WHITE SKIN PRIVILEGE
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ANT-MAN OR ULTRAMAN?
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HONKY TONK “WOMERN”
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2 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
THIS WEEK // 7.22-7.28.15 // VOL. 29 ISSUE 17 COVER STORY
NO PLEIN, NO GAIN
[11]
BY SUSAN COOPER EASTMAN
The Ancient City has a history with creatives but, today, ST. AUGUSTINE ARTISTS feel their right to create and sell in the historic district has been all but forgotten
FEATURED ARTICLES
WHITE SKIN PRIVILEGE REDUX
[8]
BY AG GANCARSKI IT’S REAL, in Jacksonville and beyond
MAP-DRAWING MENDACITY
[9]
FOUNTAIN OF CRONYISM?
[10]
BY DEREK KINNER Residents in historic St. Augustine neighborhood clash with a WELL-CONNECTED DEVELOPER
BY JULIE DELEGAL For voters in Florida, GERRYMANDERING nearly killed democracy
COLUMNS + CALENDARS FROM THE EDITOR 4 BRICKBATS & BOUQUETS 5 OUR PICKS 6 FIGHTIN’ WORDS 8 NEWS 10 FILM 16
MAGIC LANTERNS ARTS MUSIC THE KNIFE DINING DIRECTORY BITE-SIZED
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FROM THE EDITOR
WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S
DURING THE FEW YEARS I SPENT ON THE WEST Coast, I would occasionally duck into a bar early on a Sunday around 10 a.m. to catch a few snaps of my hometown National Football League squad. Inevitably, this mission involved asking a bartender or server to change a television channel to “the Jags game” and, inevitably, my request was met with a look of confusion. “They’re a football team?” I was once asked. I had many such interactions over the years, but my all-time favorite moment occurred when my friend Chris and I elbowed up to a bar — Chris rocking a throwback ’90s-style Jags cap. A young, long-haired and affable mixologist took one look at Chris and froze. “I feel like I just spotted a Yeti,” the bartender said. Chris and I remained silent as we waited for an explanation. “I’ve never seen a real, live Jags fan before,” he clarified. I bring this up because on Saturday, I imagine I felt very much like that smartass bartender. In Jacksonville, Florida, one of the few of a dying breed of large cities with Republican mayors, a very powerful and right-leaning Chamber of Commerce, no comprehensive human rights ordinance protecting gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders, and no courthouse weddings, I spent a good hourand-a-half with supporters of Bernie Sanders — the 73-year-old, billionaire-banker-bashing, Independent Senator from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats and considers the term “socialist” to be a compliment. Unicorns! A whole herd of unicorns! Sanders’ popularity is rising as of late — so much so, he appears to be pushing the economic policies of presumed Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton to the left. The idea of a Sanders, or an increasingly-leftist Clinton, ascending to the presidency undoubtedly has local teapartiers ready to secede (prepare to be anointed President of Ponte Vedra, Ron DeSantis), but to the nearly 100 humans who showed up at the volunteer gathering, the reign of Sanders is a very real possibility. Here are some interesting things I found out about Sanders’ support here in Northeast Florida. SANDERS HAS A JACKSONVILLE CONNECTION. Marcus Ferrell, former canvass manager for former Mayor Alvin Brown’s 2011 campaign, has accepted a position organizing for Sanders’ efforts in the Southeast. 98. That was the final head count of attendees to this, the first meeting of Jacksonville for Bernie. And it was quite a diverse group, representing every neighborhood in Northeast Florida — there were teamsters, service employees, progressives, Democrats, Libertarians, former Obama staffers, doctors, lawyers, students, and teachers. The group had 200-plus confirmed attendees on Facebook, but as lead volunteer Ben Marcus told me, “Facebook confirmations usually only translate to 15-25 percent.” ORGANIZERS WERE SURPRISED BY THE TURNOUT. KIND OF. Marcus, a veteran organizer (most recently worked a congressional campaign in Illinois) said, “I was trying to be realistic, so I thought, OK, maybe 13, 15 people would show up” to the event. He was pleasantly surprised and thinks it’s a good sign for Sanders’ potential in the area. “I have to say, I’ve worked on ballot initiatives that 4 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
draw this kind of support, but in terms of candidates, you just don’t see this,” he said.
SIMILARITIES TO OBAMA ABOUND when discussing Sanders’ growing support. Haleigh Hutchison, who’s leading the UNF contingent of Sanders supporters, was just old enough to vote in the last presidential election so she doesn’t remember the fervor for Obama on college campuses. However, the professed lifelong Democrat said, “there’s electricity [for Sanders] on campus,” and “from income inequality issues to college loan debt … there’s not much you can find about Bernie’s message that doesn’t appeal to college kids.”
BERNIE COULD WIN FLORIDA. In Duval County, there are 220,000 registered Democrats (outnumbering Republicans by more than 20,000) and Florida holds a closed primary, which means you must be a registered Democrat to vote for a Democratic candidate. Margins of victory will come down to hundreds of votes in each precinct, which makes traditionally neglected blocs of voters that much more important. Marcus points to the area’s rapidly growing population of 18-to35-year-olds as a new and more progressively minded cohort to be cultivated, and Kristellys Zolondek of the Duval Democratic Hispanic Caucus says Sanders’ efforts to court Hispanics — who make up roughly 4 percent of registered voters in Duval County — are well underway. “Hispanics in this area tend to be pretty conservative. But that’s changing rapidly,” said Zolondek. Perhaps more than convincing conservatives, Zolondek says she’ll be challenged to pluck entrenched Hillary supporters. “In the African-American and Hispanic communities, the ones who are Democrats are sold on Hillary, so that’s gonna be a challenge for us.” BERNIE IS COMING … WELL, MAYBE. There are rumors — unconfirmed at this point — that the magic number is 5,000. That is to say, if supporters can guarantee 5,000 humans at a rally for Bernie, they may be able to lure Sanders from Vermont. THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY WILL COUNT. The Florida primary election is scheduled for March 16. Last time Florida tried to run a presidential primary election in which there were multiple Democratic candidates, the state was punished for moving up the vote, causing Obama to virtually ignore Florida. This time around, it is assumed the state will play a big role in determining who will represent the Democratic party in 2016. Matthew B. Shaw mshaw@folioweekly.com twitter/matthew_b_shaw
THE MAIL SHREDDING AND FRETTING Yes, we brickbatted the Neptune Beach Police Department for “having nothing better to do” when they arrested star-spangled shredder Lane Pittman on July Fourth, but it was columnist AG Gancarski’s piece on the topic (“Guitar Zero,” July 15) that really had our readers fretting. _____________________________________ I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR reporter AG Gancarski and his fantastic racebaiting excuse of an article. I can understand the gist of what your reporter was trying to convey, which I can assume is that the law is the law, but by repeatedly reminding the reader about the color of his skin just plays into the greater divide that has been growing in recent months. I think that if you just lay the facts out and leave out the pigment of an individual’s skin, your publication would have a greater impact on the reader. MICHAEL SIMONS via email NOT ONE SINGLE OBSERVATION ABOUT THIS event that was provided in the article preceding this conclusion supports this conclusion. Not one. The author started with this conclusion because he saw someone he believes to be a middle-class white dude, concluded that his act wasn’t justified by some higher purpose (in the own author’s mind), and finds it wrong that this person actually fight for his rights against authority – simply because he’s white and wasn’t holding up a sign
about racial inequality (or whatever just cause may be to standard.) If you’ve got an ax to grind about white privilege and about the inequalities in the application of justice based on race, and there certainly is reason for doing so, this is NOT the story to use. In short, this is a bush league article. Do better. BILL SORENSON via Facebook IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE negativity and rambling and someone drawing parallels between
completely unrelated things. Stop making a race issue out of something so innocent and awesome. JENNA BRYAN via Facebook WHOEVER WROTE THIS PROBABLY THINKS Catlin Jenner is a hero #trash CRANBERRY_TURNUP via Twitter If you would like to respond to something that appeared in the pages of Folio Weekly, please send an email (with your name, address and phone number for verification purposes only) to mail@folioweekly.com.
BRICKBATS & BOUQUETS BOUQUETS TO THE NEVIASER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION The charity donated $2 million to Operation New Hope’s Breaking the Cycle program, which works closely with the children of incarcerated or ex-offender parents to break the cycle of generational recidivism – providing early intervention and treatment services for those children and the families who care for them.
BOUQUETS TO NAS JAX for hosting a first-of-its-kind LGBT Pride Month celebration on base and in Navy Region Southeast last month. The event, hosted by the NAS JAX Multi-Cultural Awareness Committee, was a lunch-andlearn-style occasion, one at which sailors and guests could have lunch, listen, engage in conversation and hear personal experiences about being gay in the military and the rights of LGBT servicemembers on and off base.
BRICKBATS TO DEVIL-MAY-CARE GUN-OWNERS Over the Fourth of July weekend, eight guns were stolen from the vehicles of six different gun-owners in Northeast Florida. Many of the owners claimed they locked their cars with the lethal weapons inside, yet in most of the cases (including that of the FBI agent whose assault rifle, body armor, and a shotgun were stolen), there were no signs of forced entry. Currently, there is no way to bring formal charges against these absentminded gun-owners.
KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A BOUQUET? HOW ABOUT A PROVERBIAL BRICKBAT? Send your submissions to mail@folioweekly.com. Submissions should be a maxium of 50 words and directed toward a person, place, or topic of local interest. JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 5
Our Picks
Reasons to leave the house this week
COUNTRY COOL
KACEY MUSGRAVES
Still in her mid-20s, Kacey Musgraves is being heralded by many as the much-needed savior of contemporary country music. But instead of throwing praise on another artist who can sell records as a subservient drone for the music industry, those hosannas are delivered to Musgraves on the strength of her undeniable skills as a savvy singer-songwriter, with a full-on independent, honky-tonk style, aligning herself with heroes like Alison Krauss and Willie Nelson. The multiple-Grammy-winner’s just-released new album, Pageant Material is already a critical smash and is predicted to snag Graves another golden Grammy. 8 p.m. July 24 at The Florida Theatre, Downtown, $25-$45, floridatheatre.com.
FREAK SCENE
HELLZAPOPPIN’ The self-described “Underground Rock-n-Roll Circus Sideshow” known as Hellzapoppin’ features stunts like glass-walking, contortion, balloon-swallowing, the homemade lobotomy, walking on razor-sharp machetes, human dart board, and Tibetan Power Yodeling & Throat Singing (OK, we made that last one up) all set to the sound of rock music. 9:30 p.m. (doors 6 p.m.) July 24 at Mavericks at The Landing, Downtown, $13 advance; $20 VIP, mavericksatthelanding.com. The troupe performs again at 10:30 p.m. (doors 4 p.m.) July 26 at Harmonious Monks, Jax Beach, $13, hellonjaxbeach.brownpapertickets.com; both performances are intended for audiences age 18 and up.
PLUG IT IN
THE CONNECTION FESTIVAL
The rock/reggae/ska/punk aggregate known as The Connection Festival returns to Northeast Florida with a lineup that’s sure to satisfy your hankerin’ for Jah love and jam bands alike, featuring performances from 311, Julian Marley, Matisyahu, Ballyhoo!, New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble (pictured), Whole Wheat Bread, Stank Sauce, Skywater, Jah Elect & the I Quality Band, Cloud 9 Vibe, Askmeificare, Holey Miss Moley, Yamadeo, Herd of Watts, Wester Joseph’s Stereo Vudu, The Duppies, and Flag on Fire. Check out our exclusive interview with 311 on pg. 26. Noon July 25 at Metropolitan Park, Downtown, $35-$125, connectionfestival.com.
GET YOUR KICKS
RAM DANCE DAY Get a leg up on the local dance scene and promote this high-steppin’ community. This week’s Riverside Arts Market Dance Day features a series of performers ranging in ages, skill levels (amateur and pro), and styles. Scheduled to appear are Beaches Fine Arts Series’ First Coast Dancing with the Stars at 10:30 a.m.; Braided Light Dance Project 11:45 a.m.; So You Think You Can Dance 12:40 p.m.; First Coast Center for the Arts 1:15 p.m.; First Coast Flamenco 2 p.m. and Sahara Silk & Troupe Tarab at 2:45 p.m. July 25 under the Fuller Warren Bridge, Riverside, riversideartsmarket.com. 6 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
LEVEL UP! GAAM SHOW Gamers get their digital freak on at the
latest installment of this much-loved local video game-themed party known as the GAAM (Game, Arts, and Music) Show, featuring gaming galore, a charity art auction, live music, Cosplay contests, DJs, food trucks, prizes, and more gamegeared fun. 6 p.m. July 25 at The Museum & Gardens, 4160 Boulevard Center Dr., St. Nicholas, $30; $25 for two players, gamesartandmusic.com.
JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 7
FIGHTIN’ WORDS
WHITE SKIN PRIVILEGE REDUX IT’S REAL, in Jacksonville and beyond NEVER BEFORE HAVE I WRITTEN A COLUMN that pissed off as many people as the one I wrote about Lane Pittman. A lot of good people think I’m a pretty bad person right now. I can accept that. I’m not all that thrilled with myself, either. Some of that anger people feel is justified. A lot of it, actually. Describing his look as I did was breezy, and got in the way of larger points. The writing was too cute throughout. I regret that. I was much less surprised that he got arrested than were the dozens of people who reached out to me with very direct comments. Even if the cop gave him the all-clear to go ahead and play, it looked like this to me: When you attract the interest of the police, as Pittman did, they rarely just chill until you finish whatever it is you’re doing at the moment. These cops actually let him finish his set. Then they did what cops in crowd-control mode often do. Whether I agree that it should have happened or not is irrelevant; I can see both sides of it. The reality of policing in the 21st century, however, is one in which pro-active measures from police departments are taken as a given. We aren’t shocked by it anymore. We don’t expect a real reversal of it, either. We’re not in Andy Griffith’s Mayberry, if we ever were. So I look at the situation a bit differently. The cops actually let him put away his guitar. They let him do a second song, which was fairly good (though the video I heard didn’t have his vocals miked up very well). They escorted him, without undue application of physical force, and respected his civil liberties about as much as you could expect during an arrest. Knowing people in the Northwest Quadrant, having been to Eureka Gardens and Cleveland Arms and Grand Park, I know that it doesn’t always go that smoothly. Outside of Jacksonville, even, you may have heard stories about the impacts of arbitrary decisions of law enforcement officers. Mercifully, but for the grace of God, that’s not my reality. Nor is it Lane Pittman’s reality. Our lives are different. The rules of engagement are different. It’s nice that we benefit from that. It’s also an illustration of what I called white skin privilege a week ago. I was surprised that it was so controversial to name that concept and apply it to the civility of Pittman’s situation versus how police interactions go down in other parts of Duval County, among people of other demographic groups. I was also surprised at the outpouring of coverage of the injustice of that particular arrest. There was much more outrage about Pittman’s story, by far, than there was about the story of black kids getting questioned by police at Jax Beach and having their tattoos inventoried. 8 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
Pittman walks down the street and, unless he is doing a set through his amplifier on a holiday weekend, is subject to the presumption of innocence. Some black dude of the same age gets out of his car on another holiday weekend, and he doesn’t even get out of the parking lot before being subjected to the presumption of guilt. America has more people in prison than anyplace else in the world. Since 1970, 700 percent more are in lockdown. A lot of them are black dudes from the South. This has decimated neighborhoods, family structures, and millions and millions of individual lives. There but for the grace of God go I, and Lane, and virtually everyone who voiced their
disquiet to my column. Not experiencing that = white skin privilege. I heard about a kid who saw his best friend shot in the chest not too long ago. That didn’t happen in Ponte Vedra. I’ve been across from Cleveland Arms when the cops blocked off streets and controlled access during a march protesting the multiple shots fired at Devanta Jones one Sunday morning. That’s not happening in Ortega. Eric Garner, Kalief Browder, Walter Scott? A world away. And that’s my point. Lane Pittman, though he got hauled off in a cruiser, didn’t lose much. He might have gained, really. He got a ton of publicity from the whole ordeal — podcasts, commemorative T-shirts, global publicity, and proof positive that he has a community that loves him. He is far better off than those folks who got caught up in that mess at Lenox Court the other day. Of course, local news isn’t covering every questionable arrest out there, either. And that’s what white skin privilege is about. Being exempt from that drama. Both the actual drama itself, and the reaction of overextended law enforcement officers. God bless Lane Pittman; I’m sure he’s a great guy. I’d buy him a beer if he drank. He is, clearly, a pillar of the community, a man of God, a church member, and a guy who, up until now, seems to have had no adverse interactions with law enforcement worth mentioning. I say that because this one seems to have shocked him. He, like me, never has to live in that other world. AG Gancarski mail@folioweekly.com twitter/AGGancarski
CITIZEN MAMA
MAP-DRAWING MENDACITY
For voters in Florida, GERRYMANDERING nearly killed democracy IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT FLORIDA SUPREME Court decision on gerrymandering, and given the rationale that justified the illegal redistricting lines in the first place, the words of playwright Tennessee Williams have never been more on point. “There ain’t nothin’ more powerful than the odor of mendacity. You can smell it,” Williams wrote. “It smells like death.” Fortunately, the court has staved off the death of democracy in Florida. For us voters to “vote the bastards out,” you see, we have to have a fairly drawn electoral map. The state’s highest court sided with the voters, who passed the Fair Districts Now constitutional provisions in 2010, before the legislature wreaked havoc with the electoral lines in 2012. Meanwhile, some observers are using the same old subterfuge that lawmakers used justify the illegal lines. They insisted, wrongly, that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 demands the extreme gerrymandering that we currently have. Last week, the court ordered the legislature to reconvene to redraw Florida’s congressional map, to follow the Fair Districts guidelines this time around, and to seek judicial blessing before the new electoral lines are implemented. Experts say that even though the decision applies to only congressional districts, Florida Senate districts, too, are sure to be scrutinized soon by the courts. One of the two Fair Districts amendments applied to drawing congressional districts, the other to state house and senate districts. The gist of the constitutional provisions is to take partisanship out of redistricting by introducing guidelines that would prevent one party from unfairly taking over, as has already happened in Florida. Ever wondered how Florida could go blue, electing President Barack Obama twice, while both chambers of the Florida Legislature continue to be dominated by Republicans? It’s the maps, y’all. The mendacity, in this case, comes to us courtesy of a Republican-dominated legislature. GOP lawmakers co-opted African-American lawmakers to go along with their extra-legal map-drawing plans using the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as pretext. A big fat lie. As with most Big Lies, this one starts with a kernel of truth: “The Voting Rights Act was passed to expand majority-minority districts and then to preserve and protect them.” That’s a direct quotation from University of South Florida political science professor Darryl Paulson, speaking to Sunburn editor Peter Schorsch. It’s absolutely true that the VRA exists to empower minority voters. It’s absolutely true minority-access districts were designed to permit minority voters to elect a candidate of their preference. What’s not true is that candidates representing minority-access districts need 65 percent of the vote to win their districts. Technically, to win, any candidate in any race needs only 50 percent of the votes, plus one — not taking into consideration the VRA provisions for minority-access districts. So let’s consider what the VRA wants us to do. To ensure that racial and ethnic minorities have access to government — a laudable and important goal — the district lines should be drawn to include a voter advantage—a buffer
of voters to help ensure the minority-chosen candidate wins. The question is: How many voters do we need to deliver the margins needed to ensure that the minority candidate-of-choice wins? Do the map-drawers build in an extra 5 percent? 7 percent? 10 percent? Another question: How does packing an unnecessarily large buffer of Democrats into a minority-access district affect the voter composition of surrounding districts? The answer to the second question depends on the answer to the first. If we, as the Florida Legislature has done, add a 20 percent Democratic voter advantage to a given congressional district, we would naturally carve more Democrats out of surrounding districts than we if had added a mere 5 percent buffer. So why does the GOP want bigger, unnecessarily larger, margins of victory for minority-access candidates, who happen to be Democrats? Is it because they’re passionate about the goals of the Voting Rights Act? Or is it because building those bigger buffers gives them an electoral advantage almost everywhere else? Think about it: When we carve unnecessarily large numbers of Democrats into MADs, we are simultaneously carving unnecessary numbers of Democrats out of the surrounding districts, ensuring Republican wins everywhere else. “One for you,” the GOP map-drawers say, in effect, to their colleagues across the aisle, “five for us.” In 2014, Rep. Corrine Brown kept her seat in one minority-access district, CD 5, by beating her opponent by 31 percentage points, getting 65.5 percent of the vote. Brown’s über-safe margin also ensured über-safe margins for surrounding Republican districts: Crenshaw took his seat with 78 percent of the votes; DeSantis won his with 62.5 percent; Yoho, 65 percent; Nugent, 66.7 percent. These races weren’t even close. They were never intended to be. The truth is, no matter how much the GOP kicks and screams about the Voting Rights Act, no matter how much it professes to care about Hispanic and African-Americans
being able to elect their candidate of choice, it’s all … well … mendacity. What they care about is preserving their “bleached,” Republican-dominated districts, which far outnumber minority-access districts. What they care about is preserving their own legislative majorities in Tallahassee and in Washington. Otherwise, they would have been asking the questions posed above all along, with an eye toward fulfilling the Fair Districts provisions of Florida’s constitution. Fortunately, Florida’s Supreme Court has now asked them to do just that. Should lawmakers appeal the ruling, as Paulson suggested in his Sunburn interview? Maybe, if they want to lose. They might not have gotten the memo, generated from the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest decision on gerrymandering: The people have the last word on redistricting when the process becomes unfairly partisan. And we, the people of Florida, have been clear: We want Fair Districts. And we can have them while still honoring the requirements of Voting Rights Act. The author of a recent New York Times article might disagree, but the courts have already rejected the idea that, due to the urban-rural voter differences, they can’t be drawn fairly. Notably, the Stanford/Michigan study, in which partisan-blind computer simulations were drawn, failed to redraw the three illegally packed minority-access districts. In that respect, this “population geography” analysis was futile. The study’s authors must have swallowed the Republican lawmakers’ big lie — hook, line and sinker. The entire crux of the problem lies in the over-packed, gerrymandered minorityaccess districts. Efforts to redraw electoral lines without addressing the shapes of those districts will necessarily fail. We can — and will — have fair districts in Florida. It all starts with the right questions. And a nose for mendacity. Julie Delegal mail@folioweekly.com ______________________________________ A version of this article has appeared in Context Florida. JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 9
NEWS
Historical preservation activist Ed Slavin visits St. Augustine’s popular St. George Street.
Residents in historic St. Augustine neighborhood clash with a WELL-CONNECTED DEVELOPER
FOUNTAIN OF CRONYISM?
S
urrounded by some of the oldest structures in the country and within the borders of the nation’s purported oldest city, the Dow Museum property is at the center of a battle between developers and hardcore historic protectors. A developer came in last year and started working on the property even before he had finalized the purchase in late 2014. The nine structures in the Dow Museum tract will see many renovations and remodeling to provide a resort for up to 30 guests if developer David Corneal, who owns Old Island Hotels Inc., the new owner of the property, gets his way — rezoning the property and forming a planned unit development (PUD). The politics surrounding the proposal, which would allow a hotel with an “amphitheater” and other amenities, might be becoming just as historic as the city. The property is currently zoned HP-1, the most restrictive when it comes to altering historic structures. Corneal wants the zoning changed in order to get PUD approval. The half-block of structures was donated to the Museum of Arts and Sciences, in Daytona Beach, by Kenneth Dow, who started accumulating them in the late 1930s, with the understanding that the properties would always be preserved as a museum. The Daytona museum, however, sold the property last year to Corneal for $1.7 million. Across the city of St. Augustine, residents have put out signs, many homemade, in their yards protesting the PUD, with the words DOW PUD crossed out with a red line. But committee votes thus far appear to show their efforts might be fruitless. Those arguing against the project at several lesser city committee meetings have walked away frustrated. Still, they are undaunted. “We may have lost the battle, but we’re going to win the war,” says Ed Slavin, a historic preservation activist who has fought many wars, some successful, to preserve the historic character of the city. But some sitting members on smaller city committees work for Corneal. And some
10 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
former high-ranking city employees who are leading his fight for project approval work for Corneal. Two members of the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) — a key committee when developers want to alter historic structures — had to recuse themselves because they are on Corneal’s payroll. One later resigned after continually having to recuse himself from important votes, Slavin says. The issue still needs Planning & Zoning Board approval before it goes before the City Commission, which will have two public hearings, then make a final decision on the PUD. The first City Commission hearing is tentatively expected to be on July 27, with the second some time in August. There are now eight structures, thanks to a piddling vote of 2-1 (because of the recusal of the other two members who work for Corneal) by the HARB that allowed demolition of what has always been called the “Carpenter’s House,” a two-story structure that stood for hundreds of years and was demolished a couple of days after the eroded board approved it, with no need to send their decision to the City Commission. One of Corneal’s main representatives, Mark Knight, who was the city’s planning director for 16-and-a-half years, said during the meeting that his client just wanted to get it over with. “We wanted them to go ahead and them to make a decision on the demolition,” Knight says in a telephone interview. The swiftness of the actual demolition, despite, according to Slavin, a prior warning from the city attorney that the building should not be razed until a 30-day appeals period had passed, floored many opponents. Slavin has filed complaints with the state concerning the demolition. Neither Corneal nor protesters are backing down, though Corneal seems to have won the first series of battles. The biggest fight still is looming — whether to issue permits for the Planned Unit Development. According to his proposal, only
the Carpenter’s House is to be razed, while the other eight buildings will be renovated. Several city boards seem to be approving Corneal’s requests at each and every turn. Knight says Corneal’s plan would be better than other ideas. “Basically, the alternative plan is to rent them out on a monthly or nightly basis,” Knight says. Knight says he sees no conflict of interest in his involvement. “I don’t see why. It’s just basic work. I am a land development planner.” And he defends the decision to quickly tear down the Carpenter’s House after the architectural review board’s decision. “The Carpenter house has been demolished. We had got a permit from the city with the demolition. It was an unsafe structure at the time.” Slavin says some city officials had requested Corneal wait 30 days because protesters had that amount of time to appeal, but Corneal had his contractors go to work within days, angering opponents. Other concerns of those opposing the PUD include lack of adequate parking, as well as the noise that neighbors in the adjacent Lincolnville and another neighborhood, zoned HP-1, will endure. Corneal has parking available offsite where guests can park and use valet service to get to the Dow property, Knight says. Meanwhile, various legal issues have continued to move the city’s decision-making dates back. Currently, the next HARB meeting on the issue is expected to be July 16. Aside from the politics, there have been at least several small skirmishes, according to both sides. Corneal accused someone of slashing tires on construction workers’ vehicles, though no police report was filed. Slavin says Corneal “stomach-bumped” him after accusing him of listening in on a conversation Corneal was having with several people just outside a door near the City Commission meeting room. “Was I eavesdropping? I certainly was,” Slavin says. But he still called police and they told Corneal that if he wanted to have private conversations, go somewhere more private, according to Slavin. Derek Kinner mail@folioweekly.com
The Ancient City has a history with creatives but, today, St. Augustine artists feel their right to create and sell in the historic district has been all but forgotten Painter and activist Bruce Bates sits on the knoll beside the Bridge of Lions as he paints the Plaza de la Constitución. Based on current St. Augustine laws, this is as close to the downtown tourist district as he may legally sit to paint. photo by Dennis Ho
NO PLEIN, NO GAIN O
il painter Bruce Bates stopped in front of Kilwins Chocolates and gestured toward the second-story balcony of the simple tan-and-bluetrimmed building on St. George Street in downtown St. Augustine.
Deep gray thunderheads had built up into a threatening skyscraper of
storminess against a remnant of the bright blue sunny afternoon. “Look at that sky,” he exclaimed. “I mean that is absolutely gorgeous.” If Bates had had tubes of paints with him, he might have broken out his brushes right there and captured the moment. But if the artist had made any art on St. George Street that day, he would have been breaking the law. It’s illegal in the city of St. Augustine to make or sell art anywhere on the streets or sidewalks or public areas of the city’s historic district. If Bates had painted a landscape scene — in violation of the law — he would be
Bates says the city’s art laws are absurd, counter-productive, unnecessary and fundamentally unconstitutional. “I believe we are the only city in America that criminalizes painting,” he observes. The city’s ever-more draconian restrictions on artists prompted Bates and three other visual artists to file a federal lawsuit in June. It claims the city restriction on artists making and selling their work in public violates their First Amendment right to freedom of expression. The idea of protecting the making of art as freedom of speech makes sense to most people, but the idea that the selling of art is protected speech is a bit of a stretch. For a visual artist like him, Bates explains, communication with his audience isn’t completed only by the performance of painting, or when a person views his work. The message of the art is communicated when a person acquires it and takes it into his or her life and communes with it over time. That idea was laid out in the landmark freedom of speech case Bery v. City of New York, which distinguished between art sold
subject to arrest, a $500 fine, 60 days in jail, or all three. S T O R Y
B Y
S U S A N
C O O P E R
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on the street and art
NO PLEIN, NO GAIN <<< FROM PREVIOUS
displayed in a museum or sold through a gallery. St. Augustine’s battle with street art isn’t new. And the city has lost several earlier rounds. It began more than 30 years ago when the city outlawed street performers and then visual artists from selling their work on St. George Street — the central promenade through the historic downtown district and the hub of tourist activity — and then extended the law to include artists making and selling their work there. As the conflict continued for decades, with lawsuits, arrests and changing iterations to city laws, the result is that now, street artists are unconstitutionally barred from their audience. Bates graduated from New York’s Pratt Institute and worked on Madison Avenue as an art director. He did a print campaign for Vogue Magazine and one for Reach toothbrushes before taking a job as the creative director of the Professional Golfers Association. Bates began doing his own art full time in 2006. He says he likes to paint scenes on the street and talk to people about his work and sell art to regular people, rather than gallery-goers. “I want to share the energy and be able to talk with them about my art,” he says. “When a visitor comes here, it’s charming to meet a painter painting a streetscape of downtown St. Augustine. People love it. It’s a memory. But you can’t have a guy painting who has to duck down behind a tree to make a sale.” In 2009, United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard barred the city from enforcing a 2007 law that outlawed the sale of
“They just made it very difficult for artists to earn a living. Everything is against the law,” says St. Augustine attorney Tom Cushman. merchandise in the historic district. Bates and three other artists filed the suit after the city began citing artists for selling their work from tables set up along the shaded sidewalks of the Plaza de la Constitución. Before even hearing that lawsuit, Judge Howard ordered the city to stop enforcing the 2007 law because its broad restrictions on visual artists selling their work violated their constitutional rights. In response, the city has since restricted artists to a handful of spots leased for $75 a month in the open-air market at the easternmost end of the Plaza, removed from St. George Street. The only other spot where artists are allowed is next to the Visitor Information Center, where the city requires that they pay $125 a month and carry $300,000 in liability insurance. Portrait artist Ellen Merrick, who was a plaintiff in both the current lawsuit and a similar lawsuit filed in 2007, says she no longer sets up downtown to offer on-the-spot charcoal and pastel portraits to passersby. Not enough people visit the market to make it worthwhile, she says. The restrictions make it almost impossible for a street artist like her to survive, she says. She still makes art, of course, but complains that the Slave Market is too far away from the
Sculptor Helena Sala moved to St. Augustine in 2001 because of its reputation as a community friendly to artists. Now, having become a plaintiff in disputes between artists and the city, she says, “My bad.” photo by Dennis Ho
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hub of tourist activity to draw customers. She also described it as uninviting and “desolate looking,” because usually a handful of vendors [are] there selling jewelry and scarves and other items. It’s mostly flea market kind of things rather than artists. Merrick says she now cleans houses to make ends meet. “For years after I moved here in 1997, I was out there and I did OK. I never made a lot, but we are used to that as artists,” she says. “It made a difference in paying my bills and I liked working for myself.” “They just made it very difficult for artists to earn a living. Everything is against the law,” says St. Augustine attorney Tom Cushman, who is one of the attorneys representing the artists in the current and the 2007 federal lawsuit. He’s been involved in the fight since the 1990s.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS: ST. AUGUSTINE, ARTIST PARADISE (1933)
The city of St. Augustine has no professional football team. No convention center. No
world-class aquarium. None of the talismans upon which cities cast their hopes and their cash. It’s a testament to the there-there, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, that without doing much of anything, St. Augustine attracts more than five million people every year. They are drawn by its quaint, cluttered bohemian charm, part Disney stage set, to be sure, but also a present built upon the very real sediment of a history dating back 450 years to its founding in 1565. The Spanish Colonial feel of the historic district is partly reconstruct, some 32 buildings, most of which were built around 50 years ago at the urging of Gov. LeRoy Collins to create a Williamsburglike historic district, most completed in time for the city’s 400th anniversary. The district also includes reconstructions from the British and early American and second Spanish period as well as buildings that date back hundreds of years, like the González-Alvarez House, the first story of which was built circa 1732. Even the tourist attractions are historic in their own right — the Alligator Farm Zoological Park and the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park prefigure the grand era of the Florida roadside attraction. Both opened in the 1800s. Henry Flagler’s palatial Ponce de León Hotel opened in 1888, decades before
The late St. Augustine artist and activist Greg Travous is arrested, one of more than 10 such times he ran afoul of the law in protest of he city’s anti-artist ordinances. Cushman remembers Travous as, finally, having been reduced to practicing the sneakiness usually associated with a drug dealer in order to sell his art. photo by Elena Hunt
the Florida boom of the 1920s led to such spectacular Mediterranean Revival confections as pink Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, which opened in 1926. St. Augustine has long attracted artists, free-thinkers and the much-sought-after socalled “creatives” that cities pant over today. In the 1930s, it sought out artists as a way to give St. Augustine soul. Jewelry store owner and amateur painter J. Dexter Phinney envisioned St. Augustine as the “Art center of the South,” according to a book by R.W. Torchia, Lost Colony: The Artists of St. Augustine, 1930-1950. “St. Petersburg, Miami and other prominent tourist cities have their shuffleboard courts, their horseshoe pitching, etc., but none has the rich historical significance, the quaint and picturesque buildings and scenes that make the Ancient City appeal so greatly to the artistic,” Torchia recounted Phinney saying in 1933 when he spoke to the city’s Kiwanis Club. The campaign worked. By the 1950s, the St. Augustine Art Association boasted 532 active members, according to a promotional flyer distributed by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. Artists who summered in Roxbury or Provincetown up north spent the temperate months in St. Augustine’s art studios. In contrast to today’s restrictions, the Chamber promoted St. Augustine as a place where an artist could paint outdoors 365 days a year, with a range of “subjects from marines to 18th century streets.” And the city’s business class recognized the benefit of its creative class. Every month, the business community gave out an award for the best original art. At a St. Augustine Art Association meeting in 2011, artists and the children of artists reminisced about what life was like in St. Augustine during its arts colony heyday. They recalled that artists offered classes in
drawing and painting. They’d bring each other their latest work to critique and trade art for dental work or a meal. One artist told how he and a fellow painter would paint scenes in downtown during the day and then sell their art to tourists in the afternoon, before ending the day at the Tradewinds Lounge in the company of other artists and patrons. Fast-forward to 2015, when the prestigious Oil Painters of America held its annual conference in St. Augustine from April 29 to May 3. In addition to an awards ceremony, lectures and painting demonstrations, the OPA held a plein air (open air) painting competition on April 29. Artists chose an outdoor scene and painted it at the location, from real life, in one day. Len Cutter, whose Cutter & Cutter Fine Art Brilliance in Color Gallery sponsored the OPA conference, contacted the city before the competition to check for any restrictions. The artists were told that the historic district was off-limits. Though he says the artists found other subjects and left happy, Cutter admits the city missed an opportunity to promote its historic downtown to some very talented artists and to have scenes of its historic district immortalized in oil. “Next time they come, it might be nice to have artists out there painting,” says Cutter. “These artists came from all around North America and were here painting … These were some of America’s foremost artists in terms of oil painters. To have artists of that caliber restricted from going where they will … is a burden.” If the city of St. Augustine would get out of its own way, the city could again be the scene of a vibrant arts community, says Cushman. “I have this vision of St. Augustine as an arts colony again, where high quality art is
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RIGHT: In the 1930s, St. Augustine had aspirations to become the “Art Center of the South.” ABOVE: City Commissioners have complained about the flea-market atmosphere created by vendors, not by artists. JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 13
NO PLEIN, NO GAIN <<< FROM PREVIOUS
being created and sold. It would be a source of revenue and a source of pride for the city,” says Cushman. “I don’t understand how [city officials] can be so short-sighted.” Instead, Cushman laughs, the city has made artists seem like drug dealers. He mentions the late Greg Travous, whom Cushman represented in exchange for works of art. Travous sold his artwork in the Plaza in protest of city laws, and he was arrested more than 10 times as a result. He told friends not to bail him out of jail. Cushman described Travous as having been reduced to the practicing the sneakiness of a drug dealer, taking a patron behind a live oak to make a surreptitious sale. Plaintiff and sculptor Helena Sala moved to St. Augustine in 2001 because she thought it was a place that was friendly to artists. “My bad,” she says.
If Bates painted a landscape scene, he would be subject to arrest, a $500 fine, 60 days in jail, or all three. “I believe we are the only city in America that criminalizes painting,” Bates says.
THE PROBLEMTHAT WASN’T Although the city has effectively banned artists from its historic district, in a review of city xx council commission meeting? xx minutes, Folio Weekly found no reference to the problems created specifically by visual artists. City commissioners complained about vendors in the historic district and the flea market atmosphere they created. They complained about the littering and about the harassment of pedestrians, but the artists themselves were never discussed as a problem. City Manager John Regan did not respond to a query from Folio Weekly on what problem the city solved by outlawing art being created outdoors. Instead of simply allowing visual artists to once again make and sell their art in public after Judge Howard’s 2009 injunction, the city opened up the central Plaza de la Constitución to anyone with something to sell, artists as well as vendors selling sunglasses, chocolate-covered bananas, T-shirts, jewelry, homemade cosmetics and other goods and services. Bates believes the move was a cynical attempt to influence public opinion by turning the park anchoring the historic district into a flea market. “It was a free-for-all,” says Bates. Cushman, who represents the artists along with the civil rights law firm of Jacksonville attorney William Sheppard, accuses the city of creating a nuisance in order to create a public outcry for more restrictive regulation. “We won in federal court in 2009 and then the city acted like a bunch of spoiled children,” says Cushman. “They say they can’t do anything and opened it up like a flea market for a couple of months. The city did that intentionally to irritate the population, when all the injunction says is that you can’t interfere with free expressions in the protected areas of art, sculpture, painting and photography. It didn’t say anything about selling jewelry or snow cones or pizza. But the city opened up the Plaza to everybody. They went out and recruited people to go down there and sell.” Four months later, city commissioners passed new restrictions. Since then, both artists and vendors have been restricted to one spot in the historic market in the easternmost end of the Plaza, removed from the tourists on St. George Street. Vendors and artists compete by lottery for one of 12 spots and pay $75 a month to exhibit there. They can also make and sell their art at the parking garage by the city’s visitor 14 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
ABOVE: “The city opened it up like a flea market for a couple of months … intentionally to irritate the population. They went out and recruited people to go down there and sell,” Cushman says. AT RIGHT: St. Augustine has long attracted artists like Bates, freethinkers and the much-sought after, so-called “creatives” that cities pant over today. center — for $125 a month, as long as they carry $300,000 in liability insurance. The four artists who filed the suit in June say the regulations are so limiting that they are illegal. They hope that a federal judge agrees and, once again, opens up the entire historic district as a place where they can create and sell their art. “When the artists were in the Plaza, it was beautiful. It added charm to the city. It added romance to the city,” Bates says. “People would look across St. George Street and go, ‘Oh, there is an artist painting in the park. How nice. Let’s watch.’ They might buy a piece of art while they’re in St. Augustine from a real artist who they were able to meet and to talk to. It added charm to their experience.” Bates hopes that the new lawsuit will make the historic district accessible again, and allow artists to set up on St. George Street or in the Plaza, to be free to make art where they find it and to sell their work to anyone interested in buying it. As he walked down St. George Street during a recent Sunday meeting with Folio Weekly, Bates pointed out locations along
the city’s historic promenade where he might set up an easel or sit with a sketch pad — beside a smooth concrete wall, in the shaded alcove of a building, on one of the 41 concrete benches — without blocking the flow of pedestrians or the window displays and entryways of St. George Street businesses. Even on a sweltering Sunday, throngs of people walked down St. George Street, wearing sunglasses and brightly colored vacation plumage. Bates wants to show that artists, tourists and commerce could all fit
here. And he wants to make the point that the city would be better for it. “Some of the most beautiful buildings in the country are [in St. Augustine], buildings that are hundreds of years old … We want to be able to capture a scene, the light coming through the clouds and dappling over the ground or beaming across the side of a building,” Bates says. “Hopefully, artists will be allowed to go and paint in the city as long as they don’t impede pedestrian traffic or block anyone’s doorways.” Susan Cooper Eastman sceastman@folioweekly.com
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A&E // FILM
SMALL WONDER AANT-MAN NT MAN red rediscovers discovers so some ome of the playfulness of super-hero adventure
I
n the scene from Marvel Studios’ latest superhero tale Ant-Man, in which Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) first tries out the suit that can shrink him to the size of an insect, his greatest threat is being washed down a bathtub drain, or flung from a spinning record during a dance party. During one late action sequence, Scott flees from explosions that reduce the buildings and landscape around him to rubble — except the exploding surroundings are a scale model. In his climactic battle with an equally minuscule adversary, Scott hurls a train car — one that’s a three-inch-long wooden caboose of a Thomas the Tank Engine toy. We’ve grown so accustomed to the ever-growing apocalyptic stakes of modern blockbusters that even Scott’s mentor, scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), jokes about the Avengers probably being off somewhere “dropping a city.” And that’s part of what makes Ant-Man so refreshing on a variety of levels: There’s no assumption that the stakes for a rousing adventure must include the threat of widespread annihilation. It’s a reminder that being a super-hero — aside from, you know, the occasional threat of being blown up by a supervillain — might actually be kinda fun. The set-up finds Scott just released from a stint in San Quentin for a Robin Hoodesque burglary at a tech company, and trying to get his life back together enough to spend time with his young daughter, Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson). But a return to a life of crime seems like the only option — until Dr. Pym shows up with that high-tech suit and a unique offer. It seems that Hank’s successor at
SEPARATED AT ORIGIN STORY: Japanese TV’s Ultraman (c. 1967) and Marvel Films’ Ant-Man (2015). his company, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), is story lacks in fate-of-the-universe fallout, it developing a similar size-reducing technology more than makes up for in simple pleasures, with the intent of weaponizing it. And Hank blending heist thriller slickness with specialwants Scott to combine the suit’s abilities — effects-driven fisticuffs. And maybe best of communicating with and controlling ants, all, it’s the most playful comic-book story in addition to becoming the same size and since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, from strength as one — with his own breaking-andthe silliness of the sequence in which Scott’s entering talents to shut down Cross’ operation. partner-in-crime Luis (Michael Peña) tries to The planning also involves Hank’s badass explain how he learned about a specific breakdaughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), in target, to the sheer kinetic and there’s more than enough pleasure of superhuman abilities. ANT-MAN parental and surrogate-parental Gravitas gives way to what The ***@ angst to go around, what with Flash TV series is reminding Rated PG-13 Cross fuming over not getting us: Sometimes all you ask from enough approval from Hank, and costumed crime-fighters is that they leave you with a stupid grin on your face. Hope wondering about the mysterious, neverexplained circumstances of her mother’s death, Because this is part of the ever-growing and Scott trying to convince his ex-wife Maggie Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man makes (Judy Greer, wasted as per usual lately) that he sure to provide its connection to The Avengers should be allowed to be around Cassie. Virtually (including an extended character cameo for none of it works beyond the level of background one action sequence), and to set up Scott noise, in part because it’s nearly impossible to Lang’s ongoing presence in that universe. But make sense of Scott as a character, including it’s better at carving out this character’s unique the specifics of his criminal career. Rudd may place in that universe, as a hero who doesn’t be a charming actor, but it feels as though Antnecessarily need to be chasing down Infinity Man doesn’t really know what to do with that Stones and Tesseracts and whatnot. While Antcharm, beyond giving him a chance to flash Man may not have mastered giving its hero that goofy smile a few times, and letting him be a soul, it reminds us that you can still have a endearingly awkward when Hope is smacking blast at the movies even when the good guy him around during their training sessions. and bad guy are having a life-or-death fight that can be contained inside a briefcase. Yet that lack of an emotional center feels less frustrating when director Peyton Reed (Down Scott Renshaw With Love) kicks the action in gear. What the mail@folioweekly.com
TRIGGERING THE CENSORS THE RE THE RECE RECENT CENT CE NT R RELEASE ELEA EL EASE EA SE O ON N BL BLU BLU-RAY U-RAY U-RA Y OF OF B BILLY ILLY IL LY Wilder’s 1965 Kiss Me, Stupid (a rare flop for the director) got me thinking about the Motion Picture Production Code and the Legion of Decency, both of which had Wilder’s film in their censorious crosshairs. He wasn’t the first target, by any means. In 1953, it was Otto Preminger giving both moral watch groups fits with his romantic comedy The Moon Is Blue, a film instrumental in unloosening the restrictive corsets of the Code. The Legion of Decency remained adamantly disapproving. Preminger first directed The Moon Is Blue on Broadway in 1951, and its success on the boards prompted him to adapt it for the big screen. For the Hollywood version, he hired a mostly new cast, including William Holden and David Niven, the latter over the protests of the producers who thought the Brit actor’s popularity was in decline. (Ironically, though the movie was nominated for three Oscars, Niven was the only actual award-winner, copping a Golden Globe for Best Actor.) A delightful comedy of manners about Donald, (Holden) who encounters Patty, a young woman (newcomer Maggie McNamara) on top of the Empire State Building, leading to all kinds of craziness over the next 24 hours, The Moon Is Blue is often credited as being among the first films to chip away at the Code’s puritanical restrictions regarding sexual themes. Though the movie itself is quite proper (and very funny, probably earning a PG
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today), toda to day) y) ititss us usee off wo words word rdss lilike ke “vi “virgin,” virg rgin in ” ““seduce,” s and “mistress” raised the hackles of the censors. Preminger and his producers released the film, initially without the Code’s seal of approval, earning a Condemned rating from the Catholic Legion of Decency to boot. Nonetheless the film was very successful, prompting Preminger to hammer away at other taboos in later fi lms, like homosexuality (Advise & Consent), heroin addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm), and sexual references again (Anatomy of a Murder). Though its controversy has dissipated, The Moon Is Blue still holds up today for its witty dialogue and inspired performances, particularly by 22-year-old McNamara, who earned an Oscar nod for her work, and had roles in three or four other significant films. Tragically, she killed herself at the age of 48. An ingénue in the mold of an Audrey Hepburn or Debbie Reynolds, she and her older stars are at the peaks of their forms in Preminger’s anything-but-dirty romantic comedy. Kiss Me, Stupid, on the other hand, is deliberately very dirty – at least in concept. The great Wilder often pushed the envelope with the Production Code and the Legion of Decency with movies like Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, to name only two. Though Kiss Me, Stupid was neither as popular nor as good as other Wilder classics, it definitely generated both controversy and laughs. Dino (Dean Martin, playing a parody of himself)
MAGIC LANTERNS
runs across Orville, a jealous songwriter (Ray Walston, TV’s favorite Martian) in Climax, Nevada. Through a series of misadventures, Orville ends up hiring hooker Polly the Pistol (Kim Novak) to pretend to be his wife. The idea is that notoriously randy Dino will stick around Climax for the night, listening to the prospective songs, his payoff being time with the buxom bride. Meanwhile, however, real wife Zelda (Felicia Farr), a Dino fan, has plans of her own. Ending happily despite double adultery, Kiss Me, Stupid is still fun to watch, mostly because of the four stars, particularly Martin and Novak. Compared to The Moon Is Blue, however, many of the topical jokes (about The Rat Pack and The Beatles, for instance) are dated. However, neither the Production Code nor the Legion of Decency was amused – the Legion slapped the fi lm with another Condemned rating. Writer-director Billy Wilder must have loved the back-handed compliment. Pat McLeod mail@folioweekly.com
A&E // FILM LISTINGS FILM RATINGS
HOT RATS **** HOT WIRE **@@
HOT SAUCE ***@ HOT FOOT *@@@
SCREENINGS AROUND TOWN
SUMMER MOVIE CLASSICS Out of Africa, with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, 2 p.m. July 26 at The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, $7.50, 355-2787, floridatheatre.com. NIGHT OWL CINEMA The Sandlot runs 8 p.m. July 26 at St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340 A1A S., free, 471-1965, staugamphitheatre.com. SUN-RAY CINEMA Minions, Trainwreck and Mr. Holmes screen at 1028 Park St., 5 Points, 359-0049, sunraycinema. com. Punk rock documentary Salad Days screens July 23. THE CORAZON CINEMA & CAFÉ Woman in Gold screens through July 23 at 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, 679-5736, corazoncinemaandcafe.com. Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles runs through July 30. The Jerk screens noon July 23. 20,000 Days on Earth starts July 24. Spider-Man screens noon July 27.
groan “I’m gettin’ too old for this dick” – moments before an acid bomb planted by a Latino drug cartel blows his dressing room to smitheroonies. — Steve Schneider MAX Rated PG Director Boaz Yakin’s film is about a dog that comes home – without his Marine buddy, who died in the line of duty. Costars Josh Wiggins, Thomas Haden Church and Lauren Graham. — S.S.
PIXELS Rated PG-13 Opens July 24 The sci-fi/action/ comedy fi lm costars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan, Jane Krakowski, Lainie Kazan and Dan Aykroyd. Plus a bunch of kids with the last names of Sandler and James. And Serena Williams! Martha Stewart! Matt “Max Headroom” Frewer! Daryl Hall and John Oates! OMG!
MINIONS **@@ Rated PG The little yellow knuckleheads finally get their own movie. In 1968 (years before they were helpers and devotees of baddie Gru), the Minions must aid and abet the world’s first female supervillain, Scarlet Overkill (voice of Sandra Bullock), who plans to take over the British monarchy. Minions is hardly a groundbreaking animated comedy, but little kids will laugh at the slapstick. — MaryAnn Johanson
SELF/LESS Rated PG-13 Wealthy old fossil transfers his mind and soul into a hot young himbo’s body, only to find out the donor’s consciousness has unfinished business. Costars Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds. Behind the director’s megaphone is Tarsem Singh, the guy R.E.M. used to hire to do their videos because his turban pissed off the red states. Oh, and he made a movie in which Jennifer Lopez entered the mind of a killer. Now there’s a body-swap scenario to chew on. — S.S.
PAPER TOWNS Rated PG-13 Opens July 24 The drama/ mystery/romance costars Nat Wolff, Austin Abrams, Cara Delevingne and Justice Smith.
SOUTHPAW Rated R Opens July 24 Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Billy Hope, a talented boxer with demons. Rachel McAdams is his wife Maureen. Costars Forest Whitaker,
Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent) and Naomie Harris. TERMINATOR: GENISYS **@@ Rated PG-13 Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can’t save this installment of the cyborg-happy franchise. We can accept a so-so story if the action is exciting, but a good story with lame action is a bore. Not worth paying to see. — D.H. TESTAMENT OF YOUTH Rated PG-13 The true-to-life drama costars Alicia Vikander, Kit Harrington, Emily Watson, Miranda Richardson and Taron Egerton. It’s the story of Vera Brittain, whose memoir about World War I is a powerful view of how war shapes individuals’ lives while changing the world. TRAINWRECK **@@ Rated R The vulgar, femaledriven comedy costars Amy Schumer, Colin Quinn, John Cena, Tilda Swinton (for once playing a woman), Bill Hader and LeBron James. Really. King James! Judd Apatow directed the much-ballyhooed yet mediocre movie.
LATITUDE 360 MOVIES Get Hard and Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 screen at Latitude 360’s movie theater, CineGrille, 10370 Philips Highway, Southside, 365-5555. IMAX THEATER Ant-Man, Galapagos 3D and Humpback Whales screen at World Golf Village Hall of Fame IMAX Theater, St. Augustine, 940-4133, worldgolfimax.com. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation starts July 30.
NOW SHOWING
ALOFT Rated R Jennifer Connelly stars as single mom Nana, who leaves her children when she goes into the hinterlands of Canada. Twenty years on, they meet again. Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent and Oona Chaplin (Charlie’s granddaughter) costar. ANT-MAN ***@ Rated PG-13 Reviewed in this issue. THE GALLOWS *@@@ Rated R Reviewed in this issue. INFINITELY POLAR BEAR **** Rated R Talented Mark Ruffalo stars as Cam Stuart, a smart manic-depressive who’s both unpredictable and loving. It’s 1978, and his wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) loves him but is concerned about his erratic behavior – chasing a car wearing only red underwear in the dead of winter. With great trepidation, Maggie leaves their preteen daughters Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) and Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) with Cam in Cambridge, Massachusetts, so she can go to grad school in New York City. Cam, with a full bottle of lithium medication, accepts his responsibility with open arms and few clues. What’s great about Ruffalo’s performance is that Cam is a caring, devoted father who happens to be manic-depressive, not a manic-depressive who tries to be a good father. Writerdirector Maya Forbes keeps the film moving – no plot holes, no gaps of logic, no tedious scenes. — Dan Hudak INSIDE OUT ***G Rated PG Brightly hued central characters and a high-concept premise might suggest a simplistic, gag-filled story, but director Pete Docter has packed emotional complexity into this terrific adventure. Inside us all is an emotional “control room,” with physical manifestations of those emotions responding to the things that push our metaphorical buttons by pushing literal buttons. For 11-year-old Riley (Kailyn Dias), a girl whose parents (Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Lane) have just moved the family from Minnesota to San Francisco, those emotions take the form of Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black). As Riley struggles to adjust to her new home and new surroundings, Joy and Sadness inadvertently wind up whisked away to the far reaches of Riley’s subconscious, trying to preserve the happiness of Riley’s “core memories” and make their way back. — Scott Renshaw JURASSIC WORLD **@@ Rated PG-13 “Nobody’s impressed by a dinosaur anymore,” says operations manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) in the early moments here, and how true that is for moviegoers as well: Visual effects are leaps and bounds beyond what they were in 1993 when Jurassic Park was a box-office smash, and that film’s two ho-hum sequels caused fans to grow weary of the Jurassic world. So executive producer Steven Spielberg and director Colin Trevorrow have something great with this fourth outing, right? The franchise should’ve remained extinct. Jurassic World is a big, humorless, drab movie. Costars Judy Greer, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Chris Pratt, Omar Sy and Vincent D’Onofrio. — D.H. MAARI Not Rated The Indian action/comedy costars Dhanush and Kajal Aggarwal. In Tamil. MAGIC MIKE: XXL Rated R Now that’s how you title a sequel. And nobody’s taking any chances in the plot department, relying instead on that hoary old staple of the “reunion/retirement tour” that brings our weenie-wagging heroes back together for one last run. Hey, it worked for The Who and Danny Glover! Can’t wait to hear Channing Tatum
JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 17
ARTS + EVENTS
A&E // FILM
PERFORMANCE
THE GALLOWS is the latest (we hope last) found-footage horror dreck
BADLY HUNG
GODSPELL Apex Theatre Studio presents the Off-Broadway classic, which sets The Gospel of St. Matthew to rock music, including a cast of students from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Stanton College Preparatory School, at 8 p.m. July 24 and 2 and 8 p.m. July 25 at St. John’s Cathedral’s Taliaferro Hall, 256 E. Church St., Downtown, 356-5507, $20; $15 for seniors and students, apextheatrejax.com; proceeds benefi t Church Without Walls’ programs that reach across social boundaries to create community, connection, and meaning. THE WIZARD OF OZ The 10th annual High School Summer Musical Theatre Experience presents its production of a stage-adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale of Dorothy, Toto, and their newfound colorful friends as they follow the yellow brick road to meet the titular wizard, featuring a cast of more than 70 local 7-12 grade students, at 7:30 p.m. July 24 and 25, 2 p.m. July 26, 7:30 p.m. July 31 and Aug. 1, and 2 p.m. Aug. 2 at Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts, FSCJ South Campus, 11901 Beach Blvd., Southside, 646-2222, 4422929, $25; $20 seniors, military, kids under 12; $15 FSCJ students and employees with valid ID, artistseriesjax.com. HELLZAPOPPIN’ This self-described “Underground Rock-n-Roll Circus Sideshow,” features stunts like glass-walking, contortion, balloon swallowing, homemade lobotomy, walking on machetes, and a human dart board, all set to rock music; doors open 6 p.m. July 24 at Mavericks at The Landing, 2 Independent Dr., Downtown, 356-1110, $13 advance;
KEIKO MATSUI Pianist Matsui, who’s performed with Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Hugh Masakela and Bob James, appears at 7 p.m. July 24 at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A N., 2090399, $39-$45, pvconcerthall.com. JAZZ IN PONTE VEDRA The Gary Starling Group (Carol Sheehan, Billy Thornton, Peter Miles), 7:30-10:30 p.m. Thur., Table 1, 330 A1A N., 280-5515. JAZZ IN MANDARIN Boril Ivanov Trio, 7 p.m. Thur., pianist David Gum, 7 p.m. Fri. at Tree Steakhouse, 11362 San Jose Blvd., 262-0006. JAZZ IN NEPTUNE BEACH Live jazz is featured 7:30-9:30 p.m. every Sat. at Lillie’s Coffee Bar, 200 First St., 249-2922. JAZZ IN ATLANTIC BEACH Guitarist Taylor Roberts, 7-10 p.m. every Tue. and Wed. at Ocean 60, 60 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 247-0060, ocean60.com. JAZZ IN AVONDALE The Von Barlow Trio and Third Bass, 9 p.m. every Sun. at Casbah Café, 3628 St. Johns Ave., 981-9966. JAZZ IN AMELIA ISLAND Guitarist Taylor Roberts, 6-9 p.m. Fri. and Sat. at Salt, RitzCarlton, Amelia Island, 4750 Amelia Island Pkwy, 277-1100.
COMEDY
MARK CURRY Curry, who’s appeared in Talkin’ After Dark and The Drew Carey Show, is on at 8 p.m. July 23 and 24 and 8 and 10 p.m. July 25 at The Comedy Zone, 3130 Hartley Rd., Mandarin, $15-$18, 292-4242, comedyzone.com.
T
Kathie Lee) go to the school at night and tear he Gallows is another found-footage down the set. horror pic (à la Paranormal Activity,) that Then, surprise! Pfeifer shows up. Lockers would’ve been better off undiscovered. open and close on their own. All the doors It’s October 1993, and audience members are to the school lock, so they can’t get out. recording a high school production of the play The Gallows. Instead of listening to the Mysterious sounds are heard in the distance. performance, an unnamed male and female No service on their cell phones. Ominous offer a running commentary on the action, dark hallways are explored, and VCRs (what which is rude to the people around them and year?) run without a tape inside. One by one, renders the video useless to anyone they’d the teens die. And after each death, we’re not show it to later, because no one can hear what unhappy to see them go. the actors are saying. The sequence doesn’t It’s never good when a horror movie last long, however, because all hell breaks has more fake scares than real scares, as loose when the lead in the play, Charlie (Jesse is the case here. As a result, when the real Cross), accidentally dies by hanging. scares come, they’re not very scary, and they break the “rules” of the movie. Jump 20 years, and now there’s Consider: In a found-footage someone even more obnoxious picture, we’re supposed to only behind the camera. His name is THE GALLOWS see and hear what the characters Ryan (Ryan Shoos), and he’s the *@@@ video-recorded at the time the douchebag you knew in high Rated R events occurred. Why they would school and hated — and would continue to record when their still hate if you saw him today. lives are in danger is a discussion for another He has a total of zero redeeming qualities time. What’s not genuine about the premise (I counted), and seems to be recording is that the video(s) are clearly edited together everything leading up to the anniversary and the loud “gotcha” noises that accompany reenactment of The Gallows because … we every real and fake scare don’t belong, because never learn. Knowing Ryan, it’s just so he can they’re not organic to the moment. If a movie make fun of his friend Reese (Reese Mishler) can’t even play by the rules it chooses for itself, for being the lead in the play rather than on there’s no reason to give it your attention. This the football team. Meathead Ryan is on the is a prime example of a film that would’ve football team, and is a bully to the stage crew, been better off with a straightforward in particular one stage boy (Price T. Morgan). narrative approach rather than gimmicky But Ryan’s also part of the tech crew, because found-footage that isn’t used effectively. it gives him an excuse to be late to football practice. Like I said, no redeeming qualities. The Gallows was written and directed by Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing on a Since he’s a terrible friend, Ryan convinces paltry $100,000 budget, then picked up for Reese to take advantage of an unlocked door distribution by New Line Cinema. No doubt the near the auditorium and destroy the set so studio saw a cheap property with which they Reese doesn’t embarrass himself in the play, could turn a quick profit (many horror movies scheduled to be performed the next night. recoup and exceed their budgets on opening Mind you, this is all Ryan’s idea, after he weekend alone), so it’s not a surprise the film tells Reese what a terrible actor he is. Reese is screening in theaters. It’s just a surprise that agrees, thinking it will help him with his it’s as bad as it is. And is anybody else bothered crush on co-star Pfeifer Ross (Pfeifer Brown), by the fact that most of the characters have the giving her a shoulder to cry on when all is same first names as the actors? destroyed and the show can’t go on. So Ryan, Reese and Ryan’s girlfriend Cassidy Spilker Dan Hudak (Cassidy Gifford, daughter of Frank and mail@folioweekly.com
18 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
Jazz vocalist BRIANNA THOMAS performs with THE JOHN LUMPKIN TRIO at The Ritz Theatre & Museum on July 24, Downtown Jacksonville. $20 VIP, mavericksatthelanding.com. The troupe then performs at 10:30 p.m. July 26 at Harmonious Monks, 320 First St. N., Jax Beach, 372-0815, $13, hellonjaxbeach. brownpapertickets.com; both performances are intended for ages 18 and up. TALE TELLERS OF ST. AUGUSTINE TaleTellers of Saint Augustine Ensemble present Remembering: Stories on a Summer Afternoon at 3:30 p.m. July 25, Anastasia Branch Library, 124 Sea Grove Main St., St. Augustine Beach, 471-0179; recommended for ages 12 and up. AIDA Players by the Sea presents this Tony Award-winning tale of a classic love triangle, based on Verdi’s opera, with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, at 8 p.m. July 23, 24, and 25 at 106 Sixth St. N., Jax Beach, 249-0289, $28; through Aug. 8, playersbythesea.org. SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL Alhambra Theatre & Dining presents the family-geared musical revue, based on Dr. Seuss’ characters, through Aug. 2. Executive Chef DeJuan Roy’s themed menu (Cat in the Hat pizza, Sam I Am meatloaf) is featured; at 12000 Beach Blvd., Southside, 641-1212, $35-$59, alhambrajax.com. SLEEPING BEAUTY KIDZfACTory presents the kid-geared production of Disney’s classic tale of the snoozing princess, a wicked witch, and the hunky prince who saves the day, featuring a cast of children in grades 3-5, at 7:30 p.m. July 24 and 25 and 2 p.m. July 26 at Limelight Theatre, 11 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine, 825-1164, $10; $5 for kids, limelight-theatre.org.
CLASSICAL, CHOIR & JAZZ
BRIANNA THOMAS with THE JOHN LUMPKIN TRIO Jazz vocalist Thomas performs with the trio at 8 p.m. July 23 at The Ritz Theatre & Museum, 829 N. Davis St., Downtown, 632-5555, $14; $50 includes champagne toast.
LARRY XL The comic is on at 7:30 and 10 p.m. July 24 and 25 at Latitude 360, 10370 Philips Hwy., Southside, $15, 3655555, latitude360.com. MAD COWFORD IMPROV Weekly PG-13-rated improv shows, based on audience suggestion, are held at 8:15 p.m. every Fri. and Sat. at Northstar Substation, 119 E. Bay St., Downtown, $5, 2332359, madcowford.com. HOT POTATO COMEDY HOUR Local comics appear 9 p.m. every Mon. at rain dogs., 1045 Park St., Riverside, free, 379-4969.
CALLS & WORKSHOPS
SARA PEDIGO PAINTING WORKSHOP Painter Pedigo holds the workshop “Painting the Ordinary,” with an emphasis on seeing shape, value, color mixing, and simplifying shapes and patterns to create the illusion of light, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 25 at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach, 50 Executive Way, 280-0614, $125; $95 for members, ccpvb.org. CALL FOR ARTISTS An Aug. 14 deadline has been set for applications to exhibit at the 2015 St. Augustine Art & Craft Festival, to be held Thanksgiving weekend Nov. 28 and 29, 824-2310, festival@staaa.org. JOHNNY CASH MUSICAL AUDITIONS Limelight Theatre auditions for the musical Ring of Fire, featuring 38 Johnny Cash songs, 2 p.m. July 25 at 11 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine, 825-1164; for details, go to limelight-theatre.org. PBTS ADULT ACTING CLASSES Gary Baker discusses auditioning, character work and making strong acting choices, 6:30-8 p.m. every Tue. through Aug. 11; Baker teaches and leads an improvisation class 6:30-8 p.m. every Thur. through Aug. 13, at Players by the Sea, 106 Sixth St. N., Jax Beach, 249-0289, $150
A&E //ARTS
A SPIRITED PRODUCTION Local youth actors star in this staging of the popular off-Broadway, faith-fueled ROCK MUSICAL
A Class Act: cast members of Godspell Riley Bean (left), Leighton Baruch and Lauren Bell
I
“We know that this play has reached n 1979, local actor and playwright Ian Mairs millions of people through songs like ‘Day by attended a production of the play Godspell Day,’ ” he explains. “It has a wide appeal. It’s staged by A Company of Players, a nowvery memorable music. A lot of people who defunct professional theatre group. Mairs was don’t consider themselves religious will still a high school student at the time, and grew up enjoy the play. I consider myself spiritual. Not regularly attending church. religious, I’ve backed away from that.” “It was performed inside the sanctuary,” A longtime Jacksonville resident (he Mairs remembers of the downtown Methodist moved here when he was a child in 1970), church venue. “You walked in and there was a Mairs is well-known as the producer of bunch of construction scaffolding up around Swamp Radio, a variety show presenting all the pulpit and a rock band trio in the back.” things Northeast Florida. Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz He’s also a graduate of Florida State and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. Based University (with a BFA in theatre) and Ohio for the most part on the Gospel of Matthew, it University (with an MFA in theatre). And as opened off-Broadway in 1971, bringing to life a playwright professor for institutions like the parables of Jesus with a modern twist on the University of North Florida and Douglas traditional hymns. Anderson School of the Arts, Mairs himself “The prologue began,” Mairs says of his has written 15 plays, including She’s a Big Girl first time seeing the play. “A group of actors Now and Our David. in goofy getups climbed “Our city’s getting so up on the scaffolding and GODSPELL big, where we have different started singing about all 8 p.m. July 24, 2 & 8 p.m. July 25 levels of young artists while these different approaches Taliaferro Hall, St. John’s a lot of the programs are to spirituality. Hippie Cathedral, Downtown, geared toward beginners,” actors singing rock music $20; $15 seniors/students, the director says of choosing in the sanctuary of one apextheatrejax.com. the cast of 10 for the Godspell of the oldest churches in production. “This is a small Jacksonville? Huh? I kept group of triple threats that needed to be waiting for the police to come and raid the pushed. They needed real life experience.” place.” The talented group includes Chaz May, Mairs says that Godspell gave him a a University of Florida student who will be contemporary way to look at religion — it playing the role of Jesus, as well as students was, after all, the late 1970s in the Bible Belt from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts — as well as a renewed love for theater. and Stanton College Preparatory School. So it only made sense that when presented “The way we frame the play, it’s about a with the opportunity to direct a play for teacher-student relationship,” Mairs says of Apex Theatre Studio’s Boot Camp, a 10-day Godspell’s synopsis. “A teacher in an inner city intensive for advanced level performers parochial school is met with a group of rowdy between 16 and 21, Mairs chose Godspell. kids and he has to convert them. And when I Not once, but twice. This is the second year in a row that Apex Theatre Studio say convert them, I mean to enlightenment in stages the vibrant production with themes whatever that is.” of friendship, forgiveness, loyalty, and For Ian Mairs, a self-professed “spiritualist” perseverance. who first saw this production when he was the Proceeds from the Friday, July 24 and same age as many cast members, it’s proved to Saturday, July 25 performances benefit be a rigorous yet rewarding experience. Church Without Walls, a ministry of the “There are actual relationships that are Episcopal Diocese of Florida that reaches taking place on stage rather than the parables across social boundaries to create community, that are happening,” he says. “Like the connection and meaning. journey that a young person goes through And while the play is about religion, is to spirituality, enlightenment and seeing the raising funds for a religious organization, and world in a new way.” will even be performed in a church, Mairs Kara Pound says it’s accessible to everyone. mail@folioweekly.com JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 19
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ARTS + EVENTS each course, playersbythesea.org. JAX BY JAX The locally based literary organization accepts applications for its November 2015 event. Deadline Aug. 1; jaxbyjax.com. BEGINNING ACTING CLASSES Sinda Nichols holds class 1-3 p.m. July 27 at Amelia Musical Playhouse, 1955 Island Walkway, Fernandina Beach, 277-3455, $15/class, ameliamusicalplayhouse.com. AMELIA ISLAND MUSEUM SEEKS WWII ITEMS The Museum of History seeks WWII historical items, particularly pieces with some association to Florida, to borrow for its upcoming exhibit Florida in World War II. Items will be on display for three to four months. 261-7378, ext. 102 or email gray@ameliamuseum.org. MUSICIANS NEEDED Amelia Musical Playhouse seeks musicians for its upcoming production of Rocky Horror Show. 277-3455, dilljill@msn.com.
ART WALKS & MARKETS
WEDNESDAY MARKET Local produce, arts, crafts, clothing, foods, live music and more are featured, from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. July 22 and every Wed. at St. Johns Pier Park, 350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach, free, 347-8007, thecivicassociation.org. DOWNTOWN FRIDAY MARKET Arts and crafts and local produce are offered 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 24 every Fri. at The Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Dr., Downtown, 353-1188. UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT The self-guided tour features galleries, antique stores and shops open 5-9 p.m. July 25 and every last Sat. in St. Augustine’s San Marco District, 824-3152. RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET Local and regional art, a free yoga session 9-10 a.m. – RAM Dance Day with Beached Fine Arts presents First Coast Dancing with the Stars, Braided Light Dance Project, So You Think You Can Dance, First Coast Center for the Arts, First Coast Center for the Arts, First Coast Flamenco, and Sahara Silk & Troupe Tarab starting at 10:30 a.m. July 25 – food artists and a farmers’ row, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every Sat. under Fuller Warren Bridge, 715 Riverside Ave., free admission, 389-2449, riversideartsmarket.com. COMMUNITY FARMERS & ARTS MARKET Baked goods, preserves, crafts, art, handcrafted jewelry, 4-7 p.m. every Wed., 4300 St. Johns Ave., Riverside, 607-9935. DOWNTOWN FRIDAY MARKET Arts & crafts, local produce, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Fri. at The Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Dr., , 353-1188.
MUSEUMS
AMELIA ISLAND MUSEUM OF HISTORY 233 S. Third St., Fernandina Beach, 261-7378, ameliamuseum.org. Portraits of American Beach is on display. AMERICAN BEACH MUSEUM American Beach Community Center, 1600 Julia St., Fernandina, 277-7960, nassaucountyfl.com/facilities. The Sands of Time: An American Beach Story, celebrating MaVynee Betsch, “The Beach Lady,” is on display. BEACHES MUSEUM & HISTORY PARK 381 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach, 241-5657, beachesmuseum. org. The exhibit Hblanton2-Heather & Holly Blanton is on display July 23-Oct. 4. CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS 829 Riverside Ave., 356-6857, cummer.org. Whitfield Lovell: Deep River is on display through Sept. 13. Reflections: Artful Perspectives on the St. Johns River is on display through Oct. 18. All Together: The Sculpture of Chaim Gross is on display through Oct. 4. British Watercolors exhibits through Nov. 29. Public garden tours are 11 a.m. every Tue. and Thur. Free admission 4-9 p.m. every Tue., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every first Sat. KARPELES MANUSCRIPT MUSEUM 101 W. First St., Springfield, 356-2992. The Addams Family: Part Two is exhibited through Aug. 26. LIGHTNER MUSEUM 75 King St., St. Augustine, 824-2874, lightnermuseum.org. Curator-led monthly tours are featured at 10 a.m. every first Wed. of the month. MANDARIN MUSEUM, WALTER JONES PARK 11964 Mandarin Rd., 268-0784, mandarinmuseum.net. Permanent exhibits include the Civil War steamship Maple Leaf artifacts, Harriet Beecher Stowe items and Mandarin historical pieces. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE 333 N. Laura St., Downtown, 366-6911, mocajacksonville. com. Project Atrium: Joelle Dietrick, is on display through Oct. 25. Southern Exposure: Portraits of a Changing Landscape is on display through Aug. 30. In Time We Shall Know Ourselves: The Photographs of Raymond Smith is on display through Aug. 30. The Art Aviators Exhibition displays through Aug. 16. Phil Parker’s Assemblage/ Collage is on display in UNF Gallery through Aug. 30. Free admission 4-9 p.m. every Thur. through the summer. MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY 1025 Museum Circle, Southbank, 396-6674, themosh.org. Skies Over Jacksonville, a live star show, is held 2 p.m. daily in the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium.
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The exhibit SILK PAINTINGS BY BETH HAIZLIP displays at First Street Gallery through Aug. 25, in Neptune Beach.
GALLERIES
ADELE GRAGE CULTURAL CENTER 716 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-7177, abettheatre. com. An opening reception for an exhibit of new works by painter Susan Bolenbaugh is held 5-9 p.m. July 25. The exhibit is on display through July. THE ART CENTER II 229 N. Hogan St., Downtown, 355-1757. Kenny Balser is the featured artist for July. TAC GALLERY AT THE LANDING 2 Independent Dr., Downtown, 355-1757. The exhibit Images of Nurture is currently on display. BUTTERFIELD GARAGE ART GALLERY 137 King St., St. Augustine, 825-4577. The exhibit Sam Kates: Coastal Connections VI is on display through Aug. 2. THE CULTURAL CENTER AT PONTE VEDRA BEACH 50 Executive Way, 280-0614, ccpvb.org. Maria Valdez Dugger’s Spiral Series is on display July 24-Sept. 3. The opening reception for the exhibit Environments: Real and Imagined, featuring works by painters Sara Pedigo and Ronald Gibbons, is held 6-8 p.m. July 24. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 3. FIRST STREET GALLERY 216-B First St., Neptune Beach, 241-6928. The exhibit Silk Paintings by Beth Haizlip is on display through Aug. 25. HAWTHORN SALON 1011 Park St., Riverside, 619-3092, hawthornsalon.com. Sara Pedigo’s Brimming with Casual News exhibit runs through August. HUBLEY GALLERY 804 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, 429-9769. An exhibit of new works by Mary Hubley, Natalia Andreeva, and Maria Struss is on display through August. RITZ THEATRE & MUSEUM 829 N. Davis St., 632-5555, ritzjacksonville.com. Through Our Eyes 2015: Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey (An Artistic Revolution), works of 20 local African-American artists, is on display through July 28. ROTUNDA GALLERY St. Johns County Admin. Bldg., 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, 471-9980. St. Augustine Camera Club’s Annual Photography Show is on display through July 23. SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY 201 N. Hogan St., Ste. 100, Downtown, 553-6361, southlightgallery.com. The exhibit Members Choice and works by featured artist Theresa Segal are featured through August. ST. AUGUSTINE ART ASSOCIATION 22 Marine St., St. Augustine, 824-2310, staaa.org. The opening reception for the juried Sixth Annual Nature and Wildlife Exhibition, featuring barbecue, cocktails, live music, and awards ceremony, is held 5-8 p.m. July 25. Tickets are $50; proceeds from sales and the reception benefit the Association’s TOUCH St. Augustine Sculpture Garden and SAAA exhibit partner, Audubon Florida. The exhibit runs through August. ST. AUGUSTINE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER 10 W. Castillo Dr., 825-1053, staugustine-450/tapestry. The exhibit Tapestry: The Cultural Threads of First America, which explores intertwining cultures of Hispanics, Africans and Native Americans and how they helped form the foundation of American culture, is on display through Oct. 4.
EVENTS
JACKSONVILLE SUNS The Suns kick off a homestand against the Birmingham Barons at 7:05 p.m. July 23 (College ID Discount, Thursday Night Throwdown), July 24 Bloodmobile, Green St. Patty’s Day Suns Cap Giveaway), July 25 (Justin Nicolino Bobblehead Giveaway, Ladies, Tag team and Midget Postgame Wrestling), 6:05 p.m. July 26 (Bark in the Park, Kids Run Bases) and 7:05 p.m. July 27 (Bellybuster
Monday, Clay County Night). All the action is at Bragan Field, Baseball Grounds, 301 Randolph Blvd., Downtown. Tickets $7.50-$25.50; 358-2846, jaxsuns.com. TEEN MAGICIANS PERFORM FOR KIDS Magician Mark Alan hosts two performances featuring teen magicians performing tricks and illusions for younger children and their families at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. July 24 at Ponte Vedra Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd., 827-6950; dress up like a favorite Harry Potter character, sjcpls.org. AUTHOR AT SAN MARCO LIBRARY Monica Knighton reads from her latest children’s book, The Adventures of Josh and Monkey: Next Time I Will Obey!, 2-5 p.m. July 25 at San Marco Branch Library, 1513 LaSalle St., 858-2907, jaxpubliclibrary.org. GAAM SHOW Gamers can get their digital freak on at this video game-themed party featuring gaming galore, charity art auction, live music, Cosplay contest, DJs, food trucks, and prizes at 6 p.m. July 25 at The Museum and Gardens, 4160 Boulevard Center Dr., St. Nicholas, $30; $25 for two players, 398-7060, gamesartandmusic.com. JACKSONVILLE SHARKS vs. TAMPA BAY STORM Star Wars themed night; game starts at 7 p.m. July 25 at Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., Downtown, $12-$133, 621-0700, jaxsharks.com. SUPERHERO CINEMA IN FRUIT COVE Bartram Trail Branch Library screens a PG-13 superhero movie at 3 p.m. July 27 at 60 Davis Pond Blvd., 827-6960; popcorn provided, bring (non-alcoholic) beverages, sjcpls.org. AUTHOR AT BEACHES LIBRARY S.E. Green talks about his latest novel, Killer Instinct, at 7 p.m. July 28 at Beaches Branch Library, 600 Third St., Neptune Beach, 241-1141, jaxpubliclibrary.org. ELITE ICE SKATING PERFORMANCE CAMP Coach Karen Ludington offers this camp 9 a.m.-2 p.m. July 29, July 30 and 31, at Jacksonville Ice & Sportsplex, 3605 Philips Highway, Southside, with two on-ice classes and one off-ice class per day; $295 per skater; 399-3223, jacksonvilleice.com. DEPRESSION/BIPOLAR SUPPORT The local chapter of the nonprofit Depression Bipolar Support Alliance meets 6-7:30 p.m. every Tue. at Baptist Hospital Pavilion, fifth floor, Rm. 3, 800 Prudential Dr., Southbank, dbsalliance.org. JACKSONVILLE CHILDREN’S COMMISSION SEEKS SUMMER FOOD SITESThe Children’s Commission seeks community partners through Aug. 7 to help serve free lunches and snacks to alleviate child hunger in low-income neighborhoods in a safe, effective and efficient manner. To qualify, the site must be in an area where there’s a school with at least 50 percent of its students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program, allow access to all neighborhood children, and provide the food free of charge. To apply, go to jaxkids.net. AMELIA RIVER CRUISES Adult Twilight BYOB Cruises every Thur., Fri. and Sat., featuring live music, from Amelia River Cruises, 1 N. Front St., Fernandina Beach, 261-9972; for fees and details, go to ameliarivercruises.com. DAILY EVENTS AT HEMMING PARK Free yoga, group fitness and live music, across from City Hall, 117 W. Duval St., Downtown; for schedule, go to hemmingpark.org/hemming-park-events. SUMMER ART CAMPS IN ST. AUGUSTINE The St. Augustine Art Association offers five sessions this summer for grades 1-6 and ages 12 and older. For more info, go to staaa.org. JR. WATERMAN’S SUMMER CAMP Black Creek Guides holds sessions July 27-31, Aug. 3-7, 10-14 and 17-21, with SUP lessons, paddle/watersports knowledge, safety and techniques, for ages 7-15. For fees, details and descriptions, go to blackcreekguides.com.
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HONKY TONK “WOMERN” Country rocker, ladies’ man and possible vampire,
A&E // MUSIC
UNKNOWN HINSON returns to Northeast Florida
I
n the realm of Outlaw Country, Unknown Hinson is surely its Ghoulish Monarch or, in his words, “the King of Country Western Troubadours.” A former ex-con who did 30 years in prison for crimes ranging from murder and 19 paternity suits to vampirism and graverobbing, since his release from the big house in ’93, Hinson has been playing a style of countryand-western rock mixing spot-on parody with ass-kickin’ music. Songs like “I Cleaned Out a Room (In My Trailer for You),” “Alkyhol Withdrawal” and “I Make Faces (When I Make Love)” have carved a niche for Hinson in the pantheon of twisted, fierce honky-tonk artists. Born a bastard, Hinson’s first name refers to his wayfaring daddy, “Unknown,” while his mother, “Miss Hinson,” vanished when he was 10. His youth was spent with a traveling carnival sideshow before he was convicted of the aforementioned, in his words, “trumpedup” charges. A widely recognized ladies’ man, Hinson’s darkly debonair fashion sense is pulled together by the color black: from his pompadour and matching mutton chop sideburns to his always-pressed suit and blacked-out teeth. His speech is peppered with a signature hillbilly patois, with his favorite subject, “womerns,” followed a close second by his love of “party likker.” The alleged alter ego of one Stuart Daniel Baker of North Carolina, Hinson first came to prominence on the Charlotte cable access TV show, The Wild Wild South. Since then, he’s released seven albums, garnered fans including Matt Groening and Hank III, was invited to jam with The Rolling Stones, and is the voice of the character Early Cuyler on the popular Adult Swim animated series, Squidbillies. In concert, Hinson is as likely to fire off a few rounds from his .38 as he is to peel off some boss guitar licks, while backed by a tough-as-nails band. At this week’s appearance at Jack Rabbits, devotees and newbies alike are certain to get a night of hillbilly stomp, boozesoaked country and rock, and always clever banter by this one-of-a-kind performer. Folio Weekly spoke to Hinson while he rested up between gigs. We talked about his mysterious life on the road, his unique songwriting style, and how to woo the “womerns.”
Yeah, and I agree. Some folks call it “politically incorrect.” What do you think those killjoys are yammering on about? Well, I think that’s the truth. Politickin’ and all, that’s up to them; I just write about what I know. You’re a journalist and if you write about something you don’t know about, your readers are going to see through that. A writer writes what he or she knows about; otherwise people will see through it. What I try to do is write about the days of Unknown Hinson and the things I’ve witnessed. If I ain’t experienced ’em, at least I’ve witnessed ’em. I mean, I try to be a little diverse with my songs. I don’t want them to all sound the same. Sometimes I do knock-down, drag-out honky-tonk and then I might do some acid rock. But if I play rock, it’s country and western rock, because I wrote it and I sang it so it ain’t really rock; to me it’s just country and western metal. Some artists sing about nature or politics, and you write about fish camps, like “Fish Camp Woman,” and trailer park life. What do you think is so inspiring about those particular places? Well, “Fish Camp Woman” was inspired by real life. I was en route to a show and we stopped into a fish camp and the “womern” who waited on my table was pretty. And she smelled good, you know? “Well, is it flounder, hushpuppies or slaw you smell like? I’ll be damned if I can tell” — but I liked it, you know? I think that’s a good smell. It ain’t a bad smell.
Is that right? Is that a medical condition or more of a philosophical thing? Nah, it’s definitely medical. When I get out in the sunlight my skin catches on fire. You know what I mean?
No, it’s not a bad smell. I’m with you on that. So it’s almost like you’re a journalist yourself, just documenting what’s happening. I’m just an observer, you know? You retain things — in your brain — that happened 50 years ago but sometimes we can’t remember what happened a minute-and-a-half ago. So the things I write about, if I write some lines, and wake up the next evening and can’t remember what I wrote, then it ain’t worth finishing. But if it sticks in my head, it’s worth pursuing. But I might get up from a deep sleep and have something in my head and I don’t know where it comes from. I just get my voice recorder and say the words and sing the melodies in my head and there it is: the nucleus of a chart-topper.
I think I do and I’ll respect your privacy by moving on. Your music is sometimes labeled as “psychobilly.” Do you think that’s an apt description? Psychobilly? Nah. I don’t get the psycho thing. If people want to use that term it’s alright. I don’t know how you can compare what I do to anybody else and vice versa. If for any one
Unlike other country singers today, you’re not afraid to address taboo topics. Like “Unlock This Bathroom Door,” about the power struggle over trying to relieve yourself when your partner is claiming domain over the bathroom. You know what it’s like to have to go to the bathroom: You got a splitting headache, you’re tired, sick, gotta go to the bathroom somethin’
You just played some gigs this past weekend and are going back on tour in a few days. What is a day on the road like for Unknown Hinson? Unknown Hinson: Mostly for me, I’m asleep. I don’t fool around in the daytime hours too much. I just sleep in the van and don’t get out too much in the sunlight. I don’t like the sunlight; I’m allergic to it.
24 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
reason it might be because the words is different. People always say, “What is your music like?” It’s just what I do. I write songs about things I know about. And when I play, people just need to take it for what it is. It’s just me playing and singing my songs. People always have to coin a phrase for somebody or some group. But it’s kind of like a cross between Drive-By Truckers, Hank III, and a little bit of bluegrass throwed in there. But I don’t see any comparisons between what I do and what anybody else does. You know what I mean?
UNKNOWN HINSON with RUSTY SHINE 8 p.m. July 25, Jack Rabbits, San Marco, $17 advance; $20 day of, jaxlive.com.
awful, and your “womern” won’t let you in. Everybody’s been there. “Womern” been through it; there’s men been kicking ladies out of the bathroom when they’ve needed to go. It ain’t a sex thing, like a sexism thing at all. It’s just the human condition. If you’re fortunate enough to have a house with two bathrooms, that helps a lot, but a lot of people don’t. Did you know that in most houses in this country, there’s only one bathroom at the most? If you got young ’uns, sometimes you got a line of people waiting. It looks like a gas station on the interstate. You have a really loyal fanbase and you’ve been quick to acknowledge their support. Are there any things about Unknown Hinson that your fans would be surprised to know? Well, I ain’t political. I don’t vote because I can’t vote because I’m an ex-con. I can’t get my driver’s license. I ain’t got a checking account ’cause imagine trying to cash a check that’s made out to “Unknown.” You’re known for your stylish fashion sense as much as for your music. Since so many young men these days have beards and hairstyles that make them look like 19th-century cobblers, do you have any style tips for today’s youth? Well, “womern” like a well-dressed man. That’s why I always wear a jet-black tuxedo that’s always pressed, clean white shirt with a bolero tie — kind of like Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy. “Womern” like that. If you show up in dirty tennis shoes and dirty jeans with the knees knocked out of ’em, a sloppy, dirty T-shirt, ain’t shaved in four or five days, ain’t combed your hair in a week or so … I mean, what in the hell’s sexy about that? “Womern” like a well-dressed man. Dracula was a welldressed man. You never saw him in jeans and a dirty T-shirt. Look at all the “womern” he got. So what’s up next for Unknown Hinson? We’re working on the 10th season of Squidbillies right now so we’re all excited about that. I mean, Leave it to Beaver didn’t last that long. Daniel A. Brown dbrown@folioweekly.com
JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 25
A&E // MUSIC
BIG HITS, COLD ONES, AND DEEP CUTS
311 celebrate their 25th year with a boxed set retrospective and, most fittingly, custom beer
A
For this current tour, are you playing only t it for a quarter-century, alt-rock-reggae songs off the new anniversary albums? quintet 311 has proved they’re here to stay. Love ’em or hate ’em, the guys have a No. We’re trying to get a couple of those in, string of No. 1 hits, toured all over the world, but we really just try and go through and released 11 studio albums, and recently came touch on each record throughout the set out with their own line of beer, 311 Amber and make sure we get some songs in there Ale. And unless you’ve been living under a that were singles. So, if you’ve never seen us rock for the last two decades-plus, you’ve before, you have a little something in there. undoubtedly heard their tunes. Songs like But, for this tour in particular, we’ll touch on “Amber,” “All Mixed Up” and “Come Original” some more of those B-Sides. get consistent radio airplay. The band formed in Omaha, Nebraska in 1990; the current Have you seen your fan base change a lot line-up includes Nick Hexum, Doug Martinez, over the years? Aaron Wills, Tim Mahoney and Chad Sexton. Yes and no. I mean, I guess there are people Folio Weekly caught up with that are more like our age Mahoney, 311’s guitarist, and have been listening to 311 to chat about the group’s us for that long. And then @ THE CONNECTION FESTIVAL longevity, fan base, set lists there’s the next generation of (Lineup in Live Music listings) and, of course, beer. Here’s younger folks. I don’t know Noon, July 25, Metropolitan Park, Downtown, $35-$125; part of that conversation. that it changes as much as it tix/schedule: connectionfestival.com just gets added onto a little Folio Weekly: At the end of bit. As we age, our fans age, June, you released Archive [on Sony Legacy], too. So I still see a lot of the same people, a four-CD box set celebrating the band’s they’re just older. 25th anniversary. That sounds like a big undertaking. How did it all come together? I saw you play almost 20 years ago, when I was Tim Mahoney: It was a fun project. Our 16, at Western Connecticut State University. drummer, Chad, did most of the work for us. Wow. Did you go with your parents? I mean, everyone was involved, but he really went through the archives and made sure we No. I went with a bunch of friends. We hid a got everything. There are songs that people keg in the woods for before the show. haven’t heard and there are the B-sides that Yeah. That’s a good thing to do. have been released, but we wanted to get them all together in one place. The demos, too. Any Speaking of beer, I read that 311 is releasing demos that were interesting — especially for one. What’s going on with that? our fans to hear how they’ve changed from the Yes. We debuted it in Vegas with a soft launch of demo stage to when they were on the record. the beer with Rock Brothers [Brewing]. They’re But yeah, it’s nice to have them all together in Tampa. And they came to us — because they now as far as the random songs that weren’t work with bands to do beers — so we met with on the records. It’s kind of like time-traveling them and said, ‘Yeah. Hey, let’s go forward with listening to them and working on this stuff. making a beer.’ So we went with an Amber Ale just because of our song ‘Amber.’ It’s currently in kegs and they’re partnered up with Nebraska Is it surreal to think that 311 has been Brewing Company and we’re originally from together for a quarter of a century? Omaha, Nebraska, so they’re actually producing We’re really just trying to take it all in and it for most of the state. People seem to like it. appreciate the longevity of it, but at the same It’s a slightly bitter ale, but has high drinkability. time looking to the future. But yeah, damn, it’s Hopefully, people like it. like a science project, too, in the sense that five guys have been working on music for that long. Kara Pound mail@folioweekly.com
26 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
Miami-based pop quintet FIFTH HARMONY (pictured) perform with DEBBY RYAN & the NEVERENDING, NATALIE LA ROSE and BEA MILLER at The Florida Theatre on July 28, Downtown Jacksonville.
LIVE + LOCAL MUSIC CONCERTS THIS WEEK SPADE McQUADE 6 p.m. July 22 at Fionn MacCool’s Irish
Pub, Jacksonville Landing, Ste. 176, Downtown, 374-1247. DENNY BLUE 6 p.m. July 22 at Paula’s Beachside Grill, 6896 A1A S., Crescent Beach, 471-3463. Music by the Sea: MR. NATURAL 7 p.m. July 22 at St. Augustine Beach Pier & Pavilion, 350 A1A Beach Blvd., free, 347-8007, thecivicassociation.org. SALIVA 7 p.m. July 22 at Mavericks at The Landing, 2 Independent Dr., Downtown, 356-1110, $15. OSARA, POYNTE 8 p.m. July 22 at Burro Bar, 100 E. Adams St., Downtown. KID ETERNITY, KEVIN LAWSON, CONNOR HICKEY, CHARLIE SHUCK 9 p.m. July 22 at Shantytown Pub, 22 W. Sixth St., Springfield, 798-8222. LOADED GUNS, 100 WATT VIPERS, AUTOMATIK FIT 8 p.m. July 22 at Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, 398-7496, $8. SLIGHTLY STOOPID, DIRTY HEADS, STICK FIGURE 4:30 p.m. July 23 at St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340 A1A S., 2090367, $34.50-$39.50. THE BAND BE EASY 7:30 p.m. July 23 at Latitude 360, 10370 Philips Hwy., Southside, 365-5555. DEATH DOMAIN, BURNT HAIR, NAIL CLUB, SEVERED+SAID 9 p.m. July 23 at rain dogs, 1045 Park St., Riverside, 3794969, $5. THE REVIVALISTS, BOBBY LEE RODGERS 8 p.m. July 23 at Freebird Live, 200 N. First St., Jax Beach, 246-2473, $15 advance; $20 day of. FOREVER OUR RIVALS 8 p.m. July 23, Jack Rabbits, $8. SAM PACETTI, GABE VALLA 7:30 p.m. July 24 at Mudville Music Room, 3104 Atlantic Blvd., San Marco, 352-7008, $10. OSOE, K.R.O.W.N.S., SPIRIT, TEEZIE, ENOCH THE PROPHET 6 p.m. July 24, Jack Rabbits, $6. WHY ME? 7 p.m. July 24 at Culhane’s Irish Pub, 967 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-9595. Fort Lowell Showcase: TRACY SHEDD, HEY MANDIBLE, MOYAMOYA, The GOOD GRACES 8 p.m. July 24, Burro Bar, $10. KACEY MUSGRAVES 8 p.m. July 24 at The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, 355-2787, $25-$45. The CRAZY DAYSIES, FOUR BARREL BAND, THE OFFSHORE 8 p.m. July 24, Freebird Live, $8 advance; $10 day of. BLONDE AMBITION 8:30 p.m. July 24 & 25, Latitude 360. SHANE MYERS 9 p.m. July 24 at Whiskey Jax, 10915 Baymeadows Rd., Southside, 634-7208. OZONE BABY 10 p.m. July 24 & 25 at The Roadhouse, 231 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park, 264-0611. “3” the BAND10 p.m. July 24 at Flying Iguana, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach, 853-5680. The Connection Festival: 311, JULIAN MARLEY, MATISYAHU, BALLYHOO!, NEW YORK SKA-JAZZ ENSEMBLE, WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, STANK SAUCE, SKYWATER, JAH ELECT & the I QUALITY BAND, CLOUD 9 VIBE, ASKMEIFICARE, HOLEY MISS MOLEY, YAMADEO, HERD of WATTS, WESTER JOSEPH’S STEREO VUDU, The DUPPIES, FLAG on FIRE Noon July 25 at Metropolitan Park, 4110 Gator Bowl Blvd., Downtown, $35-$125, connectionfestival.com. DENNY BLUE 5 p.m. July 25 at Milltop Tavern & Listening Room, 19 1/2 St. George St., St. Augustine, 829-2329. Larry Mangum’s Songwriters Circle: SCOTT & MICHELLE
DAZIEL 7:30 p.m. July 25, Mudville Music Room, $10. WEEKEND ATLAS, CIVIL BRUTE 8 p.m. July 25, Burro Bar, $8-$10. PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE, FIREFALL, ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION 8 p.m. July 25, The Florida Theatre, $39-$69. The ORIGINAL WAILERS, SCHOLARS WORD, YANCY CLEGG 8 p.m. July 25, Freebird Live, $20 advance; $25 day of. UNKNOWN HINSON, RUSTY SHINE 8 p.m. July 25, Jack Rabbits, $17. TAD JENNINGS 9 p.m. July 25, Whiskey Jax. CAPTAIN OBVIOUS 10 p.m. July 25, Flying Iguana. MIKE SHACKELFORD’s Acoustic Night 6 p.m. July 26 at Bull Park, 716 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 247-5828. JAKE MILLER, JASMINE V, ALEX ANGELO 7 p.m. July 26 at Freebird Live, $20 advance; $25 day of. SEARCHING SERENITY, POSITIVE CONTROL, BAD VIBE, WRETCH 7 p.m. July 26 at 1904 Music Hall, 19 N. Ocean St., Downtown, $8 advance; $10 day of. KAREN ABRAHAMS 7:30 p.m. July 26, Mudville Music Room, $10. CODY NIX 8:30 p.m. July 26, Flying Iguana. CHILLED MONKEY BRAINS, STATUS FAUX, SELF EMPLOYED, RHYTHM RIOTS 8 p.m. July 27, Jack Rabbits, $8. SEALION, PARTY STATIC 8 p.m. July 27, Burro Bar. PLANES MISTAKEN for STARS, ZULU WAVE, DREDGER 9 p.m. July 27 at Shanghai Nobby’s, 10 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, 547-2188. NARDIS the WARRIORS, VLAD the INHALER 9:30 p.m. July 27, 1904 Music Hall, advance tickets are $8; $10 day of. The WILD SHINERS, ROBBIE DAMMIT, GRANT PAXTON 6 p.m. July 28 at Limelight Theatre, 11 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine, 825-1164, $5. FIFTH HARMONY, DEBBY RYAN & the NEVER ENDING, NATALIE LA ROSE, BEA MILLER 8 p.m. July 28, The Florida Theatre, $29.50-$49.50. Music by the Sea: MIDLIFE CRISIS 7 p.m. July 29, St. Augustine Beach Pier & Pavilion, thecivicassociation.org. ROCKY VOTOLATO, DAVE HAUSE, CHRIS FARREN 7:30 p.m. July 29, Jack Rabbits, $12. EMMET CAHILL 7:30 p.m. July 29, Culhane’s Irish Pub, $30.
UPCOMING CONCERTS
DON’T CALL ME SHIRLEY July 30, Whiskey Jax PINK for PRESIDENT, STATUS FAUX, 187 July 30, Burro Bar NONPOINT, ALLELE, NEW DAY July 30, Freebird Live PATHOS PATHOS, NORTHE, LE ORCHID, SUNSPOTS July 31, Underbelly WHITESNAKE, The DEAD DAISIES July 31, Florida Theatre MEDAL MILITIA (Metallica tribute), SHOT DOWN in FLAMES (AC/DC tribute), FOREVER OUR RIVALS July 31, Freebird Live PERSONALITIES, FEED a LION a FELINE, LANDFILL, CARRY the WEIGHT, SEARCHING SERENITY, NEVERENDER July 31, Jack Rabbits IVY LEAGUE July 31 & Aug. 1, The Roadhouse MY MORNING JACKET, MINI MANSIONS Aug. 1, St. Augustine Amphitheatre The STOLEN, AVENUES Aug. 1, Jack Rabbits LENNY COOPER Aug. 1, Mavericks at The Landing COUNTING CROWS, CITIZEN COPE, HOLLIS BROWN Aug. 2, St. Augustine Amphitheatre AUTHORITY ZERO, COUNTERPUNCH, RUBEDO, ONE SMALL
STEP Aug. 2, Jack Rabbits SET to SAIL, DEAR ABBEY, SURVIVING SEPTEMBER Aug. 4, Jack Rabbits SHUGGIE OTIS, PARKER URBAN BAND Aug. 4, 1904 Music Hall JORMA KAUKONEN Aug. 6, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall SCARAB (Journey tribute) Aug. 6, Freebird Live FLOETRY Aug. 6, Ritz Theatre & Museum RED & FAUST’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE Aug. 6, Jack Rabbits BHAGAVAN DAS Aug. 7-9, Karpeles Museum GENERAL TSO’S FURY, BRICKS GRENADE Aug. 7, Jack Rabbits CIRCLE of INFLUENCE Aug. 7 & 8, The Roadhouse Elvis Anniversary Bash: MIKE ALBERT, SCOT BRUCE & the BIG E BAND Aug. 8, The Florida Theatre GHOSTWITCH, URSULA, RUFFIANS Aug. 8, Jack Rabbits LEE COMBS, DJ D-XTREME Aug. 8, Club TSI WHITNEY PEYTON Aug. 9, Underbelly RADIO BIRDS, SHINOBI NINJA, ASKMEIFICARE, SAMURAI SHOTGUN, PRISTINE STRINGZ Aug. 9, Jack Rabbits QUINCY MUMFORD & the REASON WHY, MATT MacKELCAN Aug. 10, Jack Rabbits CHRISTINA PERRI, COLBIE CAILLAT, RACHEL PLATTEN Aug. 11, The Florida Theatre UNIVERSAL SIGH, ERIC REAVEY Aug. 12, Jack Rabbits HippieFest 2015: The FAMILY STONE, RICK DERRINGER, MITCH RYDER & the DETROIT WHEELS, BADFINGER & JOEY MOLLAND Aug. 13, The Florida Theatre KULT OV AZAZEL, SECRETS SHE KEPT, NEVERBAPTIZED, SATURNINE, The NOCTAMBULANT Aug. 13, Burro Bar An Evening of The Doors Greatest Hits: THE ROBBY KRIEGER BAND Aug. 13, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BLACKALICIOUS Aug. 13, Freebird Live KEVIN BURKE, ASTROMAPS, VACANT RESIDENT Aug. 14, Jack Rabbits JIM LAUDERDALE & HIS BAND Aug. 14, P.V. Concert Hall HOR!ZEN Aug. 14, The Roadhouse NEPHEW TOMMY Aug. 14, Florida Theatre The ROCKY HORROR Show Aug. 14 & 15, 21 & 22, 1904 Music Hall DARYL HANCE, EUGENE SNOWDEN Aug. 14, Underbelly Women Who Rock: MAMA BLUE, KIM RETEGUIZ & BLACK CAT BONES, CAT McWILLIAMS BAND Aug. 15, Freebird Live TWANG AND ROUND Aug. 15, Mavericks at the Landing Duval Summerfest 2015: ASKMEIFICARE, LIL’ HUSTLE, MARCUS MATRIX, JANE DOE, ROB FRANCIS, COPYRYTE, LOOSE BILLS, HOLLY MONROE, G SLIM, DEZ NADO Aug. 15, Jack Rabbits SUBLIME WITH ROME, REBELUTION, PEPPER, MICKEY AVALON Aug. 16, St. Augustine Amphitheatre “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC Aug. 16, The Florida Theatre NASHVILLE PUSSY, VALIENT THORR, FFN Aug. 16, Jack Rabbits COLLEEN GREEN, WET NURSE, PUNANI HUNTAH, NUT BEAST, HEAVY FLOW, MF GOON, MENTAL PATIENTS Aug. 17, Shanghai Nobby’s COMMUNITY CENTER, TROPIC of CANCER Aug. 18, Jack Rabbits LA LUZ, BOYTOY, The LIFEFORMS Aug. 19, Burro Bar LYLE LOVETT & his LARGE BAND Aug. 20, Thrasher-Horne Center TIM McGRAW, BILLY CURRINGTON, CHASE BRYANT Aug. 20, Veterans Memorial Arena ROB THOMAS, PLAIN WHITE T’s Aug. 20, St. Augustine Amphitheatre DJ BABY ANNE Aug. 21, Underbelly Campout Concert Series: STRATOSPHERE ALL-STARS, SIR
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LIVE + LOCAL MUSIC Atlanta-based Dark Wave artist DEATH DOMAIN (pictured) performs with BURNT HAIR, NAIL CLUB and SEVERED+SAID at rain dogs on July 23 in Riverside.
CHARLES, ZOOGMA, GREENHOUSE LOUNGE X2, DYNO HUNTER, VLAD the INHALER, MZG, S.P.O.R.E., BELLS & ROBES, MATTHEW CONNOR Aug. 21 & 22, Suwannee Music Park DEMUN JONES Aug. 21, Jack Rabbits WILL SPROTT, LIFEFORMS Aug. 21, Shanghai Nobby’s CLAY WALKER Aug. 22, Mavericks at The Landing LIL DUVAL Aug. 22, The Florida Theatre WILL SPROTT Aug. 22, rain dogs LEISURE CRUISE Aug. 24, Jack Rabbits DONOVAN FRANKENREITER Aug. 25, Freebird Live SUNDY BEST, CHRIS WOODS, JESSE MONTOYA Aug. 27, Jack Rabbits The OUTLAWS, BLACKHAWK Aug. 28, The Florida Theatre TRIBAL SEEDS, The EXPANDERS, ARISE ROOTS Aug. 28, Mavericks at The Landing STEVE FORBERT TRIO Aug. 29, Mudville Music Room SILVERSEL Aug. 29, Jack Rabbits RICK SPRINGFIELD, LOVERBOY, The ROMANTICS Aug. 30, St. Augustine Amphitheatre FIELD GRAY, A VIBRANT LIE Aug. 30, Jack Rabbits THE OH WHALES Aug. 31, Jack Rabbits ALICE COOPER Sept. 1, The Florida Theatre THE NIGHTMARE POLICE Sept. 2, Jack Rabbits NORTHE, RATSMOUTH, SUNSPOTS, STRONG GUYS Sept. 4, Jack Rabbits
GYM SHORTS, BEN KATZMAN DEGREASER, PARTY FLAG Sept. 4, Shanghai Nobby’s AARON NEVILLE Sept. 4, St. Johns County Fairgrounds PONCHO SANCHEZ Sept. 5, Ritz Theatre & Museum GWAR, BUTCHER BABIES, BATTLECROSS Sept. 9, Freebird Live DOYLE BRAMHALL II Sept. 9, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall FAUX FEROCIOUS, RIVERNECKS, TEENAGE LOBOTOMY Sept. 11, Shanghai Nobby’s JOSH ABBOTT BAND Sept. 12, Mavericks at the Landing THEE OH SEES, GOLDEN PELICANS, WAYLON THORNTON & the HEAVY HANDS Sept. 15, St. Augustine Amphitheatre DAVID LEIBE HART, DIG DOG, The VULGARIANS Sept. 16, Underbelly ROXY ROCA Sept. 16, Jack Rabbits LUKE BRYAN, RANDY HOUSER, DUSTIN LYNCH Sept. 17, Veterans Memorial Arena RUNAWAY GIN Sept. 18, Freebird Live THAT 1 GUY Sept. 22, Jack Rabbits REO SPEEDWAGON Sept. 24, The Florida Theatre DELBERT McCLINTON Sept. 25, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall HELMET Sept. 25, Jack Rabbits BRITTANY SHANE Sept. 25, Mudville Music Room NOTHING MORE, The MARMOZETS, TURBOWOLF Sept. 28, Jack Rabbits RECKLESS SERENADE Sept. 29, Jack Rabbits
HOUNDMOUTH Sept. 30, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BOOKER T. JONES Oct. 3, Ritz Theatre & Museum AMELIA ISLAND JAZZ FEST Oct. 8-15, Fernandina Beach TORO Y MOI Oct. 8, Freebird Live SALAD BOYS Oct. 8, rain dogs ANI DiFRANCO Oct. 9, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall RANDY WESTON’S AFRICAN RHYTHMS Oct. 10, Ritz Theatre The VIBRATORS, CONCRETE ANIMALS, The WASTEDIST Oct. 11, Jack Rabbits FRED HAMMOND & DONNIE McCLURKIN Oct. 11, Veterans Memorial Arena NEW FOUND GLORY, YELLOWCARD, TIGERS JAW Oct. 13, Mavericks The WINERY DOGS Oct. 14, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall NOAH GUNDERSON Oct. 14, Colonial Quarter BUDDY GUY, SHEMEKIA COPELAND Oct. 14, Florida Theatre CHRIS TOMLIN, REND COLLECTIVE Oct. 16, Vets Mem. Arena SUZANNE VEGA Oct. 16, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The SENSES, The PHILTERS Oct. 16, Jack Rabbits DEF LEPPARD, FOREIGNER, NIGHT RANGER Oct. 17, Veterans Memorial Arena DEBORAH HENSON-CONANT Oct. 17, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall LITTLE BIG TOWN, DRAKE WHITE & the BIG FIRE Oct. 17, St. Augustine Amphitheatre The CHARLIE DANIELS BAND Oct. 22, The Florida Theatre Gnar Stars: FREE WEED, UNKLE FUNKLE, COLLEEN GREEN Oct. 22, Shanghai Nobby’s TAB BENOIT Oct. 22, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MARCIA BALL, AMY SPEACE Oct. 23, P. Vedra Concert Hall MARK KNOPFLER Oct. 27, St. Augustine Amphitheatre KEPI GHOULI, MEAN JEANS, LIFEFORMS (as Nirvana) Oct. 29, rain dogs BOZ SCAGGS Nov. 4, Thrasher-Horne Center for the Arts LEFTOVER SALMON Nov. 5, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall PRONG, APPALACHIAN DEATH TRAP Nov. 6, Jack Rabbits ALL HANDS on DECK Nov. 8, The Florida Theatre ADRIAN LEGG, DAVID LINDLEY Nov. 12, P. Vedra Concert Hall CHASE BRYANT Nov. 12, Mavericks at the Landing AMERICA Nov. 13, Thrasher-Horne Center JAKE SHIMABUKURO Nov. 13, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall STRAIGHT NO CHASER Nov. 17, The Florida Theatre The DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND, NEW BREED BRASS BAND Nov. 21, Ritz Theatre & Museum This is Not a Test Tour: TOBYMAC, BRITT NICOLE, COLTON DIXON, HOLLYN Nov. 22, Veterans Memorial Arena SCOTT BRADLEE’S Postmodern Jukebox Nov. 28, Florida Theatre RONNIE MILSAP Nov. 29, The Florida Theatre LUCERO Dec. 3, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall NICHOLAS PAYTON Dec. 5, Ritz Theatre & Museum KANSAS Dec. 6, The Florida Theatre LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III Dec. 11, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BRIAN REGAN Dec. 13, The Florida Theatre JOHN SEBASTIAN Jan. 8, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall CHRISTIAN McBRIDE Jan. 16, Ritz Theatre & Museum The TEMPTATIONS, The FOUR TOPS Jan. 21, Florida Theatre SHAWN COLVIN Jan. 29, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JOHNNY MATHIS Jan. 31, The Florida Theatre COLIN HAY Jan. 31, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall WHO’S BAD: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Feb. 5, The Florida Theatre PATTY GRIFFIN, SARA WATKINS, ANAIS MITCHELL Feb. 13, The Florida Theatre SUN RA ARKESTRA Feb. 20, Ritz Theatre & Museum Michael Feldman’s WHAD’YA KNOW? Live! Feb. 20, Florida Theatre ADAM TRENT Feb. 21, The Florida Theatre BLACK VIOLIN March 3, Ritz Theatre & Museum ROGER McGUINN March 4, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JANET JACKSON March 8, Veterans Memorial Arena FRANK SINATRA JR. March 9, The Florida Theatre CECILE McLORIN SALVANT March 31, Ritz Theatre Celtic Nights: SPIRIT of FREEDOM April 6, Florida Theatre NAJEE April 9, Ritz Theatre & Museum LET IT BE: A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles April 10, The Florida Theatre
LIVE MUSIC CLUBS
AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA BEACH
DAVID’S Restaurant & Lounge, 802 Ash St., 310-6049 John Springer every Tue.-Wed. Aaron Bing 6 p.m. every Fri. & Sat. GREEN TURTLE TAVERN, 14 S. Third St., 321-2324 Buck Smith Thur. Yancy Clegg Sun. Vinyl Record Nite every Tue. SURF RESTAURANT, 3199 S. Fletcher Ave., 261-5711 Bluff 5 Band July 22. DJ Rock July 23. Colby Ward July 24. Darrell Rae July 25. Nora Ricci July 26. Surfaroke July 27
AVONDALE, ORTEGA
CASBAH CAFÉ, 3628 St. Johns Ave., 981-9966 Goliath Flores 9 p.m. every Wed. Live jazz every Sun. Live music every Mon. ECLIPSE, 4219 St. Johns Ave. KJ Free 9 p.m. Tue. & Thur. Indie dance 9 p.m. Wed. ’80s & ’90s dance at 9 p.m. every Fri. MELLOW MUSHROOM, 3611 St. Johns Ave., 388-0200 Tad Jennings July 23. Wes Cobb July 24. RadioLove July 25
THE BEACHES
(All venues in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted)
BILLY’S BOATHOUSE, 2321 Beach Blvd., 241-9771 Ron Perry, Pat Marino July 22. Jaxx or Better July 24. Jetty Cats July 25 CULHANE’S IRISH PUB, 967 Atlantic Blvd., A.B., 249-9595 Why Me? 8 p.m. July 24. Emmet Cahill July 29 ESPETO Brazilian Steakhouse, 1396 Beach Blvd., 388-4884 Steve & Carlos 6 p.m. July 23 FLYING IGUANA, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach, 853-5680 3 the Band 10 p.m. July 24. Captain Obvious July
28 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
25. Cody Nix July 26. Red Beard & Stinky E every Thur. FREEBIRD LIVE, 200 N. First St., 246-2473 The Revivalist, Bobby Lee Rodgers 8 p.m. July 23. The Crazy Daysies, Four Barrel Band, The Offshore 8 p.m. July 24. The Original Wailers, Scholars Word, Yancy Clegg July 25. Jake Miller, Jasmine V, Alex Angelo July 26 HARMONIOUS MONKS, 320 First St. N., 372-0815 Blistur, Hellzapoppin 4 p.m. July 26. Live music 9 p.m. every Fri. & Sat. Dan Evans, Spade McQuade 6 p.m. every Sun. Back From the Brink 9 p.m. every Mon. HOPTINGER Bier Garden & Sausage House, 333 N. First St., 222-0796 Andrew Sapin 8 p.m. July 25 LYNCH’S IRISH PUB, 514 N. First St., 249-5181 Roger That 10 p.m. July 24 & 24. Dirty Pete Wed. Split Tone Thur. MELLOW MUSHROOM, 1018 Third St. N., 241-5600 Hunting July 22. Legacy Orchestra Collective July 23. Horizon July 24 MEZZA Restaurant & Bar, 110 First St., N.B., 249-5573 Neil Dixon every Tue. Gypsies Ginger every Wed. Mike Shackelford & Steve Shanholtzer every Thur. NORTH BEACH BISTRO, 725 Atlantic Blvd., A.B., 372-4105 Elizabeth Rogers July 23. Katie Fair July 24 RAGTIME TAVERN, 207 Atlantic Blvd., A.B., 241-7877 Big John July 22. Decoy July 23. Boogie Freaks July 24 & 25. Smith & Banks July 26. Live music Thur.-Sun. SLIDERS SEAFOOD GRILLE, 218 First St., N.B., 246-0881 Billy Bowers 6:30 p.m. July 24. Live music Thur., Fri. & Sat. WIPEOUTS GRILL, 1589 Atlantic Blvd., N.B., 247-4508 Billy Bowers 7 p.m. July 23. Bill Rice 9:30 p.m. July 24
DOWNTOWN
1904 MUSIC HALL, 19 Ocean St. N. Searching Serenity, Positive Control, Bad Vibe, Wretch 7 p.m. July 26 BURRO BAR, 100 E. Adams St. Poynte, Osara 8 p.m. July 22. Minor Influence, Concrete Criminals July 23. Fort Lowell Records Showcase: Tracy Shedd, Hey Mandible, Moyamoya, The Good Graces 8 p.m. July 24. Weekend Atlas, Civil Brute July 25. Sealion, Party Static July 27. Live music Fri. & Sat. DOS GATOS, 123 E. Forsyth St., 354-0666 BlackJack every Wed. DJ Brandon every Thur. DJs spin dance music every Fri. DJ NickFresh Sat. DJ Randall 9 p.m. Mon. DJ Hollywood Tue. FIONN MacCOOL’S, Jax Landing, Ste. 176, 374-1247 Spade McQuade 6 p.m. July 22, 24 & 29. Jimmy Solari 8 p.m.-mid. July 25. Ace Winn 8 p.m.-mid. July 31. Live music Wed.-Sun. JACKSONVILLE LANDING, 2 Independent Dr., 353-1188 Jay Garrett, Scholars Word 8 p.m.-1 a.m. July 24. Spanky the Band 8 p.m.-1 a.m. July 25. 418 Band 4-9 p.m. July 26 MARK’S DOWNTOWN, 315 E. Bay, 355-5099 DJ Roy Luis Wed.
ROCK AND ROUGE WITH ALL OF THE APOCALYPTIC RHETORIC spewing from the right these days – about how our country is going to hell at the hands of our evil dictatorial president, an activist Supreme Court and the gay-rights cabal – it may behoove all of us to watch the new documentary Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock & Roll. This slowburn doc captures two decades of Cambodian cultural and political history using archival footage and modern-day interviews, interlacing the arc of the Phnom Penh pop music scene with the escalation of the Vietnam War and the short but devastating presence of the Khmer Rouge. The film opens in the ’50s, as Cambodia slipped into independence, now free from French colonization. With its new-found autonomy came a thriving arts and cultural scene, encouraged by the government, namely Prince Norodom Sihanouk. Sihanouk demanded orchestras be formed to accompany him across Cambodia promoting film, agriculture, architecture, music, and art. The film’s trajectory moves methodically through the ’60s, interweaving music and political history. Discotheques popped up during the Cold War, during which Cambodia insisted on neutrality. Afro-Cuban music and French crooning flooded the musical landscape, along with a surfy, twang precursor to what would become Cambodian rock. Notable as the first real Cambodian rock group was Baksei Cham Krong, started by musician Mol Cagnol in 1959 (he was 14). They called him Uncle Solo. Influenced by The Shadows in the 1961 movie The Young Ones, Baksei Cham Krong created a tsunami of guitar bands that played everything from hot-rod rock to go-go. Everyone felt safe in this growing community of musicians and music lovers, despite brewing hostilities at the country’s borders. As the Vietnam War ramped up, Cambodia again tried to maintain neutrality while protecting
LIVE + LOCAL MUSIC
DJ Vinn every Thur. DJ 007 every Fri. Bay Street every Sat. MAVERICKS, Jax Landing, 356-1110 Saliva 6 p.m. July 22. Hellzapoppin 6 p.m. July 24. Joe Buck, DJ Justin Thur.-Sat. UNDERBELLY, 113 E. Bay St., 699-8186 Run DMT July 25. Hollis Brown July 26. Pathos Pathos, Northe, Orchid, Sunspots July 31 THE VOLSTEAD, 115 W. Adams, 414-3171 Complicated Animals 9 p.m. July 25
FLEMING ISLAND
WHITEY’S FISH CAMP, 2032 C.R. 220, 269-4198 X-Hale 9 p.m. July 24 & 25. Live music every Fri. & Sat. DJ Throwback 8 p.m. every Thur. Deck music every Fri., Sat. & Sun.
INTRACOASTAL WEST
JERRY’S Sports Grille, 13170 Atlantic Blvd., 220-6766 Spectra 7:30 p.m. July 24. Rick Arcusa July 25
MANDARIN, JULINGTON
DAVE’S Music Bar & Grill, 9965 San Jose, 575-4935 Wrenshaw, Blues Jam July 24. Lee Blake, TJ Ward July 25 HARMONIOUS MONKS, 10550 Old St. Augustine, 880-3040 Scott Verville July 22. Natural Instincts Band July 26. Open jam Blues Monday 7 p.m. every Mon. SAUCY TACO, 450 S.R. 13, 287-8226 Stu Weaver July 25
ORANGE PARK, MIDDLEBURG
CLUB RETRO, 1241 Blanding Blvd., 579-4731 ’70s & ’80s dance 8 p.m. every Fri. & Sat. DJ Capone every Wed. THE HILLTOP, 2030 Wells Rd., 272-5959 John Michael Tue.-Sat. THE ROADHOUSE, 231 Blanding Blvd., 264-0611 Ozone Baby 10 p.m. July 24 & 25. Live rock music 10 p.m. every Wed. DJ Big Mike 10 p.m. every Thur. Live rock every Fri. & Sat.
PONTE VEDRA
PUSSER’S Grill, 816 A1A, 280-7766 Billy Buchanan July 23 TABLE 1, 330 A1A N., 280-5515 Ryan Crary, Johnny Flood July 22. Gary Starling July 23. Andrew Sapin July 24
RIVERSIDE, WESTSIDE
ACROSS THE STREET, 948 Edgewood Ave. S., 683-4182 The Holophonics 7 p.m. July 24 MURRAY HILL THEATRE, 932 Edgewood Ave. S., 388-7807 Kassidy Lankford, Graham Snuggs 8 p.m. July 24. Flip’s farewell Fest: Beware the Neverending, I Am Endseeker, Set Free, Me and the Trinity, I Am the Witness, Just Like Gentlemen, Operator, Convalesce 4 p.m. July 25 RAIN DOGS, 1045 Park St., 379-4969 Death Domain, Burnt
its own. This became increasingly more difficult, as threats encroached from without and within. And still grew the scene. The country’s first studio, Radio National, with one mic in the center of an empty room, provided a primitive but powerful outlet for the artists of the time. Female singers Chhuon Malay, Mao Sareth and the “Voice of National Radio” host and singer Huoy Meas became cherished icons. By the late ’60s, as American fleets moved into the region, American rock was making it onto the airwaves. Liv Tek was the Cambodian Wilson Pickett, screams and shouts galore. Beneath it all, the Khmer Rouge, which was backed by communist China, was making inroads. Cambodian neutrality was eroding, and in March 1970, Norodom Sihanouk was deposed. Despite the grim outlook, the trappings of flower power and sexual liberation were gaining a foothold in Cambodia. Hippie band Drakkar provided fuzzed-out Beatlesand Rolling Stones-influenced rock. Yol Aularong created Cambodian soul and funk with lyrics that criticized conservative values and conformity. Again, the back-and-forth between politics and music continues, as director John Pirozzi strikes a weird balance of joy and terror. We see Sihanouk vowing to fight back, encouraging an uprising and forming an alliance with Khmer Rouge, which allowed Pol Pot to secretly unleash his own plans. A bloody civil war ensued, and Cambodian music reflected this shift. No more fun, no more love songs. The “government” demanded patriotic songs. One pro-war song went: “My friends/don’t be afraid to kill/chase and slaughter/pick up a weapon now.” Then, in 1973, 200 days of bombing began, the countryside was decimated, and farming families were destroyed. The Khmer Rouge incited the poor to take up arms and fight. The genocide had begun in earnest. People responded with more music. In
THE KNIFE
Hair, Nail Club, Severed+Said July 23. Jude, Sur Black July 25 RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET, 715 Riverside Ave., 389-2449 First Coast Dancing with the Stars, Braided Light Dance Project, So You Think You Can Dance, First Coast Center for the Arts, First Coast Flamenco, Sahara Silk & Troupe Tarab 10:30 a.m. July 25
ST. AUGUSTINE
THE CELLAR UPSTAIRS, 157 King St., 826-1594 Midlife Crisis July 24. Ralph E. & the Jammers July 25. Vinny Jacobs July 26 MILL TOP TAVERN, 19 St. George St., 829-2329 Ancient City Keepers 9 p.m. July 24 & 25. Denny Blue 5 p.m. July 25 PAULA’S BEACHSIDE GRILL, 6896 A1A S., Crescent Beach, 471-3463 Denny Blue open mic jam 6-9 p.m. July 22 SHANGHAI NOBBY’S, 10 Anastasia Blvd., 547-2188 Planes Mistaken For Stars, Zulu Wave, Dredger July 27 TRADEWINDS LOUNGE, 124 Charlotte St., 829-9336 Cotton Mouth July 24 & 25. Live music 9 p.m. every Fri. & Sat.
SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANK
JACK RABBITS, 1528 Hendricks Ave., 398-7496 Loaded Guns, 100 Watt Vipers, Automatik Fit 8 p.m. July 22. Forever Our Rivals July 23. OSOE, K.R.O.W.N.S., Spirit, Teezie, Enoch the Prophet July 24. Unknown Hinson, Rusty Shine July 25 MUDVILLE MUSIC ROOM, 3104 Atlantic Blvd., 352-7008 Sam Pacetti CD release, Gabe Valla July 24. Larry Mangum, Scott & Michelle Daziel July 25. Karen Abrahams July 26 THE PARLOUR, 2000 San Marco Blvd., 396-4455 Toots Lorraine & the Traffic July 23. Live music every Thur.-Sat.
SOUTHSIDE, BAYMEADOWS, ARLINGTON
LATITUDE 360, 10370 Philips Hwy., 365-5555 DJ Trdmrk, X-Hale July 22. Be Easy, DJ Fellin July 23. Darrel Rae, Blonde Ambition July 24 & 25. North of 40 July 26 MELLOW MUSHROOM, 1800 Town Center Blvd., 541-1999 Darren Corlew July 23. Samuel Sanders July 24 SEVEN BRIDGES, 9735 Gate Pkwy., 997-1999 Toots Lorraine & the Traffic July 24 WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows, 634-7208 Shane Myers 9 p.m. July 24. Tad Jennings 9 p.m. July 25. Melissa Smith open mic Thur. Mojo Roux Bluesevery Sun. Kassyli country jam every Mon. WILD WING CAFÉ, 4555 Southside Blvd., 998-9464 Chris Brinkley July 22. Open mic July 23. Live music Fri. & Sat.
SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE
SHANTYTOWN, 22 W. Sixth St., 798-8222 Kid Eternity, Kevin Lawson, Connor Hickey, Charlie Shuck 9 p.m. July 22
THE KNIFE
bombed-out cities, where curfews were imposed, dayclubs opened. Musicians played in fear, but they played. In 1975, Khmer Rouge took Radio National and shut it down. No more freedom, no more Western ideas ... no music. If all of this sounds a bit expositional, it doesn’t play that way. Pirozzi, though sticking to conventional doc style, employs clever animation and colorful sequences to capture the energy of the rock scene. Archival war footage and shots of Phnom Penh nightlife, along with interviews with aging relatives of popular musicians, ground the film in wondrous and painful reality. And therein lies the crux of the film. About halfway through, I realized there were few first-person musician interviews. The chilling fact is that they all disappeared during the Khmer Rouge reign. Presumed dead by family members, those musicians never returned home. And their legacy becomes the bittersweet core of Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten. We can easily take for granted how inseparable arts is from politics. Even if not explicitly connected, music, visual art, theater, literature, and dance crystalize a society’s viewpoint in the shifting currents of geopolitical conflict. Rock-and-roll has always been the mouthpiece of the most vocal social commentators, and the Cambodians who lived and died for their art should not, as the title commands, be forgotten. John E. Citrone theknife@folioweekly.com JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 29
Relax with a cool tropical beverage and savor the flavor of tangy Caribbean-centric cuisine at Pusser’s Bar & Grille in Ponte Vedra. Photo by Dennis Ho
DINING DIRECTORY AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA BEACH
29 SOUTH EATS, 29 S. Third St., 277-7919, 29south restaurant.com. F In historic downtown, Chef Scotty Schwartz serves traditional regional cuisine with a modern twist. $$ L Tue.-Sat.; D Mon.-Sat.; R Sun. BARBERITOS, 1519 Sadler Rd., 277-2505. 463867 S.R. 200, Ste. 5, Yulee, 321-2240, barberitos.com. F Southwestern fare; burritos, tacos, quesadillas, salsa. $$ BW K TO L D Daily BRETT’S Waterway Café, 1 S. Front St., 261-2660. F Southern hospitality, upscale waterfront spot; daily specials, fresh local seafood, aged beef. $$$ FB K L D Daily CAFÉ KARIBO, 27 N. Third St., 277-5269, cafekaribo.com. F Family-owned spot in historic building. Veggie burgers, seafood, made-from-scratch desserts. Dine in or on oak-shaded patio. Karibrew Pub next door. $$ FB K TO R, Sun.; L D Daily CHEZ LEZAN Bakery Co., 1014 Atlantic Ave., 491-4663, chezlezanbakery.com. Fresh European-style breads, pastries: croissants, muffins, cakes, pies. $ TO B R L Daily CIAO Italian Bistro, 302 Centre St., 206-4311, ciaobistroluca.com. Owners Luca and Kim Misciasci offer fine dining: veal piccata, rigatoni Bolognese, antipasto. Specialties: chicken Ciao, homemade meat lasagna. $ L Fri., Sat.; D Nightly DAVID’S Restaurant & Lounge, 802 Ash St., 310-6049, amelia islanddavids.com. Fine dining in historic district. Fresh seafood, prime aged meats, rack of lamb. $$$$ FB D Wed.-Mon. DICK’S Wings & Grill, 474313 E. S.R. 200, 491-3469. 450077 S.R. 200, Callahan, 879-0993. BOJ. SEE PONTE VEDRA. ELIZABETH POINTE Lodge, 98 S. Fletcher Ave., 277-4851, elizabethpointelodge.com. F BOJ winner. Award-winning B&B. Seaside dining, inside or out. Hot buffet breakfast daily. Homestyle soups, sandwiches, desserts. $$$ BW B L D Daily JACK & DIANE’S, 708 Centre St., 321-1444, jackanddianes cafe.com. F In renovated 1887 shotgun house. Jambalaya, French toast, mac-n-cheese, vegan/vegetarian items. Dine in or on porch. $$ FB K B L D Daily LULU’S at Thompson House, 11 S. 7th St., 432-8394, lulusamelia.com. F Po’boys, salads, local seafood, local shrimp. Reservations. $$$ BW K TO R Sun.; L D Tue.-Sat. MARCHÉ BURETTE, 6800 First Coast Hwy., 491-4834, omnihotels.com. Old-fashioned gourmet food market and deli, in the Spa & Shops, Omni Amelia Island Plantation. Continental breakfast; lunch features flatbreads. $$$ BW K TO L D Daily MOON RIVER PIZZA, 925 S. 14th St., 321-3400, moon riverpizza.net. F BOJ winner. Northern-style pizzas, 20+ toppings, by the pie or the slice. $ BW TO L D Mon.-Sat. THE MUSTARD SEED CAFÉ, 833 TJ Courson Rd., 277-3141, nassaushealthfoods.net. Casual organic eatery, juice bar, in Nassau Health Foods. All-natural organic items, smoothies, juice, herbal tea. $$ TO B L Mon.-Sat. THE PECAN ROLL Bakery, 122 S. Eighth St., 491-9815, the pecanrollbakery.com. F The bakery, near the historic district, offers sweet and savory pastries, cookies, cakes, bagels and breads, all made from scratch. $ K TO B L Wed.-Sun. THE PIG BAR-B-Q, 450102 S.R. 200, Callahan, 879-0101, thepigbarbq.com. Bite Club. SEE SOUTHSIDE.
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PLAE, 80 Amelia Village Cir., 277-2132, plaefl.net. Bite Club. Bistro-style venue serves whole fried fish, duck breast. Outside. $$$ FB L Tue.-Sat.; D Nightly THE SALTY PELICAN Bar & Grill, 12 N. Front St., 277-3811, thesaltypelicanamelia.com. F BOJ winner. 2nd-story outdoor bar. Owners T.J. and Al offer local seafood, Mayport shrimp, fish tacos, po’boys, cheese oysters. $$ FB K L D Daily SLIDERS Seaside Grill, 1998 S. Fletcher Ave., 277-6652, slidersseaside.com. F Oceanfront; handmade crab cakes, fresh seafood, fried pickles. Outdoor dining, open-air 2nd floor, balcony. $$ FB K L D Daily TASTY’S FRESH Burgers & Fries, 710 Centre St., 321-0409, tastysamelia.com. Historic district. Freshest meats, hand-cut fries, homemade sauces, hand-spun shakes. $ BW K L D Daily T-RAY’S Burger Station, 202 S. Eighth St., 261-6310. F BOJ winner. In an old gas station; blue plate specials, burgers, biscuits & gravy, shrimp. $ BW TO B L Mon.-Sat. THE VERANDAH, 6800 First Coast Hwy., 321-5050, omni hotels.com. Extensive menu of fresh local seafood and steaks; signature entrée is Fernandina shrimp. Many herbs and spices are from onsite garden. $$$ FB K D Nightly
ARLINGTON, REGENCY
DICK’S Wings, 9119 Merrill Rd., 745-9300. BOJ. SEE P. V. LARRY’S SUBS, 1301 Monument Rd., 724-5802. F SEE O.P.
AVONDALE, ORTEGA
FLORIDA CREAMERY, 3566 St. Johns Ave., 619-5386. Premium ice cream, waffle cones, milkshakes, sundaes and Nathan’s grilled hot dogs, served in a Florida-centric décor. Low-fat and sugar-free choices. $ K TO L D Daily THE FOX Restaurant, 3580 St. Johns Ave., 387-2669. F Owners Ian & Mary Chase offer fresh diner fare: burgers, meatloaf, fried green tomatoes, desserts. Breakfast all day. Local landmark for 50+ years. $$ BW K L D Daily HARPOON LOUIE’S, 4070 Herschel St., Ste. 8, 389-5631, harpoonlouies.net. F Locally owned and operated for 20+ years, the American pub serves 1/2-pound burgers, fish sandwiches, pasta. Local beers. $$ FB K TO L D Daily MELLOW MUSHROOM, 3611 St. Johns Ave., 388-0200. F Bite Club. BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MOJO NO. 4 Urban BBQ & Whiskey Bar, 3572 St. Johns Ave., 381-6670. F BOJ. SEE BEACHES. PINEGROVE Market & Deli, 1511 Pine Grove Ave., 389-8655, pinegrovemarket.com. F BOJ. 40+ years. Burgers, Cuban sandwiches, subs, wraps. Onsite butcher cuts USDA choice prime aged beef. Craft beers. $ BW TO B L D Mon.-Sat. To get your restaurant listed here, just call your account manager or Sam Taylor at 904.260.9770 ext. 111 or staylor@folioweekly.com.
DINING DIRECTORY KEY
Average Entrée Cost $ = Less than $8 $$ = $8-$14 $$$ = $15-$22 $$$$ = $23 & up BW = Beer/Wine FB = Full Bar K = Kids’ Menu TO = Take Out B = Breakfast R = Brunch L = Lunch D = Dinner Bite Club = Hosted free FW Bite Club tasting. fwbiteclub.com. 2014 Best of Jax winner F = FW distribution spot
RESTAURANT ORSAY, 3630 Park St., 381-0909, restaurant orsay.com. BOJ winner. French/Southern bistro; emphasis on locally grown organic ingredients. Steak frites, mussels, pork chops. Snail of Approval. $$$ FB K R, Sun.; D Nightly SIMPLY SARA’S, 2902 Corinthian Ave., 387-1000, simply saras.net. F Down-home fare, from scratch: eggplant fries, pimento cheese, baked chicken, fruit cobblers, chicken & dumplings, desserts. BYOB. $$ K TO L D Mon.-Sat., B Sat.
BAYMEADOWS
AKEL’S, 7825 Baymeadows Way, 733-4040. F SEE DOWNTOWN. AL’S Pizza, 8060 Philips, Ste. 105, 731-4300. F SEE BEACHES. BROADWAY Ristorante & Pizzeria, 10920 Baymeadows Rd. E., 519-8000, broadwayfl.com. F Family-owned-&operated. Wings, calzones, brick-oven-baked pizza, subs. $$ BW K TO L D Daily INDIA’S Restaurant, 9802 Baymeadows., Ste. 8, 620-0777, indiajax.com. F BOJ. Authentic cuisine, lunch buffet. A variety of curries, vegetable dishes, lamb, chicken, shrimp, fish tandoori. $$ BW L Mon.-Sat.; D Nightly LARRY’S, 3928 Baymeadows Rd., 737-7740. 8616 Baymeadows Rd., 739-2498. F SEE ORANGE PARK. NATIVE SUN Natural Foods Market & Deli, 11030 Baymeadows Rd., 260-2791. SEE MANDARIN. PATTAYA THAI Grille, 9551 Baymeadows, Ste. 1, 646-9506, ptgrille.com. Family-owned Thai place serves traditional fare, vegetarian, new-Thai; curries, seafood, noodles, soups. Low-sodium, gluten-free, too. $$$ BW TO L D Tue.-Sun. SAUSAGE PARADISE Deli & Bakery, 8602 Baymeadows Rd., 571-9817, spjax.com. F Innovative new spot offers a variety of European sausages, homestyle European dinners, smoked barbecue, stuffed cheeseburgers. $$ TO L D Mon.-Sat. THE WELL Watering Hole, 3928 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 9, 737-7740, thewellwateringhole.com. New bistro has local craft beers, wines by the glass or bottle, champagne cocktails. Meatloaf sandwiches, pulled Peruvian chicken, homestyle vegan black bean burgers. $$ BW K TO D Tue.-Sat. WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows, Ste. 135, 634-7208, whiskeyjax.com. New gastropub has craft beers, burgers, handhelds, tacos, whiskey. $$ FB L D Sat. & Sun.; D Daily. ZESTY INDIA, 8358 Point Meadows Dr., 329-3676, zesty india.com. Asian/European fare; tandoori lamb chops, rosemary tikka. Vegetarian cooked separately. $ BW TO L D Tue.-Sun.
BEACHES
(Locations are in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted.)
AL’S PIZZA, 303 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-0002, alspizza.com. F New York-style, gourmet pizzas, baked dishes. All-day happy hour Mon.-Thur. $ FB K TO L D Daily ANGIE’S SUBS, 1436 Beach Blvd., 246-2519. ANGIE’S GROM, 204 Third Ave. S., 246-7823. F BOJ winner. Subs made with fresh ingredients for more than 25 years. One word: Peruvian. Huge salads, blue-ribbon iced tea. $ BW TO L D Daily BEACHSIDE Seafood Restaurant & Market, 120 Third St. S., 444-8862, beachsideseafood.info. Full fresh seafood
DINING DIRECTORY market; baskets, fish tacos, daily fish specials, Philly cheesesteaks. Dine indoors; 2nd-floor open-air deck. $$ BW K TO L D Daily BOLD BEAN Coffee Roasters, 2400 S. Third St., Ste. 201. F BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. BREEZY Coffee Shop Café, 235 Eighth Ave. S., 241-2211, breezycoffeeshopcafe.com. Casual, family-owned. Fresh baked goods, espressos, locally roasted Costa Rican organic/Breezy Bold coffees, vegan/gluten-free options. Sandwiches, local beer, wine, mimosas. $ BW K TO R L Daily BUDDHA THAI Bistro, 301 10th Ave. N., 712-4444, buddhathaibistro.com. Proprietors are from Thailand; every authentic dish is made with fresh ingredients. $$ FB TO L D Daily CANTINA MAYA Sports Bar & Grille, 1021 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 247-3227. F Popular spot serves margaritas, Latin food, burgers. Sports on TVs. $$ FB K L D Tue.-Sun. CULHANE’S Irish Pub, 967 Atlantic Blvd., A.B., 249-9595, culhanesirishpub.com. F Bite Club. Upscale pub owned and run by County Limerick sisters. Shepherd’s pie, corned beef; gastropub fare. $$ FB K R Sat. & Sun.; L Fri.-Sun.; D Tue.-Sun. ESPETO Brazilian Steakhouse, 1396 Beach Blvd., 3884884, espetosteakhouse.com. Just relocated, serving beef, pork, lamb, chicken, sausage; full menu, bar fare, craft cocktails, Brazilian beers. $$ FB D Daily EUROPEAN STREET Café, 992 Beach Blvd., 249-3001. F BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. FLYING IGUANA Taqueria & Tequila Bar, 207 Atlantic Blvd., N.B., 853-5680 F Latin American, Southwest tacos, seafood, carnitas, Cubana sandwiches. 100+ tequilas. $ FB L D Daily HARMONIOUS MONKS, 320 First St. N., 372-0815, harmoniousmonks.net. F SEE MANDARIN.
signature tuna poke bowl, fresh rolled sushi, Ensenada tacos, local fried shrimp, in modern open-air space. $$ FB K TO L D Daily SLIDERS Seafood Grille & Oyster Bar, 218 First St., N.B., 246-0881, slidersseafoodgrille.com. Popular beach-casual spot. Faves: Fresh fish tacos, gumbo. Key lime pie, ice cream sandwiches. $$ FB K L Sat. & Sun.; D Nightly SNEAKERS Sports Grille, 111 Beach Blvd., 482-1000, sneakerssportsgrille.com. BOJ winner. 20+ beers on tap, TVs, cheerleaders. Happy hour Mon.-Fri. $ FB K L D Daily SURFWICHES Sandwich Shop, 1537 Penman Rd., 241-6996, surfwiches.com. Craft sandwich shop has steaks and hoagies made to order. $ BW TO K L D Daily TACOLU BAJA MEXICANA, 1712 Beach Blvd., 249-8226, tacolu.com. BOJ winner. Fresh, Baja-style fare: fish tacos, tequila (more than 135 kinds) and mezcal. Bangin’ shrimp, carne asada, carnitas, daily fresh fish selections. Madefresh-daily guacamole. $$ FB K R Sat. & Sun.; L D Tue.-Fri.
DOWNTOWN
AKEL’S Delicatessen, 21 W. Church St., 665-7324, akelsdeli.com. F New York-style deli offers freshly made subs (3 Wise Guys, Champ), burgers, gyros, breakfast bowls, ranchero wrap, vegetarian dishes. $ K TO B L Mon.-Fri. THE CANDY APPLE Café & Cocktails, 400 N. Hogan St., 353-9717. Sandwiches, entrées, salads. $$ FB K L, Mon.; L D Tue.-Sun. CASA DORA, 108 E. Forsyth St., 356-8282. F Chef Sam Hamidi has been serving genuine Italian fare for 35+ years: veal, seafood, gourmet pizza. The homemade salad dressing is a specialty. $ BW K L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. CHOMP CHOMP, 106 E. Adams St., 762-4667. F Chefinspired street food: panko-crusted chicken, burgers, chinois tacos, bahn mi and barbecue. $ L Tue.-Sat.; D Thur.-Sat.
GRILL ME!
KEITH WALLER Monroe’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Q, 10771 Beach Blvd., Southside BIRTHPLACE: Jacksonville
YEARS IN THE BIZ: 30
FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Eleven South Bistro, Jax Beach BEST CUISINE STYLE: Authentic American Southern GO-TO INGREDIENTS: All fresh ingredients IDEAL MEAL: Filet mignon, asparagus spears and potatoes WON’T CROSS MY LIPS: Brussels sprouts INSIDER’S SECRET: Slow and low. CELEBRITY SIGHTING AT MONROE’S: The great Emmitt Smith CULINARY TREAT: Any chocolate dessert
LARRY’S, 657 Third St. N., 247-9620. F SEE ORANGE PARK. LILLIE’S Coffee Bar, 200 First St., N.B., 249-2922, lilliescoffeebar.com. F Locally roasted coffee, eggs, bagels, flatbreads, sandwiches, desserts. Dine inside or out, patio, courtyard. $$ BW TO B L D Daily THE LOVING CUP HASH HOUSE, 610 Third St. S., 422-0644. New place; locally sourced fare, locally roasted coffee, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, healthful dishes – no GMOs or hormones allowed. $ K TO B R L Tue.-Sun. MELLOW MUSHROOM Pizza Bakers, 1018 Third St. N., Ste. 2, 241-5600, mellowmushroom.com. F Bite Club. BOJ winner. Hoagies, gourmet pizzas: Mighty Meaty, vegetarian, Kosmic Karma. 35 tap beers. Nonstop happy hour. $ FB K TO L D Daily METRO DINER, 1534 Third St. N., 853-6817. F BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. MEZZA Restaurant & Bar, 110 First St., N.B., 249-5573, mezzarestaurantandbar.com. F Near-the-ocean spot, 20+ years. Casual bistro fare: gourmet wood-fired pizzas, nightly specials. Dine inside, on patio. $$$ FB K D Mon.-Sat. MOJO KITCHEN BBQ Pit, 1500 Beach Blvd., 247-6636, mojobbq.com. F BOJ winner. Pulled pork, beef, chicken, Carolina-style barbecue, Delta fried catfish, sides. $$ FB K TO L D Daily M SHACK, 299 Atlantic Blvd., A.B., 241-2599, mshack burgers.com. F BOJ winner. Burgers, hot dogs, fries, shakes. $$ BW L D Daily NORTH BEACH Bistro, 725 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 6, A.B., 372-4105, nbbistro.com. F Bite Club. Chef-driven kitchen; hand-cut steaks, fresh local seafood, tapas. Happy Hour. $$$ FB K R Sun.; L D Daily OCEAN 60 Wine Bar, Martini Room, 60 Ocean Blvd., A.B., 247-0060, ocean60.com. BOJ winner. Continental cuisine, fresh seafood, dinner specials, seasonal menu in a formal dining room or casual Martini Room. $$$ FB D Mon.-Sat. POE’S TAVERN, 363 Atlantic Blvd., A.B., 241-7637. Gastropub, 50+ beers, gourmet hamburgers, ground in-house, cooked to order; hand-cut French fries, fish tacos, Edgar’s Drunken Chili, daily fish sandwich special. $$ FB K L D Daily RAGTIME Tavern & Seafood Grill, 207 Atlantic Blvd., A.B., 241-7877, ragtimetavern.com. F For 30+ years, iconic seafood place has served blackened snapper, sesame tuna, Ragtime shrimp. Daily happy hour. $$ FB L D Daily SALT LIFE Food Shack, 1018 Third St. N., 372-4456, saltlifefoodshack.com. BOJ winner. Specialty items:
FIONN MacCOOL’S Irish Pub & Restaurant, Jax Landing, Ste. 176, 374-1547, fionnmacs.com. Casual dining with an uptown Irish atmosphere, serving fish and chips, Guinness lamb stew and black-and-tan brownies. $$ FB K L D Daily OLIO Market, 301 E. Bay St., 356-7100, oliomarket.com. F From-scratch soups, sandwiches. Home to duck grilled cheese, seen on Best Sandwich in America. $$ BW TO B R L Mon.-Fri. SWEET PETE’S, 1922 Pearl St., 376-7161. F All-natural sweet shop has candy made of all natural flavors, no artificial anything. Several kinds of honey. $ TO Daily ZODIAC Bar & Grill, 120 W. Adams St., 354-8283, thezodiac barandgrill.com. Mediterranean cuisine, American fare, paninis, vegetarian dishes. Daily lunch buffet. Espressos, hookahs. Happy hour Wed.-Sat. $ FB L Mon.-Fri.
FLEMING ISLAND
GRASSROOTS Natural Market, 1915 East-West Pkwy., 541-0009. F BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. MELLOW MUSHROOM Pizza Bakers, 1800 Town Center Blvd., 541-1999. F Bite Club. BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MOJO SMOKEHOUSE, 1810 Town Center Blvd., Ste. 8, 264-0636. F BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. WHITEY’S FISH CAMP, 2032 C.R. 220, 269-4198, whiteysfishcamp.com. F Real fish camp. Gator tail, freshwater catfish, daily specials, on Swimming Pen Creek. Tiki bar. Come by boat, bike or car. $ FB K TO L Tue.-Sun.; D Nightly YOUR PIE, 1545 C.R. 220, Ste. 125, 379-9771, yourpie.com. F Owner Mike Sims’ idea: Choose from 3 doughs, 9 sauces, 7 cheeses, 40+ toppings. 5 minutes in a brick oven and ta-da: It’s your pie. Subs, sandwiches, gelato. $$ BW K TO L D Daily
INTRACOASTAL WEST
AL’S Pizza, 14286 Beach, Ste. 31, 223-0991. F SEE BEACHES. APPLEBEE’S, 13201 Atlantic Blvd., 220-5823. SEE MANDARIN DICK’S, 14286 Beach Blvd., 223-0115. F BOJ. SEE P.V. LARRY’S, 10750 Atlantic, Ste. 14, 642-6980. F SEE O.P. OCEANA DINER, 13799 Beach Blvd., Ste. 3, 374-1915, oceanadiner.com. Traditional American diner fare served in a family atmosphere. $ K TO B L Daily TIME OUT Sports Grill, 13799 Beach Blvd., Ste. 5, 223-6999, timeoutsportsgrill.com. F Locally-owned-and-operated. Hand-tossed pizzas, wings, wraps. Daily drink specials, HDTVs, pool tables. Late-nite menu. $$ FB L Tue.-Sun.; D Nightly
JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 31
DINING DIRECTORY JULINGTON CREEK
THE ANNEX, 1508 King St., 379-6968, annexjax.com. Adjacent to Silver Cow; serves 46 craft beers & ciders, wines. Bigscreen TVs, games. Retro candy bar. Happy hour 4-8. $$ BW D Daily. APPLEBEE’S, 8635 Blanding Blvd., Ste. 201, 771-0000. 6251 103rd St., 772-9020. 843 Lane Ave. S., 378-5445.
DICK’S Wings & Grill, 525 S.R. 16, Ste. 101, 825-4540. BOJ winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. METRO DINER, 12807 San Jose Blvd., 638-6185. F BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO.
MANDARIN, NW ST. JOHNS
ORANGE PARK
ARON’S PIZZA, 650 Park Ave., 269-1007, aronspizza.com. F Family-owned restaurant has eggplant dishes, manicotti, New York-style pizzas. $$ BW K TO L D Daily DICK’S WINGS, 6055 Youngerman Cir., 778-1101. BOJ winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. THE HILLTOP, 2030 Wells Rd., 272-5959, hilltop-club.com. Southern-style fine dining. New Orleans shrimp, certified Black Angus prime rib, she-crab soup, desserts. Extensive bourbon selection. $$$ FB D Tue.-Sat. LARRY’S GIANT SUBS, 1330 Blanding Blvd., 276-7370. 1545 C.R. 220, 278-2827. 700 Blanding Blvd., Ste. 15, 272-3553. 1401 S. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs, 284-7789, larryssubs.com. F For 30-plus years, they’ve piled ’em high and served ’em fast. Hot/cold subs, soups. $ K TO B L D Daily THE PIG BAR-B-Q, 1330 Blanding Blvd., Ste. 170, 213-9744, thepigbarbq.com. Bite Club. SEE SOUTHSIDE. THE ROADHOUSE, 231 Blanding Blvd., 264-0611, roadhouseonline.net. F For 35-plus years, the rock & roll bar for locals has been serving wings, sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas; 75-plus imported beers. A large craft beer selection is also available. $ FB L D Daily SNACSHACK, 179 College Dr., Ste. 19, 682-7622, snacshack.menu. F The new bakery and café offers bagels, muffins, breads, cookies, brownies and snack treats. $$ K BW TO B, L & D Daily
PONTE VEDRA
AL’S PIZZA, 635 A1A N., 543-1494. F SEE BEACHES. DICK’S WINGS & GRILL, 100 Marketside Ave., 829-8134, dickswingsandgrill.com. F BOJ winner. NASCARthemed; 365 kinds of wings, 1/2-lb. burgers, ribs. $ FB K TO L D Daily LARRY’S SUBS, 830 A1A N., 273-3993. F SEE ORANGE PARK. PUSSER’S BAR & GRILLE, 816 A1A N., Ste. 100, 280-7766, pussersusa.com. F BOJ winner. Bite Club. Caribbean cuisine, regional faves: Jamaican grilled pork ribs, Trinidad smoked duck, lobster macaroni & cheese dinner. Tropical drinks. $$ FB K TO L D Daily RESTAURANT MEDURE, 818 A1A N., 543-3797, restaurant medure.us. Chef David Medure offers global flavors. Small plates, creative drinks, happy hour. $$$ FB D Mon.-Sat.
RIVERSIDE, 5 POINTS, WESTSIDE
13 GYPSIES, 887 Stockton St., 389-0330, 13gypsies. com. BOJ winner. Authentic Mediterranean peasant cuisine updated for American tastes; tapas, blackened octopus, risotto of the day, coconut mango curry chicken. $$ BW L D Tue.-Sat. AKEL’S DELICATESSEN, 245 Riverside Ave., 791-3336. F SEE DOWNTOWN.
AL’S PIZZA, 1620 Margaret St., 388-8384. F SEE BEACHES.
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BLACK SHEEP Restaurant, 1534 Oak St., 355-3793, black sheep5points.com. New American with a Southern twist; locally sourced ingredients. Rooftop bar. $$$ FB R Sat. & Sun.; L D Daily BOLD BEAN Coffee Roasters, 869 Stockton St., Stes. 1 & 2, 855-1181. BOJ winner. F Small-batch, artisanal coffee roasting. Organic, fair trade. $ BW TO B L Daily
BITE-SIZED
photo by Rebecca Gibson
AKEL’S Delicatessen, 12926 Gran Bay Pkwy. W., 880-2008. F SEE DOWNTOWN. AL’S Pizza, 11190 San Jose Blvd., 260-4115. F SEE BEACHES. APPLEBEE’S, 14560 St. Augustine Rd., 262-7605, apple bees.com. Completely remodeled in the area – new look, new appetizers (half-price after 10 p.m.) Most are open until midnight or later. $$ FB K TO L D Daily ATHENS CAFÉ, 6271 St. Augustine Rd., Ste. 7, 733-1199. F Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), baby shoes (stuffed eggplant). Greek beers. $$ BW L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. BROOKLYN PIZZA, 11406 San Jose, Ste. 3, 288-9211. 13820 St. Augustine Rd., 880-0020. Brooklyn Special. Calzones, white pizza, homestyle lasagna. $$ BW TO L D Daily THE COFFEE BARD, 9735 Old St. Augustine Rd., Ste. 13, 260-0810, thecoffeebard.com. New world coffeehouse has coffees, breakfast, drinks. $$ TO B L D Tue.-Sun. DICK’S WINGS, 10391 Old St. Augustine, 880-7087. F BOJ winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. GIGI’S RESTAURANT, 3130 Hartley Rd., 694-4300, jaxra mada.com. In Ramada. Prime rib, crab leg buffet Fri. & Sat., blue-jean brunch Sun., daily buffets. $$$ FB B R L D Daily HARMONIOUS MONKS, 10550 Old St. Augustine Rd., Ste. 30, 880-3040, harmoniousmonks.net. F American steakhouse: Angus steaks, burgers, ribs, wraps. $$ FB K L D Mon.-Sat. LARRY’S GIANT SUBS, 11365 San Jose Blvd., 674-2945. F SEE ORANGE PARK. NATIVE SUN Natural Foods Market & Deli, 10000 San Jose Blvd., 260-6950, nativesunjax.com. F Organic soups, sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, prepared foods. Juice, smoothie and coffee bar. All-natural, organic beers, wines. Indoor, outdoor dining. $ BW TO K B L D Daily THE PIG Bar-B-Q, 14985 Old St. Augustine Rd., Ste. 108, 374-0393, thepigbarbq.com. Bite Club. SEE SOUTHSIDE. WHOLE FOODS Market, 10601 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 22, 288-1100, wholefoodsmarket.com. F Prepared-food department, 80+ items, full-service/self-serve hot bar, salad/soup/dessert bar, pizza, sushi, sandwich stations. $$ BW TO L D Daily
SEE MANDARIN.
BREW FIVE POINTS, 1024 Park St., 714-3402, brewfive points.com. F Local craft beer, espresso, coffee and wine bar. Rotating drafts, 75+ canned craft beers; sodas, tea. Rotating seasonal menu of waffles, pastries, toasts, desserts to pair with specialty coffees, craft beers. $$ BW K B L Daily CORNER TACO, 818 Post St., 240-0412, cornertaco.com. Made-from-scratch “Mexclectic street food,” tacos, nachos, gluten-free, vegetarian options. $ BW L D Daily. DERBY ON PARK, 1068 Park St., 379-3343. New American cuisine, upscale retro atmosphere in historic landmark building. Shrimp & grits, lobster bites, 10-oz. gourmet burger. Dine inside or out. $$ FB TO Weekend brunch. B, L D Tue.-Sun. DICK’S Wings & Grill, 5972 San Juan Ave., 693-9258. BOJ
RARE SNOWBIRDS
TRASCA & CO. EATERY serves up ancestral recipes and a familial atmosphere
FOUR YEARS AGO, SARA AND TRAVIS Trembath wasn’t apparent), a Trasca salad ($10), and made the leap all the way from cold Minneapolis four paninos ($10.95 each): Buffalo Bleu, Guac, a specialty shrimp panino with local Mayport to sweltering Florida for Travis’ job with the PGA Tour. Once they fell in love with the area, starting shrimp, and Sara’s favorite, Spaghetti Pie. a restaurant was the next step. Sara and her Mexican food is my favorite thing to eat so, family have been in the business of making good of course, The Guac topped my list: heavenly food since the 1970s, when Sara’s Grandma dough spun around pepper jack cheese, black Evey Frasca crafted TRASCA’s specialty Panino beans, salsa, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. – a magical creation of dough and fi lling. The Buffalo Bleu includes an interesting choice The Trembaths spent of Switzerland Swiss and a meticulous three years celery; the shrimp panino searching for the perfect TRASCA & CO. EATERY is mixed with sausage that gives the panino an amazing spot for their restaurant, 155 Tourside Dr., Ste. 1500, zing. The Spaghetti Pie tops settling on Ponte Vedra Ponte Vedra Beach, 395-3989, any I’ve ever had (sorry, Beach’s Sawgrass Village. trascaandco.com Mom). Noodles wrapped in They’re in love with the 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; beach, and won’t be pizza dough and smothered in Sun. brunch 9 a.m.-2 p.m. leaving anytime soon. homemade marinara? Not going In fact, their hope is to to complain. eventually expand Trasca along the coastline, Sara ate her lunch with me and talked incorporating a bakery, a coffee shop and while I gorged myself. At one point, Chef more into the Trasca name. By the way, if you Trey Stark took a break from the kitchen to haven’t fi gured out the name origin, here’s the eat his lunch with Sara and me. Chef Trey equation: Trembath + Frasca = Trasca. Get it? explained that he spent fi ve years working in Given my limited familiarity with Ponte a corporate restaurant, and loves that he now Vedra, I definitely wasn’t expecting the has the freedom to tweak the menu and hire ambience of Trasca to remind me so much of his own kitchen staff at Trasca. A good staff is the hip, chic establishments of Riverside and important to the Trembaths, so much so Sara Avondale. Coffee bags from Zingerman’s Coffee got goosebumps just talking about the people Company decorate the walls. The wooden who work for her. Among the Trembaths, the tables – which Travis built – and the exposed diners, and the staff, it is honestly hard to tell brick behind the coffee counter give the who’s happiest at Trasca. restaurant a rustic feel. I realize that four paninos and a salad are I came to Trasca around one in the a lot of food. I’ll add that I also got Mud Pie, afternoon and was surprised by how busy it and I don’t regret any of my decisions. Trasca’s was. Even more surprising was witnessing Sara Famous Mud Pie ($5) is another magical hugging diners as they left, calling them by creation of Oreo crust, vanilla ice cream, dulce their names. I rarely see that sort of intimacy in de leche, and Trasca’s espresso whipped cream. a restaurant of that size. It’s enormous enough to serve three, yet it disappeared in less than fi ve minutes. Whoops. Sara wasn’t going to let me leave Trasca without my trying a bit of everything, so I sipped Rebecca Gibson a Thanks a Latte (which is a latte, in case that mail@folioweekly.com
BITE SIZED
JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 33
DINING DIRECTORY winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. EUROPEAN STREET CAFÉ, 2753 Park St., 384-9999. BOJ winner. 130+ import beers, 20 on tap. NYC-style Reuben, sandwiches. Outside dining at some. $ BW K L D Daily GRASSROOTS Natural Market, 2007 Park St., 384-4474, thegrassrootsmarket.com. BOJ winner. F Juice bar; certified organic fruits, vegetables. 300+ craft/import beers, 50 wines, produce, humanely raised meats, deli, raw items, vegan, vitamins, herbs. Wraps, sandwiches. $ BW TO B L D Daily HAWKERS Asian Street Fare, 1001 Park St., 508-0342, hawkerstreetfare.com. BOJ winner. Authentic dishes from mobile stalls. $ BW TO L D Daily JOHNNY’S Deli & Grille, 474 Riverside Ave., 356-8055. F Casual spot; sandwiches, classic salads, homefries. One word: Reuben. $ TO B L Daily KNEAD BAKESHOP, 1173 Edgewood Ave. S. Locally-owned, family-run; made-from-scratch pastries, artisan breads, pies, specialty sandwiches, soups. $ TO B L Tue.-Sun. LARRY’S GIANT SUBS, 1509 Margaret St., 674-2794. 7895 Normandy Blvd., 781-7600. 8102 Blanding Blvd., 779-1933. F SEE ORANGE PARK. METRO DINER, 4495 Roosevelt Blvd., 999-4600. F BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. MONROE’S Smokehouse Bar-B-Q, 4838 Highway Ave., 389-5551, monroessmokehousebbq.com. Wings, pulled pork, brisket, turkey, chicken, ribs. Sides: beans, baked beans, mac-n-cheese, collards. $$ K TO L Mon.-Sat.; D Fri. MOON RIVER PIZZA, 1176 Edgewood Ave. S., 389-4442. F BOJ winner. SEE AMELIA ISLAND. MOSSFIRE GRILL, 1537 Margaret St., 355-4434, mossfire. com. F Southwestern fish tacos, enchiladas. Happy hour Mon.-Sat. upstairs lounge, all day Sun. $$ FB K L D Daily O’BROTHERS Irish Pub, 1521 Margaret St., 854-9300, obrothersirishpub.com. F Traditional shepherd’s pie with Stilton crust, Guinness mac-n-cheese, fish-n-chips. Patio dining. $$ FB K TO L D Daily THE PIG BAR-B-Q, 5456 Normandy Blvd., 783-1606, thepigbarbq.com. Bite Club. SEE SOUTHSIDE. RAIN DOGS, 1045 Park St., 379-4969. Bar food. $ D SILVER COW, 1506 King St., 379-6968, silvercowjax. com. Laid-back, cozy, subdued spot serves craft beers, wines. Nightly specials. Happy hour 4-7. The full menu is ever-expanding. $$ BW L D Daily. SOUTHERN ROOTS Filling Station, 1275 King St., 513-4726, southernrootsjax.com. Healthy, light vegan fare made fresh daily with local, organic ingredients. Specials, served on bread, local greens or rice, change daily. Coffees, teas. $ Tue.-Sun. SUSHI CAFÉ, 2025 Riverside, Ste. 204, 384-2888, sushicafejacksonville.com. F Sushi variety: Monster Roll, Jimmy Smith Roll; faves Rock-n-Roll, Dynamite Roll. Hibachi, tempura, katsu, teriyaki. Indoor or patio. $$ BW L D Daily
ST. AUGUSTINE
AL’S PIZZA, 1 St. George St., 824-4383. F SEE BEACHES. APPLEBEE’S, 225 S.R. 312, 825-4099. SEE MANDARIN. AVILES, 32 Avenida Menendez, 829-2277 F In Hilton Inn Bayfront. Progressive European menu; made-to-order pasta night, chophouse nights, breakfast buffet. Sun. champagne brunch, bottomless mimosas. $$$ FB K B L D Daily BARLEY REPUBLIC, 48 Spanish St., 547-2023, barley republicph.com. Old City’s only Irish gastropub in historic area has fish & chips, shepherd’s pie, lambburger, craft beers and spirits. $$ FB K TO L D Daily CANDLELIGHT SOUTH, 1 Anastasia Blvd., 819-0588. Casual spot offers fish tacos, sandwiches, wings, desserts, sangria, daily specials. $ BW K TO L D Daily THE FLORIDIAN, 39 Cordova St., 829-0655, thefloridian staug.com. Updated Southern fare, fresh ingredients. Vegetarian, gluten-free. Fried green tomatobruschetta, grits with shrimp, fish or tofu. $$$ BW K TO L D Wed.-Mon. GYPSY CAB COMPANY, 828 Anastasia Blvd., 824-8244, gypsycab.com. F Local mainstay for more than 25 years. The varied menu changes twice daily. Signature dish: Gypsy chicken. Seafood, tofu, duck, veal. Sun. brunch. $$ FB R Sun.; L D Daily MELLOW MUSHROOM, 410 Anastasia Blvd., 826-4040. F Bite Club. BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. METRO DINER, 1000 S. Ponce de Leon Blvd., 758-3323. F BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. MOJO OLD CITY BBQ, 5 Cordova, 342-5264. F BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. SALT LIFE Food Shack, 321 A1A Beach Blvd., 217-3256, saltlifefoodshack.com. BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES.
ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER
APPLEBEE’S, 4507 Town Center Pkwy., 645-3590. SEE MANDARIN.
BRIO TUSCAN GRILLE, 4910 Big Island Dr., 807-9960. Upscale Northern Italian fare, wood-grilled and oven-roasted steaks, chops, seafood. Dine indoors or al fresco on the terrace. $$$ FB K TO R Sat. & Sun.; L D Daily M SHACK, 10281 Midtown Pkwy., 642-5000, mshack burgers.com. F BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. OVINTE, 10208 Buckhead Branch Dr., 900-7730, ovinte. com. European-style dining influenced by Italy, Spain and the Mediterranean. Small plates, entrée-size portions, selections from the cheese a charcuterie menu. $$$ BW TO R D Daily
SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANK
BASIL THAI & BAR, 1004 Hendricks Ave., 674-0190, basilthaijax.com. F Authentic Thai dishes include Pad Thai,
34 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
a variety of curries, tempuras, vegetarian dishes, seafood, stir-fry and daily specials. $$ FB L D Mon.-Sat. BISTRO AIX, 1440 San Marco Blvd., 398-1949, bistrox. com. F Mediterranean and French inspired cuisine includes steak frites, oak-fired pizza and a new raw bar with seasonal selections. $$$ FB TO L D Daily DICK’S, 1610 University Blvd. W., 448-2110. BOJ. SEE P.V. EUROPEAN STREET CAFÉ, 1704 San Marco Blvd., 398-9500. BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. $ BW K L D Daily FUSION SUSHI, 1550 University Blvd. W., 636-8688, fusionsushijax.com. F Upscale sushi spot serves a variety of fresh sushi, sashimi, hibachi, teriyaki, kiatsu. $$ K L D Daily THE GROTTO Wine & Tapas Bar, 2012 San Marco Blvd., 398-0726. F Artisanal cheese plates, empanadas, bruschetta, cheesecake. 60+ wines by the glass. $$$ BW Tue.-Sun. HAMBURGER MARY’S Bar & Grille, 3333 Beach Blvd., Ste. 1, 551-2048, hamburgermarys.com. F Wings, sammies, nachos, entrées, specialty drinks, burgers. $$ K TO FB L D Daily KITCHEN ON SAN MARCO, 1402 San Marco Blvd., 396-2344, kitchenonsanmarco.com. New gastropub has local and national craft beers, specialty cocktails and a seasonal menu focusing on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and cuisine. Now serving Sunday brunch. $$ FB L D Daily MEZZE Bar & Grill, 2016 Hendricks Ave., 683-0693, mezzejax.com. Classic cocktails, fresh basil martinis, 35 draft beers, local/craft brews, Mediterranean cuisine. Hookah patio. Happy hour. $$ FB D Daily MATTHEW’S, 2107 Hendricks Ave., 396-9922, matthews restaurant.com. Chef Matthew Medure’s flagship. Fine dining, artfully presented cuisine, small plates, martini/wine lists. Happy hour Mon.-Fri. Reservations. $$$$ FB D Mon.-Sat. METRO DINER, 3302 Hendricks Ave., 398-3701, metrodiner.com. F BOJ winner. Original upscale diner. Meatloaf, chicken pot pie, soups. $$ B R L Daily MOJO BAR-B-QUE, 1607 University Blvd. W., 732-7200. F BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. PIZZA PALACE, 1959 San Marco Ave., 399-8815, pizzapalacejax.com. F Family-owned; homestyle faves: spinach pizza, chicken spinach calzones, lasagna. Outside dining. $$ BW K TO L D Daily TAVERNA, 1986 San Marco Ave., 398-3005, taverna sanmarco.com. Chef Sam Efron’s authentic Italian; local produce, meats. Craft beers, handcrafted cocktails. $$$ FB K TO R L D Daily
SOUTHSIDE, TINSELTOWN
360° GRILLE, LATITUDE 360, 10370 Philips Hwy., 365-5555, latitude360.com. F Popular place serves seafood, steaks, burgers, chicken, sandwiches, pizza. Patio, movie theater. $$ FB TO L D Daily AKEL’S DELICATESSEN, 7077 Bonneval Rd., 332-8700. F SEE DOWNTOWN.
ALHAMBRA Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., 641-1212, alhambrajax.com. USA’s longest-running dinner theater; Chef DeJuan Roy’s themed menus. Reservations. $$ FB D Tue.-Sun. APPLEBEE’S, 5055 JTB Blvd., 296-6895. SEE MANDARIN. BARBERITOS, 4320 Deerwood Lake Pkwy., Ste. 106, 807-9060. F SEE AMELIA ISLAND. DANCIN DRAGON, 9041 Southside Blvd., Ste. 138D, 363-9888. BOGO lunches, Asian fusion menu. $$ FB K L D Daily DICK’S WINGS & Grill, 10750 Atlantic Blvd., 619-0954. BOJ winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. THE DIM SUM ROOM, 9041 Southside Blvd., Ste. 138D, 363-9888, thedimsumroom.com. Shrimp dumplings, beef tripe, sesame ball. Traditional Hong Kong noodles, barbecue. $ FB K L D Daily EUROPEAN STREET CAFÉ, 5500 Beach Blvd., 398-1717. BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. LARRY’S GIANT SUBS, 3611 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S., 641-6499. 4479 Deerwood Lake Pkwy., 425-4060. F SEE ORANGE PARK.
MELLOW MUSHROOM, 9734 Deer Lake Ct., 997-1955. F Bite Club. BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MONROE’S SMOKEHOUSE BAR B-Q, 10771 Beach Blvd., 996-7900, monroessmokehousebbq.com. SEE RIVERSIDE. THE PIG BAR-B-Q, 11925 Beach Blvd., Ste. 5, 619-0321, thepigbarbq.com. Bite Club. Popular fourth-generation barbecue place, family-owned for 60+ years. The signature item is mustard-based “pig sauce.” $ BW K TO B, L D Daily TAVERNA YAMAS, 9753 Deer Lake Ct., 854-0426, tavernayamas.com. F Bite Club. Char-broiled kabobs, seafood, wines, desserts. Belly dancing. $$ FB K L D Daily TOMMY’S BRICK OVEN PIZZA, 4160 Southside Blvd., Ste. 2, 565-1999, tbopizza.com. F New York-style thin crust, brick-oven-baked pizzas (gluten-free), calzones, sandwiches. Boylan’s soda. Curbside pick-up. $$ BW TO L D Mon.-Sat. THE VISCONDE’S Argentinian Grill, 11925 Beach Blvd., Ste. 201, 379-3925. The area’s only Argentinian place. Traditional steaks, varieties of sausages, pasta, sandwiches, empañadas, wines. $$$ BW TO L D Tue.-Sun.
SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE
HOLA Mexican Restaurant, 1001 N. Main St., 356-3100, holamexicanrestaurant.com. F Fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, daily specials. Happy hour; sangria. $ BW K TO L D Mon.-Sat. LARRY’S, 12001 Lem Turner Rd., 764-9999. SEE O.PARK. THE PIG BAR-B-Q, 9760 Lem Turner Rd., 765-4336, thepigbarbq.com. Bite Club. SEE SOUTHSIDE.
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY
DARWIN’S WORMS, LANA DEL RAY, GIRL SCOUTS, OVERSET FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE ARIES (March 21-April 19): Latin motto “Carpe diem” shouldn’t be translated as “Seize the day!”, says author Nicholson Baker. It’s not a battle cry exhorting you to “freaking grab the day in your fist like a burger at a fairground and take a big chomping bite out of it.” The proper translation, says Baker, is “Pluck the day.” In other words, “you should gently pull on the day’s stem, as if it were a wildflower, holding it with all the practiced care of your thumb and the side of your finger, which knows how to not crush easily crushed things – so the day’s stem undergoes increasing tension and draws to a tightness, and then snaps softly away at its weakest point, and the flower is released in your hand.” Keep that in mind. I know you’re tempted to seize rather than pluck, but for now, plucking is better. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When I talk about “The Greatest Story Never Told,” I’m not referring to a documentary about singer Lana Del Rey or rap artist Saigon’s debut album or any other cultural artifact. I’m referring to a part of your past you’ve never owned and understood … a phase from the old days you’ve partially suppressed … an intense set of memories you haven’t fully integrated. It’s time to deal with this shadow. You’re finally ready to acknowledge it and treasure it as a crucial thread in the drama of your hero’s journey. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Ancient Greek philosopher Thales is credited as being one of the earliest mathematicians and scientists. A deep thinker, his thirst for knowledge was hard to quench. Funny story: Once he went out at night for a walk. Gazing intently up at the sky, he contemplated the mysteries of the stars. Oops! He didn’t watch where he was going, and fell into a well. He was OK, but embarrassed. Make him your anti-role model. Unleash your lust to be informed, educated and inspired – and watch where you’re going. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Charles Darwin is best known for his book, The Origin of Species, which lays down his seminal ideas on evolutionary biology. But during his lifetime, his bestselling book was The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms. It was the painstaking result of more than 40 years’ worth of research, and it’s a tribute to the noble earthworm and its crucial role in the health of soil and plants. It provides a different angle on one of Darwin’s central concerns: how small, incremental transformations that take place over extended periods of time can have monumental effects. It’s also one of your key themes in the months ahead. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A University of Amsterdam researcher developed software to read emotions on faces. He used it to analyze the expression of the woman in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, The Mona Lisa. The results suggest she is 83 percent happy, 9 percent disgusted, 6 percent fearful, and 2 percent angry. Whether this is accurate, I appreciate its implication that humans are rarely filled with a single pure emotion. We often feel a variety of states simultaneously. In this spirit, I’ve calculated your probable mix for the next few days: 16 percent relieved, 18 percent innocent, 12 percent confused, 22 percent liberated, 23 percent ambitious, and 9 percent impatient. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “What makes you heroic?” asked philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He answered himself: “simultaneously going out to meet your highest suffering and your highest hope.” It’s a great way to sum up the test that would inspire you most in the weeks ahead. Are you up for the challenge? If so, grapple with your deepest pain. Make a fierce effort to heal it and be motivated by it. At the same time,
identify your brightest hope and take a decisive step toward fulfi lling it. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Actress/musician Carrie Brownstein was born with five planets in Libra. Those of you who are not conversant with astrology may conclude she’s a connoisseur of elegance and harmony. Even professional stargazers who know how tricky it is to generalize may think she’s skilled at cultivating balance, attuned to others’ needs, excited by beauty, and adaptive to life’s ceaseless change. So what about Brownstein’s statement, “I really don’t know what to do when my life is not chaotic”? I suspect that in her exertions to thrive on chaos, she’s learning how to be a connoisseur of elegance and harmony as she masters intricacies of balance, sensitivity, beauty, and adaptation to change. This is important. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’re entering a volatile phase of your cycle. In the week ahead, you could be a beguiling monster who leaves a confusing mess in your wake. On the other hand, you could activate your animal intelligence’s full potential as you make everything you touch more interesting and soulful. I’m rooting for the second. How to ensure it? Be as ambitious to gain power over your darkness as you are to gain power over what happens on your turf. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m a big fan of the attitude summed up by the command “Be here now!” The world would be more like a sanctuary and less like a battleground if folks focused more on the present moment than on memories of the past and fantasies of the future. In accordance with astrological omens, you’re granted a temporary exemption from the “Be here now!” approach. You have poetic license to dream and scheme about what you want life to be like. Your word of power is tomorrow. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A philanthropist offered $100,000 to the Girls Scouts of America chapter of Western Washington, with strings attached. The donor specified the money couldn’t be used to support transgender girls. The Girl Scouts rejected the gift, declaring their intention to empower every girl “regardless of her gender identity, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.” Do you have that much spunk? Would you turn down aid that would infringe on your integrity? You may be tested soon. If you’re faithful to your deepest values, even if it has a cost, you’ll attract an equal blessing that doesn’t make you sell out. (P.S. The Girls Scouts subsequently launched an Indiegogo campaign that raised more than $300,000.) AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Consider the possibility of opening your mind, at least briefly, to provocative influences you’ve been closed off from. You may need to familiarize yourself with potential resources you’ve been resisting or ignoring, even if they’re problematic. Not saying to blithely welcome them. There still may be good reasons to keep a distance. It would be wise and healthy to update your relationship with them. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Over 10,000 species of mushrooms grow in North America. About 125 of those, or 1.25 percent, are tasty and safe to eat. All others are unappetizing or poisonous, or else their edibility is in question. By my reckoning, a similar statistical breakdown should apply to influences floating your way. Focus intently on those very few you know for a fact are pleasurable and vitalizing. Be unavailable for the rest. Rob Brezsny freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
Overset for the web FLORIDA, THE GOUGE STATE To cover various general expenses (such as helping the indigent), the average hospital mark-up for patient care in the United States is about 3.4 times costs (according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health report in June), but 50 of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals charge more than 10 times the cost, with North Okaloosa Medical Center near Pensacola, Florida, billing at 12.6 times costs. According to the co-author, professor Gerard Anderson, the 50 “are marking up the prices because no one is telling them they can’t.” (Forty-nine of the 50 are for-profit hospitals — 20 are in Florida.)
HELLO, YOUNG LOVERS (aka ISU writers)! LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS Confused: Christopher 33, pleadedONLY guilty . No messages over 40 words will be The limit here is Furay, 40 words accepted. make it short & sweet. (That’s what she said.) Thanks! in Pittsburgh in April Please to six bank robberies — the first four in which surveillance video Andhim remember: No names, addresses, phone numbers or email addresses revealed to have a reddish beard and the want to connect! will ever be used or shared – unless last two in which the video revealed him to be wearing a fake red beard covering his reddish SHORTER MAINTENANCE MAN BREATHLESS AT BIG LOTS beard. Furay did not explain. You: Shorter electrician working second shift. Me: Tall, You: Beautiful, short hair, coral outfit, buying plastic bins, handsome male. in the new cafe; there was a in Mini-Cooper. Me: Tall guy, striped polo, khakis. Let you In June,black police in ISU Roseville, Minnesota, quickly lot of meat on that sandwich you were eating. We should ahead; bought pens to write number for you; you left located J&J Construction’s missing equipment “meat” up in the near future. When: July 15. Where: Baptist soon. Needed coral party item, never expected perfect trailer (stolen from a work site) — parked near Downtown. #1537-0722 coral. When: 2 p.m. June 4. Where: Merrill Road Big Lots. the Washington County Courthouse, where the #1525-0610 GORGEOUS SENIOR AIR thief apparently hadFORCE left itWOMAN while he answered a You: Camouflage, boots, belt, Walgreens line, small brown STUNNING FRECKLED REDHEAD; BE MY MODEL? court summons. WCCO-TV reported the man bun. Me: Guy 10 years older, white T-shirt, khakis. Traded My jaw dropped! Your stunning looks, beautiful skin are was soon jailed on a separate charge. smiles. Something here? Friends? See you again, maybe amazing! Didn’t have business card with me; would you
you
civvies, hair down? Buy a beer, Park & King. When: July 14. Where: Walgreens Park & King. #1536-0722 SUSPICION CONFIRMED
In June 2015 research, scientists from Britain’s
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE University of Exeter Queen Beautiful red dress showin’and flawless legs.Mary I bartended forUniversity you, your company. Let’s warned go to a real bar;owners or I’ll be of London that your bartender Tell me where work or what of private “domestic” cats;).seem not, on Iaverage, to you remember so I know it’s you. When: July 5. Where: appreciate what vicious killers their pets are and Southside. #1535-0722
urge they be kept indoors more often, lest they
ARLINGTON BIG BROTHER bird and smalldecimatePUBLIX: the neighborhood’s You: Purple shorts, longer brown hair, white walking mammal populations. Estimates ofT-shirt, the yearly around with little brother. When: July 1. Where: Arlington death toll#1534-0708 generated by housecats are “in the River Publix.
magnitude of millions” in the United Kingdom
DOING IT YOURSELF and “billions” in the United States. Saw you at the sweat fest at Shantytown Wednesday performing/dirty rapping. You have an amazing presence. ANIMAL WORLD You: Green hair, Tecate, denim. Me: Red T-shirt, High Life, A June in Wired.com’s “Absurd Creature glasses. Youentry mentioned you’d never seen yourself in the ISawUs. Julyseries 1. Where: Shantytown. #1533-0708 of theWhen: Week” warned of the Beaded
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JOE ADAMS BLDG. ELEVATOR TOGETHER immobilizing them with “vapor-phase You: Totally beautiful, sweet girl.aAwesome business dress, toxicant” from e silentnametag. Me:released Handsome, dark its hair,anus. 5’11”.Th You about my day. I was late for appt.; got off 2nd fl oor.enough You went but-deadly gasdoctor is reportedly powerful up.toLove to meet When: June 17, 3:45 Where: termites forp.m. up to threeJoe disable sixyou. ordinary Adams Bldg. #1532-0708
hours (plenty of time for a sumptuous meal of
termite) and weaken several more that might LONG-HAIRED BEAUTIFUL BREW BARISTA You: behind bar. Me:.Shy, brown-haired getCoffeemaster caught in the backdraft Wired.com alsoguy on laptop. ISU pulling shots, serving beer, grinding coffee learned of the related species Chrysoperla with a beautiful smile on your face. Hoping we can do some comanche, anal weaponry in solid grinding of our whose own soon. When: June 25. is Where: BREW 5 form,#1531-0701 wielded by “master contortionists” who Points. lift their abdomens in order to directly contact
BREAKFAST MAN their victims’ head. I’ve seen you: Big, strong-looking guy, glasses, low cut, walking with co-workers to Scotties downtown and Skyway. Me: 6’5” blonde-haired guy diggin’ you. Let’s buy lotto tickets together. Winner chicken dinner! When: June 15. Where: Downtown Jax. #1530-0624 K____ , NAS PHARMACY Blond hair in bun, glasses, white suit, turquoise top. We talked in line, parking lot. You: Had very bad day; drive black Sorrento. Want to make sure you’re OK. Me: Gym gear, red pickup truck. When: June 15. Where: NAS Pharmacy. #1529-0624
consider modeling for a photo shoot? Your schedule, preference. Let me build your portfolio! When: May 11. Where: Town Center Publix. #1525-0610 TAG YOU’RE IT Me: Brunette, maroon Jeep. You: Smokin’ hottie in the white Nissan truck. Playing cat and mouse over the Intracoastal. Catch me if you can ;). When: May 30. Where: Beach Boulevard Bridge. #1524-0603 SEXY BLONDE, BOSTON CONCERT You: Very sexy, Sect. 101, Row I, with cute friend, “dates.” We took selfies together; chemistry unmistakable. Me: Sect. 101, Row K; mature gent; a lot more fun than your date. Sealed with a kiss. When: May 24. Where: St. Augustine Amphitheatre. #1523-0603 COMPARIN’ TATTOOS AT DUNKIN’ DONUTS? Me: Too shy to talk further; noticed your foot tattoo; complimented it. You: Petite, cute in adorable summer dress! Mentioning tat, seeing that smile made my day! Wanna stay, chat a bit? When: May 26. Where: Dunkin’ Donuts, U.S. 1 & JTB. #1522-0603 I SAW U Connection Made!
I CAN’T WEIGHT Me: Tall, blonde and flirtatious. You: Handsome and muscular. You were working on your fitness and I was your witness. Maybe we should get sweaty together? ;) When: April 20. Where: Retro Fitness. #1521-0527
OUTSOURCING Among the protesters at New York City’s Gay Pride Parade on the Sunday after the Supreme Court’s historic gay-marriage decision was a group of men outfitted in Jewish prayer garments and representing the Jewish Political Action Committee, carrying signs reading, for example, “Judaism prohibits homosexuality.” However, the men were very likely not Jewish, but in fact Mexican laborers hired for the day. A representative of the committee told The New York Times that the men were “supplemental” — necessary because the committee’s rabbis would not permit their students (who usually staff such protests) to be exposed to the sights of same-sex exuberance typical for the parade. GOVERNMENT IN ACTION WOOD-TV of Grand Rapids, Michigan, seemingly uncovered an antiquity — if not a potential vulnerability — in the Grand Rapids public school system in June when it reported the heating and cooling systems at 19 schools are controlled using a Commodore Amiga computer (released in the 1980s, about the same time as Windows 2.0), operating on an early Internet modem. It had been installed by a computersavvy student and, according to the maintenance supervisor, still works fine. Fortunately, the supervisor said, the student still lives in the area and is available if problems arise. MADE IN TENNESSEE Government officials who redesign their department’s logo are ridiculed for wasting taxpayer money (design consultants still sell the illusion that a new logo can give a bureaucracy a refreshing rebirth). In May, Tennessee officials unveiled a new state logo (which cost only $46,000, not counting the expense of changing signs, cards, stationery, etc.), which consists of the letters “TN” in white inside a red box with a blue trim underneath. (A Watchdog.org critic suggested a contest to design a superior one, but open only to kids age 12 and under, with a prize of a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate. THAT’S SALESMANSHIP Adultery is illegal in Japan — except, as a Tokyo District Court judge ruled in a “psychological distress” lawsuit filed by the jilted wife, when it’s done by a company to retain a good customer.
A night club hostess who’d carried on with a married man proved she did so only as “makura eigyo,” or “pillow sales tactic.” Said the judge, “As long as the intercourse is for business, it does not harm the marital relationship at all.” The 2014 ruling was first publicized this year.
NEW WORLD ORDER In 1993, the owner of the iconic 5Pointz building in New York City began allowing graffiti artists to use the walls for their masterpieces, but by 2013 had grown weary of the building’s look and had the walls whitewashed. In June 2015, nine of the artists filed a federal lawsuit demanding the owner compensate them, substantially, for destroying their creations — and they stand a good chance of collecting (under the Visual Artists Rights Act) if they prove their particular works are of “recognized stature” and not merely art of an “ephemeral nature.” At its height, 5Pointz attracted more than 350 artists’ works from around the world. CUCKOO WAYS The “parasitic ways” of the cuckoo bird were remarked upon “as far back as Aristotle,” wrote a Wall Street Journal book reviewer in May, but some biologists may not have believed the behavior because it was so cold-blooded. The bird, according to Nick Davies’ book Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature, lays its eggs in other species’ nests to trick those birds into incubating the cuckoos, who then hatch and kick the eggs of their host out of the nest. The mother cuckoo, it’s said, times her mating schedule so her eggs mature just before the victims’ eggs. Hence, according to Davies, she’s “nature’s most notorious cheat.” CONSTIPATION BLUES Sy Allen, arrested in March in Colchester, England, on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to sell, relied on a fairly common strategy: As officers burst into the room, he swallowed the “evidence.” As in the other cases, police decided to wait for nature to take its course in order to recover the suspected drugs. Unlike in the other cases, Allen managed to hold out, with no bowel movement, for 23 days — but not a 24th. He was arrested. Chuck Shepherd weirdnews@earthlink.net
UNFORGETTABLE I pay great attention to small things, I feel so blessed that you were in my presences. Did you come back just to see me? I hope so, ’cause I love seeing you. In any color white, blue, coral … When: May 11. Where: Parked. #1520-0520 VOTE FOR ME You: Widespread Panic shirt. You said you may actually vote Republican if Billary gets nomination. Wanted to speak more, but you had to get home to dogs and pet pigeon. Let’s get naughty in voting booth! ;). When: May 7. Where: McDonald’s. #1519-0513 VILANO PUBLIX; PULLED GROIN MUSCLE! Produce/dairy around 8 a.m. You live St. Augustine, injured groin surfing Puerto Rico. Left, came back; so flustered talking you forgot eggs. You: PT, work, fishing, watch fi ght. Me: to beach. Should’ve given my number! When: May 2. Where: Vilano Beach Publix. #1518-0506
FUN IN THE SUN You: Getting out of pool; put on loud orange shirt. Flag tattoo. Started reading Harlan Coben novel. Me: Tan in black two-piece trying to get your attention. Hope to see you again. Let’s skinny dip? When: June 6. Where: Green Tree Place. #1528-0617
MR. MATRIX You: Dorky in a really sexy way. Me: Drew Barrymore look-alike. Stopped at your booth and heard you say you originally came up with the idea for “The Matrix.” You can give me your red or blue pill anytime, stud! When: April 10. Where: One Spark. #1517-0415
DRIVE BY I saw Clark Kent in the parking lot. Me: Driving by. You: Walking to your car; you’re really super-looking. I bet you get that a lot, though. When: June 5. Where: Bailey’s Gym. #1527-0617
JUICE BAR BABE You: Incredibly cute girl working juice bar. Braided blonde hair, nose ring. Your favorite is Pineapple Julius. Me: Suave, long-haired Adonis, right arm tattoo, sees you from afar, often there. Let’s meet, talk about more you like. When: April 3. Where: Baymeadows Native Sun. #1516-0408
JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 35
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Nineteenth hole Paper patcher ___ clef Foe of Ilie and John Pollster’s query Reader essays Somber notices Director Mervyn King with a wicked sense of fairness? Contents list A Chekhov sister Country singer Gibbs “Come ___!” Nonexistent Utterly unable to eat breakfast without bread? School of whales Richard of Chicago Namath’s Super Bowl Crone Bangladesh’s capital, old-style With 53 Across, the story of a priest? See 48 Across CIA progenitor Fish eggs Best way to sign Query from Judas Seesaw need Zebra feature Plucked from peril What space aliens dislike being in human society? Relatives Oxeye and others Holiday sweet Nickname for a very unpopular x-ray tech? Frozen song Cornstarch brand ___ kwon do Functional Less cordial PBS funder Ariz. is never on it The Golden Gate Bridge, for example?
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80 “Yes ___?” 84 Trip inducer 36 Afflicts 87 Genealogy abbr. 40 Teensy margin 88 ___ signals 41 Rice on a shelf 89 Grad 42 Econ. stats 90 Blame 44 Battery fluid 92 “I s’pose” 45 Trig. function 93 Doctrine rejecter 46 Prevailing conditions 94 Ruckus 47 Star in Aquila 99 Designer Pierre 101 Leads off 49 Showdown time 102 Intro to meter 50 Two-time Grammy winner Jason (“I’m Yours”) 103 Fill the tank 104 The Odyssey’s Mt. ___ 51 Highly rated 105 Neighbor of Homer 52 “___ I go on?” 106 Beat the rap 54 Emphatic denial 107 Rural address pt., often 55 Igloo dweller 108 Overhangs 56 Ventilates 61 Private phone channel 109 “___ around, around ...” (Dion’s The Wanderer) between offices 110 Surgeon intro 62 Used to be 111 Beau ___ 63 Imitates 112 With 126 Across, rival 65 Chang’s twin of Lowe’s 67 Joust contestant 116 Low-quality 68 Assent on the Hill 117 So far 69 Like ego and ergo 119 Jumpy pal of Pooh 71 Forensic letters 120 The A of IPA 73 John Galt’s creator 121 Ex-ring king 74 Dunkable treat LAST WEEK: The birds were 75 “Holy moly!” fal-C-on, ha-W-k, quai-L, kit-E, 76 James of jazz H-eron, e-I-der, T-ern, G-rouse 77 Star Wars sister and ma-R-tin. When “traded” 78 Bits of advice letters are arranged right, after 79 Equipment the F, they spell “flight crew.”
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JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 37
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ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE Gerald Bruce Lee ordered the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel six of the federal trademark registrations owned by the Washington Redskins, ruling that the team’s name was disparaging to a substantial number of Native Americans. The USPTO had earlier ruled the trademarks should be withdrawn and, upon an appeal by the team, Judge Lee upheld the Patent Office’s findings. This is as it should be. While the team is still free to use the mascot, the order could have a deleterious impact on team revenue, thus leading to the eventual discontinuation of the “Redskin” name and logo. The use of Native American imagery for sports mascots has long been controversial. While the issue is larger than the “Redskins” debate, this particular term has become increasingly salient over the last few years. Most dictionaries count this as a racially disparaging slur; historical evidence points directly (if not unimpeachably) to the term originating with the bounty placed on Native Americans in the 1800s. Individuals were paid for killing an Indian, and were even reimbursed for bullets, the bounty differing depending on the gender and age of the Indian. Proving inconvenient to bring the whole corpse in for verification, the scalp sufficed, and the practice of “scalping” began — later to be employed by Indians as retaliation. The original Washington team owner was an avowed racist and they were the last professional football team to integrate. To maintain that the “Redskins” were named to somehow honor Indians requires a tremendous suspension of disbelief. While the “Redskins” are in the press most noticeably these days, the time is long past to remove all Native American mascots from sport. The issue overall is the appropriation of Native American cultural imagery that serves to glorify their “toughness” and “fighting spirit” at the expense of their intelligence, generosity, and rich and varied culture. Non-Indians chanting “woo-woo-woo” and doing the “tomahawk chop” at sporting events is respectful in no instance. These are symbols and, as we have seen with the Confederate flag debate recently, symbols matter. In fact, one of the few Nazis executed as a result of the Nuremburg war trials after WWII was a writer/editor named Julius Streicher, whose hate-filled propaganda dehumanized Jews and greased the wheels for genocide. Caricatures of Native Americans are ubiquitous in American sport and serve to belittle them individually and collectively. There are no other minority group mascots, and if an expansion team were to emerge in any of the major North American sports, there is no chance they would be allowed to adopt an Indian mascot. When supporters of mascots are asked to justify their use of racist cultural imagery, the first response is usually an attempt to turn the tables, to say they are not in fact racist, instead of offering an articulable reason for their use. When pressed, the answers typically fall into four categories.
THE TERMS “HONOR” NATIVE AMERICANS This is dubious on at least two accounts. First, it seems disingenuous to say America wants to honor a people it decimated through military, biological and cultural warfare. Second, it is difficult to believe that non-Indian tailgaters dressed in headdresses and face paint are truly “honoring” a people they likely know next to nothing about.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER HUMAN GROUPS USED AS MASCOTS, SUCH AS THE GIANTS, SAINTS, COWBOYS, ETC., SO NATIVE AMERICANS ARE OVERREACTING However, as sportswriter Dave Zirin points out, this thing called “history” happened, and none of those groups has been a victim of state-sponsored genocide.
IT WOULD COST TOO MUCH MONEY TO CHANGE THE MASCOTS AND THE ATTENDANT TEAM MERCHANDISE According to research conducted through the Emory Sports Marketing Analytics Project, switching away from a Native American mascot has no long-term negative impact on a team. In fact, keeping Native American mascots reduces financial performance and harms team-branding equity. NATIVE AMERICANS THEMSELVES DON’T MIND THE USE OF THIS CULTURAL IMAGERY Much of this comes from a Sports Illustrated survey in 2002 that found 81 percent of Native American respondents did not find the term “Redskins” discriminatory. However, a study conducted by the Indian Country Today periodical at the same time reported 81 percent of respondents found the term racist and disparaging. Likewise, a more recent national survey found that 67 percent of Native Americans finds the term “Redskin” racist and offensive. Interestingly, that same survey reported that 68 percent of non-Indians did not believe the term was racist or offensive. A majority group is typically in no position to tell a minority group what they should and should not be offended by. Walking into a restaurant recently, I saw a bumper sticker with a joke disparaging Polish people as being unintelligent. I saw the person leaving their car and asked them about it, to which they replied, “Hey, I’m Polish, so it’s OK.” Really? Are the rest of the Poles in America not allowed to be offended simply because one isn’t? To bring the issue closer to home, in 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association
effectively banned the use of Native American imagery and many schools have since changed their mascots. However, Florida State University was given an exemption for its use of the “Seminole” mascot, since it has “the endorsement of the Seminole Tribe.” In fact, the agreement is with the tribal council, not the tribe itself; to my knowledge, there has never been a tribal vote on the issue. Rather, the well-heeled leaders of the tribe, in cahoots with the Tallahassee business community, have signed off on the usage of the tribal name. Additionally, most Seminoles actually live in Oklahoma (approximately 75 percent), and that tribe passed a resolution in 2013 vigorously opposing the use of the Seminole name by sports teams. When Seminoles (who are actually Muskogean Creeks, Yuchis and Choctaws) were forcibly moved west to Oklahoma, the remaining members eventually split into two groups. The first, now recognized as the Seminole Tribe of Florida, comprised those who accepted reservation life and acceded to U.S. government policies. The second, who are now recognized as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, chose to keep their traditional ways. The notion of the Seminoles being “unconquered,” a notion that arose only in response to increasing national pressure to drop the nickname and mascot, is therefore misleading, as is the notion that any Native American group in this society was not actually conquered and forced to surrender their sovereignty. The Osceola mascot was not actually introduced until 1978, and followed the likes of “Sammy Seminole,” “Chief Fullabull” and “Chief Wampumstompum.” I challenge readers to google images of these early mascots and still surmise that they were meant to “honor” anyone. As graduate of FSU, I view this issue through a pro/con lens. Who benefits and who is harmed if we keep or drop the mascots? If the mascots are retained, there are people who suffer from racist labels and caricatures, and fans are allowed to continue to root for their chosen team, unabashedly. If the mascots are changed, then America can move forward with leaving racist symbols behind. And who suffers if the mascots are changed? Can I say my desire to cheer for my team is now ruined? And even if so, does that weigh more in the moral universe than the real and tangible prejudice and discrimination mascots may be contributing to? Zirin writes: “Once 100 percent of this country, Native Americans are now 0.9 percent, and we play sports on their graves. Their rituals and dress are our own commercialized entertainment. We turn our eyes to the field, away from the way institutionalized racism continues to define the lives of the overwhelming majority to Native Americans.” As Martin Luther King said, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. It’s time for us to retire these mascots. JR Woodward, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology Florida State College at Jacksonville mail@folioweekly.com
Folio Weekly welcomes Backpage Editorial submissions. Essays should be no more than 1,200 words and on a topic of local interest or concern. Email your Backpage to mail@folioweekly.com. Opinions expressed on the Backpage are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or management of Folio Weekly.
38 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JULY 22-28, 2015
JULY 22-28, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 39