bands and DJs will also be featured from time to time.
For Ft. Lauderdalians seeking a laid-back bar where one can socialize with cool people, listen to great tunes, imbibe some of our country’s finest beers, and, most importantly, just hang out and have a good time, Laser Wolf delivers.
Laser Wolf is located at 901 Progresso Drive, Suite 101, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33304
It’s Valentine’s Day and you’re stumped on what to get your paramour? Lucky for you, New Times posted five clever AND local gift ideas, that are actually nice suggestions for more than just a foodie:
Still hungover after last night’s Digital Love last night? Stop sulking and rally for the weekend. I’ll be in DC this weekend, but this would be my itinerary for the weekend in Broward.
FRIDAY
After months of anticipation, Laser Wolf is finally opening tonight. From what I’ve heard, this place has lots of potential to be a really cool spot in Ft Lauderdale. Be one of their first customers to grab a craft beer at this new establishment. Like the Laser Wolf’s Facebook Page for the latest details. The bar is located at 901 Progresso Drive, Suite 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.
Saturday
Don’t want to shell out 31 bones ($22 if you go straight to the box office) for Broken Social Scene at Revolution Live? Check out some local bands by the beach at Da Big Kahuna. The event is being put together by The Malcriado Productions and features live performances by Daybreak Embrace, Venejer, and Kezia. JAMS co-founder DJ Esoteric will be spinning all night. Cover is $5, and ladies get open bar till midnight. Party starts at 10. Da Big Kahuna is located at 17 S Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Click the links to hear some music from the bands. More details on the Facebook event page.
Back in June, REBEL headlined our official launch party Under The Hood with a raucous performance. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to witness the band’s kinetic live performances multiple times at various venues from Palm Beach to Dade (most recently their epic show at The Vagabond for their INTRCPTR EP release party). With a new energetic bassist, a commitment to playing shows all over South Florida, and the September release of their hook laden EP, this Miami rock trio seems to get better with every gig . After listening to a handful of their catch anthems (start with Stampede or Warning Sirens), it begs the question — how the hell are they not signed already.
Come watch one of South Florida’s best unsigned talents this Thursday at The Green Room in Revolution for the weekly indie music event Digital Love. As usual, no cover, $2 PBRs/$5 Jack Daniels shots, and 3 DJs spinning indie/electro/new wave. Stream some of their songs below or go to their website to stream the new EP in it’s entirety.
Side note: REBEL might have the most bad ass band website I’ve ever seen. I definitely recommend checking it out, even if you’re too lazy to stream their music. Props to lead singer Migue Fedez for the website design.
