2 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
THIS WEEK // 2.26.20-3.3.20 // VOL. 32 ISSUE 48
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MAIN FEATURE
SAFE SPACE
Hope McMath and Yellow House bridge art and activism Story by Brianna Bostick, Cover photo by Josh Wessolowski
COLUMNS + CALENDARS MAIL GUEST EDITORIAL OUR PICKS SPORTS PICKS ARTS + EVENTS
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CONCERTS PETS CROSSWORD ASTROLOGY NEWS OF THE WEIRD
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MEDIA CONSULTANT Tracy Rigdon tracy@folioweekly.com FOLIO WEEKLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHES EVERY WEDNESDAY FOR DISTRIBUTION IN DUVAL, NASSAU, ST. JOHNS AND CLAY COUNTIES. It contains opinions of contributing writers that are not necessarily the opinion of this publication. Folio Weekly welcomes editorial and photographic contributions. Calendar items must be received two weeks in advance of event date. Copyright © Folio Publishing, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Advertising rates and information available on request. Advertiser purchases right of publication only. One free issue per person. Additional copies and back issues are $1 each at the office or $4 by U.S. mail, based on availability. First Class mail subscriptions are $48/13 weeks, $96/26 weeks, $189/52 weeks. Folio Weekly is printed on 100 percent recycled paper, using soy-based inks. Please recycle issues of Folio Weekly. Application to mail at periodicals postage prices is pending at Jacksonville, Florida. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Folio Weekly, 45 W. Bay St., Ste. 103, Jacksonville, FL 32202-3632.
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JOIN THESE MASTHEAD MEMBERS AT FOLIOWEEKLY.COM/SUPPORTLOCALJOURNALISM Betsy McCall • Rose McCall • David Jaffee • Dave Graney • MRE of Jax • Mark S. Rowden • Tammy Lugenia Cherry Dr. Wayne Wood • Billie Bussard • Elizabeth Sams • Georgia R Pribanic FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 3
THE MAIL LETTER TO THE GO-FOR-BROKE EDITOR
RE.: No Days Off & Garrett’s Ganja Gambit by Shelton Hull, Feb. 12 THANKS TO SHELTON HULL FOR THE TWO
complementary pieces on City Councilmember Garrett Dennis. One thing to add is that Dennis and Councilmember Joyce Morgan have been working to direct more resources into development of economically depressed areas of the city. Economic development as well as improved housing, public schools and job creation must accompany the policing and intervention strategies now in place, if we want to deal effectively with the many disparities in Jacksonville that contribute to violence and pathological behavior. Do we have a crisis yet? If we do, it is time for the private sector and government to step up and create jobs, both for the upcoming summer and for the long term. When the Great Depression struck, conscientious members of the business community created jobs. In his 1967 book The Emergence of the New South, 1913-1945, George Tindall recounts the example of banker Alfred I. DuPont of Jacksonville, who “sent out trucks to pick up the jobless for work in public parks at $1.25 a day. With daily payrolls as high as $400, he kept it up until New Deal agencies took over in in 1933.” Municipal, county and state governments in the South created job programs, which suffered from a paucity of financial resources in the face of widespread unemployment and a misplaced, radical individualism. (Religious organizations were there, too.) But, eventually, the federal government had to intervene–as much to sustain capitalism as to provide relief and hope. We have today in the local private sector numerous examples of generosity and compassion, and more of the same would be welcomed. Faith-based groups do a lot. Team Curry, however, continues to abide in a parallel universe similar to the 1920s, compartmentalizing its view of the pathologies of daily life in Duval. Their crisis is how to
keep a lid on things at street level so that the imperial project can advance. Michael Hoffmann via email
LOWEST OF THE LOW
RE.: Solite, So Low by Susan Clark Armstrong, Feb. 19 DEAR MR. VALENTINO, I’D LIKE TO THANK YOU
and Ms. Clark Armstrong. This decades-long issue with Solite/Stoneridge Farms needs to be kept on the minds of all Clay County residents, not just people (like me) who live next door to the property. I helped my father build a house here on Oak Grove Drive in the early 1980s. It’s been my family’s permanent home since 2004, so I try to stay on top of the issues with Solite/ Stoneridge Farms. It infuriates me that, after all these years, this corporation is still going to get away without cleaning up the whole site, and they’re going to put a residential and commercial mix on the property. And to boot, we have Commissioner Wayne Bolla, who thinks this out-of-state company “deserves” a residential “Density Housing Bonus” for cleaning up the site. It’s a kick in the face to all the taxpaying residents of Clay County who haven’t turned their property into a hazmat site. What bonus does he think each resident should get? Apparently just higher taxes, more houses clustered on top of each other, and more traffic. “Solite, So Low” is right. With roughly 1.2 miles of waterfront on Black Creek, I pray that the North Florida Land Trust can somehow get involved in saving this property from questionable development. Matt Hansknecht via email THIS SHOULD BE CLEANED UP PROPERLY, AND
water-monitoring wells should be put in to determine if the toxins have migrated to the water table or surrounding properties—all at the owner’s expense. Nothing should be built on top of it until it is completely remediated. Amy Lee via email
LEND YOUR VOICE If you’d like to respond to something you’ve read in the pages of Folio Weekly, please send an email (including name, address and phone number, for verification purposes only) to mail@folioweekly.com, go to folioweekly.com or follow us on Twitter or Facebook (@folioweekly) and join the conversation.
BRICKBATS + BOUQUETS BOUQUET TO NORTH FLORIDA LAND TRUST On Feb. 19, the conservation organization celebrated 20 years and 20,000 acres of land protected. The Jacksonville-based nonprofit was founded to preserve natural resources, historic places and working lands through donations and purchases of land as well as conservation easements. BOUQUET TO CHRISTINA KITTLE On Feb. 14, the Jacksonville teacher successfully fought off a would-be robber at an area Family Dollar. The aggressor claimed to have a gun and threatened Kittle. As he reached for her credit card, however, she surprised him with a punch to the face, after which he fled, flustered. BOUQUET TO BURLOCK & BARREL DISTILLERY Brooklyn’s new craft whiskey distillery opened its doors in December. First, however, owners Ian Haensly and Colin Edwards auctioned off a private dinner for 28 guests, with all bids benefitting Best Buddies Jacksonville. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A BOUQUET? OR MAYBE A BRICKBAT? Submit your choice to mail@folioweekly. com; 50-word maximum, concerning a person, place, or topic of local interest.
4 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
FOLIO VOICES: GUEST EDITORIAL
A PLACE OF BAD IDEAS
THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IS IN SESSION—UNFORTUNATELY WILL ROGERS ONCE SAID, “NO MAN’S life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” The current session of the Florida Legislature is doing its best to prove the truth of these words. Let us consider several disastrous pieces of legislation our representatives are considering. First, there is Mandarin-based Rep. Jason Fischer’s HB 1079, which aims to make our school superintendent an elected position. This is an awful idea. The majority of school superintendents across the country are appointed rather than elected. The counties that elect their school superintendents tend to be small, rural counties that cannot afford to hire world-class candidates. But large counties and cities hire school superintendents with a great deal of knowledge and experience. More significant is the fact that Jacksonville has been trying to shake its image as a hick town. Having an elected superintendent will just reinforce that image. The move would deter businesses thinking of relocating to or opening up an office in Jacksonville. Businesses always check out a new city’s school system. What will they think when they discover that Jacksonville has an elected superintendent rather than an educated, experienced superintendent like every other location they will be considering? Simply put, they will locate elsewhere. Second, there are two bills (HB 7079 and SB 1498) that seek to remove the control of local schools from local school boards, empowering Tallahassee. Significantly, both bills change the definition of a “deficient and failing school” to any school earning a single grade below a “C”—and if that school does not turn around from a single “D” grade in a year (rather than the current two-year grace period), the school district must choose from three options: “repurpose” the school as one or more charter schools; enter into a performance contract with an external operator; or close the school and reassign students to another school with a “C” grade or higher. However, the last option requires the specific approval of the commissioner of education, giving the state office authority over local schools. Remember, charter schools were sold as a choice. Parents could choose to send their kids to a public school or a charter school. But here it’s clear that
Tallahassee wants to force our students to attend charter schools. Third, there is SB 62, which changes the way that capital surtax money is shared with charter schools. At present, our school boards can request the voters approve a sales tax in a referendum to raise capital surtax money to address the maintenance needs of a school district. However, SB 62 would require that any capital surtax fund be shared with charter schools on a per-pupil basis. That is unfair, as most charter schools are brand-new, while public schools often are very old, especially those in underserved neighborhoods. Thus, a per-pupil allocation would lead to charter schools getting money they do not need at the expense of public schools that have unmet maintenance needs. Fourth, there is the effort to increase teacher pay. The Republicans want to increase the minimum salary for teachers to $47,500. However, the bill does not increase the salaries of teachers who have been teaching for years. Quite simply, if you want to keep experienced teachers, you have to increase their salaries as well. Fifth, SB 1794 and HB 7037 are designed to make it harder for referenda to get on the ballot. These bills will require petition signatures to expire much faster and would require a huge number of signatures to be collected before a proposal can move past its first legal hurdle. These bills will also favor the rich, as they will make the ballot initiative process too costly for ordinary citizens and grassroot participants. As for the wealthy, they will have no problem with the extra expenses involved to get their initiatives on the ballot. Finally, once again, it looks like the legislature will not expand Medicaid, even though that would provide coverage for about 445,000 Floridians with the federal government picking up most of bill. Keep these bad ideas in mind the next time you vote, and maybe we will have a legislature with some good ideas for a change.
Terry D. Bork mail@folioweekly.com __________________________________
Bork is a Jacksonville-based attorney with more than 20 years’ experience. FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 5
SAT
29 GLOBAL VILLAGE
WORLD OF NATIONS CELEBRATION
The annual international showcase returns for its 28th edition. Take in the sights, sounds and tastes of more than 30 countries without ever leaving home. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, March 1, The Ford on Bay, Downtown, jaxworldofnations.com, $5.
OUR
PICKS THIS WEEK’S BIGGEST
& BEST HAPPENINGS
SAT
29 FRI
28 MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR LYSISTRATA
Kristin Livingston directs this adaptation of Aristophanes’ drama. In war-torn ancient Greece, the eponymous hero organizes a general sex strike to force the combatants to make peace. 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday, Feb. 28 & 29; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 1, The 5 & Dime, A Theatre Company, Downtown, the5anddime.org, $22/$25.
HURRY, DON’T BE LATE LITTLE RIVER BAND
Australia’s answer to yacht rock, LRB has been purveying smooth, soft sounds since the ‘70s. The band may not boast any remaining original members, but the new crew still plays hits such as “Reminiscing,” “The Night Owls” and “Lonesome Loser.” Also on the bill: Lords of 52nd Street, featuring alumni of Billy Joel’s original backing band. 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Florida Theatre, Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $39.50-$79.50.
TUE WED
26 MORNING STAR LUCERO
The hard-touring Memphis rock revivalists bring their classic sound to The Amp’s Backyard Stage. Jade Jackson opens. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, The Amp, St. Augustine, theamp.com, $27. 6 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
3
RISE
TEDxYOUTH@JACKSONVILLE
Jacksonville’s first TEDxYouth conference stars Duval County high school students (including Jabrea Ali, pictured) speaking about their generation’s challenges: mental health and climate change. 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, Florida Blue Conference Center, Southside, tedxjacksonville.com, $25.
FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 7
SPORTS PICKS BY DALE RATERMANN | SPORTS@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM
SAT
29 LET’S PLAY TWO TODAY FLAGLER COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The Flagler College men and women’s basketball teams celebrate Senior Day as they close out the regular season with a doubleheader against Peach Belt Conference foe Francis Marion. The postseason conference tournaments begin on March 4. 1:30 p.m. (women) & 3:30 p.m. (men) Saturday, Feb. 29, Flagler Gymnasium, 12 Granada St., St. Augustine, flaglerathletics.com, $5-$10.
SAT
29 DOES NOT PLAY NICE IN TRAFFIC MONSTER JAM
Watch the most recognized trucks in the world compete in races, a two-wheel skills challenge, donuts and freestyle. Fans get to help judge via a smart phone app. 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, TIAA Bank Field, 1 TIAA Bank Field Dr., Sports Complex, tiaabankfield.com, $15+.
SUN
1
GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO SKATE ICEMEN HOCKEY
The Icemen take on the Newfoundland Growlers in a special Sunday matinee. It’s the final month of the season, and the Growlers lead the ECHL’s North Division while the Icemen fight for a playoff spot. 3 p.m. Sunday, March 1, VyStar Veterans Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., Sports Complex, jacksonvilleicemen.com, $10+. 8 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 9
FOLIO: FEATURE
SAFE SPACE
Story by BRIANNA BOSTICK Photos BY JOSH WESSOLOWSKI
10 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
Lead volunteer Phyllis Bell-Davis and Hope McMath enjoy the Sarah Crooks exhibition, Home Is Here.
Hope McMath and Yellow House bridge art and activism
W
e seem to have forgotten that community is an essential element of a thriving society. And art is an essential outlet of expression and experience—one that we cultivate less and less. When we remember these things, and when they work together, the result is beautiful. This is the Yellow House’s approach to community engagement—through the vessel of art. Hope McMath, the gallery’s coordinator and creator, has been in the cultural sector for quite some time. Before founding Yellow House in 2017, she had spent 23 years at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. During her last eight years there, she served as a “reluctant deputy director,” she recalled. Toward the end of her term, McMath craved something more. “I was interested in doing work aligned with social justice,” she told Folio Weekly. “I would wake up every day thinking about it.” Thus, Yellow House was born. It was an appropriate time to get engaged, too. Social justice movements were really taking off—a reaction, in part, to the regressive backlash that brought Donald Trump to power. What is art’s role in the social tensions of the day? This is exactly what McMath was interested in
“We really see one another in this space where we share our stories in the most open, honest and raw way possible.” exploring, and Yellow House has been her laboratory. Situated on the corner of King and Phyllis Street in Riverside, the house is small but mighty in its intention. Its art is always connected and expressive of the issues real artist-activists face. Ecofeminist Sarah Crooks’ Home Is Here closes this weekend; it’s a magnificent display of tapestry, mixed media and written word, shedding light and focusing on our spiritual connection and oneness with the planet we’re destroying. “The exhibits,” McMath said, “are a vehicle for the work, and Yellow House is the vessel; it is not the end all.” The end all is ongoing community engagement. McMath aims to create a platform for members of all communities to feel comfortable sharing their stories. “How do we overcome apathy?” she asked. “By building empathy. I believe art is a bridge to building empathy. We really see one
another in this space where we share our stories in the most open, honest and raw way possible.” Some of the most longstanding and influential work Yellow House has done has been with residents on Ken Knight Drive in Jacksonville’s Ribault neighborhood. The collaboration began in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The storm left this small community devastated, lacking resources and hope. Yellow House, along with some other small organizations, stepped up and lent a helping hand. Yellow House “goes where the need is,” and there is still a need in the Ken Knight Drive community. So Yellow House remains present to this day, helping residents recover and thrive. “Our role there has grown,” McMath said. That role includes building houses, repairing and replacing infrastructure, running a monthly mobile food
pantry, and facilitating community art projects. “It’s probably some of the most important work we’ve done. Most of the learning has happened with Ken Knight Drive. We’ve made some mistakes, but we’ve stayed engaged.” In the process of helping that community, McMath and her team have discovered amazing writers and artists from the neighborhood. There’s a “beautifully strange, diverse community wrapping themselves in Yellow House” to share their work and their stories. This is the goal: to engage the community through art. “The flame gets sparked through an exhibition or act of service, and we don’t see that as a ‘project’ with a beginning and an end, but it’s about engaging the community, which is an ongoing process.” Along with community engagement comes a platform for these folks to share their stories of struggle, triumph, love and life. Through Yellow House, they have the opportunity to amplify their voices. “We’ve created a courageous place for people to share,” McMath said. “Some people say we need a bigger space, but intimacy is one of our strengths. We can’t help but bump into each other; our lives are forced to nudge and break through barriers and wedges that have been put between us.” The intimacy of Yellow House is as intentional as the art shared and activism pursued. Yellow House hosts many events that create the platform for these artists such as (Re)Set the Table, in which artists come together and represent stories of people not at tables of power. They share their experiences of being part of a marginalized, oppressed or underrepresented group. “We’ll have a new refugee next to a 16-year-old student next to a mother,” McMath said. “We’re interested in creators of all kinds and the exposure we get through all of these people.” Yellow House works to “blur the edges between those artists that don’t feel worthy of sharing their art or taking the title ‘artist.’” Another initiative is Writers for Migrant Justice, which is dedicated to black female poets. “We have the most amazing group of writers. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of poets and authors who want to be in this space, so we make room for that.” There’s the TAG group of young poets and artists who come together and organize open mic nights, readings, and children’s workshops to engage youths in the creative process. “As long as the work is strong and the message is powerful,” McMath said, “it is welcome here. We have an array of valid and powerful people of all ages and experiences coming together here to
share the space.” This intention to engage the community comes with financial, relational and representational risks, which McMath and her family of volunteers are aware of. But the risks are offset by the value of the work being done at Yellow House. Everyone here believes in “following your own truth.” Art must be more than pretty pictures. “Art is the thing that raises the questions and opens up our possibility,” McMath said. “If we don’t do anything else with it, we aren’t doing what we should be.” That’s why the risks don’t discourage Yellow House artists and activists; the intention and the outcome are more important. McMath has been “surprised by the response and positive energy of the community. That energy has flowed into our space,” and the space is prosperous. In addition to her experience at The Cummer, and now Yellow House, McMath curates the Holocaust Memorial Gallery at Jacksonville’s Jewish Family and Community Services and teaches art history and museum studies at UNF. She is passionate about art and the impact it has on her community, but she contends that it could never have been possible without the volunteer’s at Yellow House. “My goal with this was to surround myself and others with people that have had very different lived experiences,” she explained. “I recognize my privilege, and I’m leveraging it to utilize it for [others]. It’s an everyday thing. When I get lazy about it, that’s when I make mistakes— when I think I’ve got it figured out. It requires doing it, getting into it, and not expecting perfection.” Despite the mistakes that have been made, there is “so much joy when people come here and can really be themselves.” Yellow House is a lighthouse in Jacksonville’s community. An average day here is “a group of activists and artists dreaming and scheming together.” It has become home to so many people, providing “another layer of seeing one another.” According to McMath, “This place attracts people who are very real and ready to be real with other people.” Like Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come. “There is nothing better than working with artists to change and engage the community,” she said. “It sort of started as a selfish thing, art. Then I began to start thinking how I could be an artist and a curator while standing in solidarity with my community. I thought, ‘If I’m feeling this strongly about it, I can’t be the only one.’ And that has proven true through Yellow House.” Subscribe to Folio Weekly’s Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters
FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 11
ARTS + EVENTS Pianist Erika Nickrenz and cellist Sara Sant’Ambrogio have been performing together since the age of 12. When not touring with violinist Sara Parkins as Eroica Trio, they moonlight as EROICA DUO. 3 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Friday Musicale, Brooklyn, fridaymusicale.com, free.
ART WALKS, MARKETS
PERFORMANCE
The UNITED STATES NAVY BAND The Sea Chanters join the Concert Band in bringing their prestigious performance to Northeast Florida. 3 p.m. Sunday, March 1, The Amp, 1340C A1A S., St. Augustine, theamp.com, free. VIDEO GAMES LIVE The Jacksonville Symphony Chorus joins Tommy Tallarico in creating this immersive concert of music from the most popular video games. 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Times-Union Center, Jacoby Symphony Hall, 300 Water St., Downtown, jaxsymphony.org, $19-$100.
CLASSICAL & JAZZ
A JAZZY CELEBRATION of BLACK HISTORY MONTH Jacksonville Arts & Music School students perform. Attendees can also expect free food from Food Network winner Chef DeJuan, free health screenings, trivia and more. 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, Florida Blue, 13249 City Square Dr., Ste. 103, Southside, facebook.com/ FloridaBlueJacksonvilleNorth, free. JNMS LAUNCH PARTY FEATURING ADAM LARSON Players by the Sea is hosting a concert to celebrate its partnership with the new local nonprofit Jacksonville New Music Society, which serves as a vehicle for new and creative music in Jacksonville. 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Players by the Sea Theatre, 106 N. Sixth St., Jax Beach, playersbythesea.org, $20. EROICA DUO Cellist Sara Sant’Ambrogio and pianist Erika Nickrenz perform. 3 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Friday Musicale, 645 Oak St., Brooklyn, fridaymusicale.com, free. JSYO SPRING CONCERT Conductor Deanna Tham leads the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra through their annual spring concert. 5 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Times-Union Center, Jacoby Symphony Hall, 300 Water St., Downtown, jaxsymphony.org, $3 for children, $8 for adults. DEANNA WITKOWSKI TRIO The composer/pianist brings her jazz trio to Jacksonville. 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27; 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Friday Musicale, 645 Oak St., Riverside, fridaymusicale.com, free. BEACHES CHAMBER SERIES: BRASS QUINTET The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra presents its new Beaches Chamber Series. Join members and guests for a reception an hour before the concert. 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, Beaches Museum Chapel, 505 Beach Blvd., Southside, jaxsymphony.org, $25.
BOOKS & POETRY
JAX BOOK FEST Discover and enjoy work from more than 80 local and national authors, a pop-up bookstore, writing and self-publishing workshops, kids activities, music and more. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Jacksonville Public Library, Main Branch, 303 N. Laura St., Downtown, jaxpubliclibrary.org, free. 12 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
STORYTELLERS Sareth Ney hosts this open mic. 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, Corazon Cinema & Cafe, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, corazoncinemaandcafe.com, $5. JOSHUA HOOD The best-selling author comes to Jax to introduce the first novel in his new thriller series The Treadstone Resurrection. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, The BookMark, 220 First St., Neptune Beach, bookmarkbeach.com, free. STORYTELLING OPEN MIC The theme of the night is “Balance.” Share a story or hear from others about a time when things were perfectly in balance or there were a few missing pieces that could have turned the situation around. 7-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, Hyperion Brewing Company, 1740 N. Main St., Springfield, hyperionbrewing.com, free.
COMEDY
COMEDY ZONE LOL Comedy Night with Jenn Weeks 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, $10; Rod Man performs 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, $25/$27.50; 7:30 & 9:45 p.m. Friday & Saturday, Feb. 28 & 29, $25-$130, 3130 Hartley Rd., Mandarin, comedyzone.com. CORAZON CINEMA & CAFE Stand-up comedians from throughout the country visit and perform. 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, $5 for Flagler Students, $10 cash for general admission. HOT POTATO COMEDY HOUR Local and touring stand-up comedians perform. 9 p.m. Monday, March 2, Rain Dogs, 1045 Park St., Five Points, facebook.com/Raindogs, free. ELVIS MUJIC The local comedian is performing at venues throughout Northeast Florida and collecting donations for the Clara White Mission. Bring new socks or underwear for the cover charge. Those who can’t make it are encouraged to donate at one of 16 donation bins scattered throughout the city. 9:30 p.m. Monday, March 2, Fly’s Tie, 177 Sailfish Dr. E., Atlantic Beach, elviscomedy.com. NICK CANNON WILD ‘N OUT LIVE Nick Cannon makes a stop on his comedy tour with DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller, Emmanuel Hudson, Justina Valentine, Hitman Holla and more. 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, VyStar Veterans Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., Downtown, vystarveteransarena.com, $26.76+.
FILM
CORAZON CINEMA & CAFE 1917 & Honeyland continue to show; TBT featuring Whoopee Thursday, Feb. 27; St. Augustine Tonight Show dinner and show 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, corazoncinemaandcafe.com. SUN-RAY CINEMA The Lodge continues to show. The Invisible Man opens Friday, Feb. 28, 1028 Post St., Five Points, sunraycinema.com.
RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET Yoga on stage 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Market open 10 a.m.–3 p.m. every Saturday, 715 Riverside Ave., riversideavondale.org. ATLANTIC BEACH ARTS MARKET Custom Oil Painting with Ronnie Phillips 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, $60. Market open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1805 Mayport Rd., Atlantic Beach, atlanticbeachartsmarket.com. The AMP FARMERS MARKET The weekly staple returns with more food, art and music. Bring your reusable bags and containers for green shopping. Remember to leave your pets at home. 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. every Saturday, The Amp, 1340C A1A S., St. Augustine, staugamphitheatre.com. ORANGE PARK FARMERS’ & ARTS MARKET Explore more than 100 vendors, live music and fresh food. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, March 1, 2042 Park Ave., Orange Park, orangeparkmarket.com.
MUSEUMS
BEACHES MUSEUM & HISTORY PARK Neptune Beach: A Cool Place to Live runs through Sunday, March 1, 381 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach, beachesmuseum.org. CUMMER MUSEUM of ARTS & GARDENS Eclectic Ecology: Landscape Perspectives From Ponce de León to Florida Man runs through December 31; Overstreet Ducasse and Striking Power: Iconoclasm in Ancient Egypt through April 26; Carlos Rolón’s Lost in Paradise through Saturday, Feb. 29, 829 Riverside Ave., Riverside, cummermuseum.org. LEARN & PLAY KIDS MUSEUM Kids and teens are invited to celebrate the grand opening of this museum made for just for them. Families can expect imagination stations, arts and crafts, music lessons, video game parties and more from this new museum. 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Learn and Play Kids Museum, 1980 Wells Rd., Ste. 5, Orange Park, learnandplaykidsmuseum.com, free. MUSEUM of CONTEMPORARY ART Breaking Boundaries: The Vision of Jacqueline B. Holmes is on display; Recent Acquisitions: History in the Making runs through August 30; Jenn Peek’s (I) dentify as Phoenix through April 12; Kedgar Volta’s The Fragility of the Promise through Sunday, March 1, 333 N. Laura St., Downtown, mocajacksonville. unf.edu. MUSEUM of SCIENCE & HISTORY Timucuan Parks Foundation: Celebrate & Explore our Wilderness Parks runs through May 31; Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code and Eat Well, Play Well through May 10; The Legacy of Lynching: Confronting Racial Terror in America through Sunday, March 1, 1025 Museum Cir., Southbank, themosh.org. KARPELES MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY MUSEUM Mickey Mouse: A Disney Training Exhibit, showcasing character model sheets and animator sketches, runs through April 28. Selected works from Mac Truque on display through February, 101 W. First St., Springfield, karpeles.weebly.com.
GALLERIES
The ART CENTER COOPERATIVE Libations runs through March 13. Eileen Corse is this month’s featured guest artist. Stephanie Zide leads a workshop on how to begin a photo-realistic painting 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 1, 9501 Arlington Expy., Ste. 430, Arlington, tacjacksonville.org, $40. The ART STUDIO & GALLERY Annette Dexter Jones is the featured artist for March. 370A A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach, beachartstudio.org. BUTTERFIELD GARAGE Cindy Wilson’s Midnight in the Garden of Indigo is on display through
ARTS + EVENTS Friday, Feb. 28, 137 King St., St. Augustine, butterfieldgarage.com. CRISP-ELLERT ART MUSEUM Hilary Pecis’ The Space in Between runs through Saturday, Feb. 29, Flagler College, 48 Sevilla St., St. Augustine, flagler.edu/crispellert. FEMART GALLERY Women Who Face It is on display through March 29, 10 S. Newnan, Downtown, femartgallery.org. GRAY 1908 GALLERY Jenna Alexander’s Florals Month by Month opens 11 a.m. Sunday, March 1, 73 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, jenna-alexander.com. HASKELL GALLERY Women Artists: Visual Experience runs through April 6, Jacksonville International Airport, 2400 Yankee Clipper Dr., Northside, jiaarts.org. HEATHER MOORE COMMUNITY GALLERY The Black Beach is on display through May 27, 207 N. Laura St., Downtown, capkids.org. SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY Kathy Stark largescale watercolor Anastasia State Park is on display. 1 Independent Dr., Ste. 13, Downtown, southlightgallery.com. YELLOW HOUSE The gallery celebrates Sarah Crooks’ exhibition Home is Here with a closing reception and water ceremony. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Yellow House, 577 King St., Riverside, yellowhouseart.org, free.
EVENTS
BOURBON & BRISKET BENEFIT Enjoy food, brews and games and help Feeding North East Florida continue to feed our locals who do not know where their next meal will come from. 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Strings Sports Brewery, 1850 N. Main St., Springfield, facebook.com/ FeedingNEFL, $125. VOTES FOR WOMEN MARCH & RALLY Bring your pro-suffrage signs and celebrate 100 years of women’s rights to vote. Attendees will march from Corazon Cinema & Cafe to the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum and rally. Speakers include Zilla Hillin, Kay Yarbrough, Karla Wagner and Catherin Phillmon. 1-3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Corazon Cinema & Cafe, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, facebook.com/XFHouse, free. CHILI COOK-OFF BENEFIT Try a variety of chili, sip a fresh brew, and help raise money for the Jacksonville Humane Society. 4-8 p.m. Saturday,
Feb. 29, Jax Craft Beer, 9825 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 18, Mandarin, jaxcraftbeer.com, free. FREE CARDIOLOGY COMMUNITY SYMPOSIUM 20 speakers present 20 topics on all things heart health. Attendees can take advantage of free screenings for peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation, blood pressure and body mass index. 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Feb. 29, Memorial Hospital of Jacksonville Classrooms, 3625 University Blvd., Southside, facebook.com/memorialhospitaljax, free. THURSDAY LECTURE: GREG ESTEVEZ The author discusses the history of Florida through his book Edisto Idland: The African American Journey. Join the author for refreshments a half-hour before the lecture. 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, Mandarin Community Club, 12447 Mandarin Rd., Mandarin, mandarinmuseum.net, free. FOSTERING the LIGHT of HOPE GALA Foster Closet hosts this annual benefit with a fashion show, silent auction, paddle raise and more. 5:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Marriott Jacksonville, 4670 Salisbury Rd., Southside, fostercloset.org, $125. NIGHT UNDER the STARS Explore space through telescopes and binoculars provided by Ancient City Astronomy Club. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, St. Johns County Fair Grounds, 5840 S.R. 207, St. Augustine, visitstaugustine.com, free. MOSH AFTER DARK: IT’S in the GENES Explore the museum after hours with an exclusive tour of Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code. Tickets include two complimentary beverages. Must be 21 or older to attend. 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, MOSH, 1025 Museum Circle, Downtown, themosh.org, $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. EIGHTH ANNUAL JACKSONVILLE SCIENCE FESTIVAL Enjoy hands-on activities for the entire family. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Seawalk Pavilion/Latham Plaza, 11 Ocean Front N., Jax Beach, jaxscifest.org, free. SEVENTH ANNUAL RENAISSANCE JAX CHAMPS More than 120 robotics teams compete in this youth robotics tournament. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Prime Osborn III Convention Center, 1000 Water St., Downtown, renaissancejax.org, free. POP ART POP-UP Discover and purchase pieces from some of Jacksonville’s best pop art artists including Jason Drex9ine, Ivy.Amara and Kat (That Nerdy Mom). 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, Keg & Coin, 1271 King St., Riverside, kegandcoinjax.com, free.
Photo by Tyler Boye
Every year, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts’ Guitar Orchestra performs a multi-string fundraising concert. The 27th Annual GREAT GUITAR GATHERING stars headliner Jason Vieaux (pictured), a Grammy Awardwinning classical guitarist. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Florida Theatre, Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $20. FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 13
CONCERTS
CO
Madiso Cover B March SARBE Flower Glass H Feb. 28 SHANG Lord, U TRADE Feb. 28 every W every W Elizabe Grande every S every M
The Tenacious D of country? Grammy Award-winning “comedyand-western” outfit (and we mean outfit!) RIDERS IN THE SKY have been fusing vintage Roy Rogers-style cowboy music and surrealist humor for more than 30 years. 2 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Thrasher-Horne Center, Orange Park, thcenter.org, $19+.
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LIVE MUSIC VENUES
AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA
SALTY PELICAN, 12 N. Front St. Davis Turner Feb. 26. Shawn Layne Feb. 27. Aaron Koerner Feb. 28. Sam McDonald, Kevin Ski Feb. 29 SJ BREWING, 463646 S.R. 200, Yulee Robert Barlow Feb. 29 SLIDERS, 1998 S. Fletcher Ave Hupp Huppmann, Radio Love Feb. 28. Shawn Layne, Lauren Marie Feb. 29. Pili Pili every Wed. Tad Jennings every Thur. Joe & Josh every Sun. Mark O’Quinn every Mon. The SURF, 3199 S. Fletcher Ave. Hupp Huppmann Feb. 26. Josh McGowan Feb. 28. Anton Laplume Feb. 29
THE BEACHES (All venues in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted)
BLUE JAY LISTENING ROOM, 2457B S. Third St. Seth Walker Feb. 27. Jason Bible Feb. 28. Time Sawyer Feb. 29. Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles March 1. Bay Kings Band March 2 COOP 303, 303 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach Whim Feb. 28 & 29. Matt Still March 1 GUSTO, 1266 Beach Blvd. New Groov Feb. 26. Matt Hall Feb. 27 LYNCH’S IRISH PUB, 514 N. First St. Spade McQuade, Roger That Feb. 28. Joe Taylor, Honey Hounds Feb. 29 Chillula every Wed. Split Tones every Thur. Dirty Pete every Sun. Julia Gulia every Mon. South City Live every Tue. MAVI BAR & GRILL, 2309 Beach Blvd. Eric Alabiso Feb. 26. Vibe RW Feb. 27. Str8up Feb. 28. Chubby McG, The Party Cartel Feb. 29. The Bush Doctors March 1 MEZZA LUNA, 110 First St., Neptune Beach Gypsies Ginger every Wed. Mike Shackelford every Thur. Mezza Shuffle Boxband every Mon. Trevor Tanner every Tue. SURFER the BAR, 200 N. First St. Mickey Avalon, DJ Jimmy South Feb. 27 WHISKEY JAX, 950 Marsh Landing Pkwy. Great Dames Feb. 26. Pro Bono Feb. 27. Wildfire Rising Feb. 28. Oversized Load Feb. 29
DOWNTOWN
1904 MUSIC HALL, 19 Ocean St. Spite, Varials, I Am, Orthodox, Dealer, 187 Feb. 28 FLORIDA THEATRE, 128 E. Forsyth St., Ste. 300 Great Guitar Gathering: Jason Vieaux Feb. 28. Little River Band, Lords of 52nd Street Feb. 29. REO Speedwagon March 3 HEMMING PARK, 135 W. Monroe St. Joe Watts Feb. 26. The Groove Coalition Feb. 28. Lauren Fincham March 2 MYTH NIGHTCLUB, 333 E. Bay St. Phylo, Psybosonic, Zandro, Stabilitiii, Deemzoo Feb. 28. Brooklyn Mike, Eric Caramelo, Alberto Diaz Feb. 29
FLEMING ISLAND, GREEN COVE
BOONDOCKS, 2808 Henley Rd. Alan Dalton & Terry Campbell Feb. 21. Michael Chancellor Feb. 22 SOUTHERN SOCIAL, 2223 C.R. 200, Middleburg Stephen Quinn & Gabe Bullard Feb. 20. 8 Second 14 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
Ride Feb. 21. Justin Spivey Feb. 22 WHITEY’S FISH CAMP, 2032 C.R. 220 Julia Gulia Feb. 21. Monkey Wrench Feb. 22
INTRACOASTAL, ARLINGTON
JERRY’S SPORTS GRILLE, 13170-22 Atlantic Blvd. Hindsite Feb. 28. Retro Kats Feb. 29 MUDVILLE MUSIC ROOM, 3105 Beach Blvd. Dean Spry Feb. 28. Florida Troubadours Feb. 29
MANDARIN
BRICKSTONE, 445 S.R. 13 The Party Cartel Feb. 28. Smokestack Feb. 29 ENZA’S, 10601 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 109 Brian Iannucci every Wed., Sun. & Tue. Carl Grant every Thur., Fri. & Sat. IGGY’S, 104 Bartram Oaks Walk, Ste. 101 Julia Gulia Feb. 28. Chillula Feb. 29. Ginger Beard Man March 1
ORANGE PARK
CHEERS, 1138 Park Ave. Neon Whiskey Feb. 28. Julia Gulia Feb. 29 The ROADHOUSE, 231 Blanding Blvd. Dancing with Ghosts, Four Penny Coffin, The Portrait Feb. 29 THRASHER-HORNE CENTER, 283 College Dr. Nearly Nicks Feb. 27. Riders in the Sky March 1
PONTE VEDRA
FIONN MACCOOL’S, 145 Hilden Rd. Vegas Gray Feb. 28. Spade McQuade Feb. 29 PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL, 1050 A1A N. Tommy Emmanuel, Ida Mae Feb. 27. Steep Canyon Ranger Feb. 28 TAPS, 2220 C.R. 210 W., Ste. 314 Houston Keen Feb. 26. Mandalla Feb. 28. Dakota Feb. 29
RIVERSIDE, WESTSIDE
ARCHETYPE, 2952 Roosevelt Blvd. Mindex, Bohemian, Fowl Play, Bit Deff Feb. 26. DJ Burns, sohlo, TiDDY, The Key 2 Boogie, Kael, Lacour, Cooktah Feb. 27. Ask Me If I Care, Brandon Alexander, Skam the Rapper, Kid Eur0, John Legit, Nickal Feb. 28. Rising Up Angry, OtherWorld, Modern Alchemy, Defy the Tyrant, M99, No Tears Just Blood, Silent/Running Feb. 29 JAZZY’S, 901 King St. Dexter Jones & Friends Feb. 28. Monique Denise Band Feb. 29. DJ Spin March 1 RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET, 715 Riverside Ave. Billy & Bella, Firewater Tent Revival Feb. 29 RIVER & POST, 1000 Riverside Ave., Ste. 100 Barrett Thomas Feb. 28. Eric Charlton Feb. 29
ST. AUGUSTINE
The AMP, 1340C A1A S. Lucero, Jade Jackson Feb. 26. The United States Navy Band March 1 The CELLAR UPSTAIRS, 157 King St. Stephen Pigman Feb. 27. T.J. Brown Feb. 28. The Committee Band Feb. 28 & 29. Tony Scozzaro Feb. 29. Vinny Jacobs March 1 COLONIAL OAK MUSIC PARK, 33 St. George St. Camille Rae Feb. 28. Luna Cruise Feb. 29 PROHIBITION KITCHEN, 119 St. George St. The Space Heaters, Ramona Feb. 27. Chillula, Miranda
JACK R Feb. 26 Hensle Harkum RIVER Cir. Jo
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CONCERTS Madison Feb. 28. Let’s Ride Unplugged Feb. 29. Cover Boy Feb. 29 & March 1. Colton McKenna March 3 SARBEZ!, 115 Anastasia Blvd. Black Magic Flower Power, Sick Ride, DJ Tony Prat Feb. 27. Glass House Point, BLÜM, The Forum, Quarter Roy Feb. 28 SHANGHAI NOBBY’S, 10 Anastasia Blvd. Jim Lord, Uncle Eddie & Robin March 3 TRADEWINDS, 124 Charlotte St. Cottonmouth Feb. 28 & 29. Jim Carrick every Wed. Mark Hart every Wed., Fri., Sat., Mon. & Tue. Down Low every Wed & Thur. Heather Craig every Thur. & Fri. Elizabeth Roth every Sat. Keith Godwin & the Rio Grande Band, Smokin’ Joe Schauer, Salty Dawg every Sun. Mike Johnson & the Little Big Band every Mon. & Tue.
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SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY, The ASBURY JUKES March 10, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall FRED EAGLESMITH, TIF GINN March 12, Mudville Music Room JOSH GROBAN March 13, Times-Union Center MICHAEL BUBLE March 17, VyStar Veterans Arena CASTING CROWS, MATTHEW WEST March 19, The Amp The YOUNG IRELANDERS March 20, ThrasherHorne Center STEVE HACKETT March 20, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The SOPHOMORE ATTEMPT, MODERN VIOLENCE, RUNNER’S HIGH March 20, 1904 Music Hall SKAM DUST, LEFT ON HIGH, The WASTEDEST, INSALUBRIOUS MISANTHROPES March 21, Rain Dogs FIRESIDE COLLECTIVE, GREENSKY BLUEGRASS, BÉLA FLECK & the FLECKTONES, PETER ST. MARYS ROWAN, FREE MEXICAN AIRFORCE, LOS 401 WEST RESTAURANT, 401 W. St. Marys St. TEXMANIACS, DONNA the BUFFALO, SIERRA Man Apart Feb. 28. Jay Bone & Friends Feb. 29 HULL, GHOST LIGHT, DARRELL SCOTT, JIM FULFORD’S FISH HOUSE, 101 E. Stable Alley The LAUDERDALE, VERLON THOMPSON March 21 & Guise, Dancin’ Joe G, Mitch Roser Feb. 28 22, Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park J’S TAVERN, 711 Osborne St. Stephen Pigman The MUSIC of CREAM March 24, Ponte Vedra Feb. 29 Concert Hall AGAINST ME! March 25, The Amp Backyard Stage SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANK JASON ISBELL, The 400 UNIT, OLD CROW JACK RABBITS, 1528 Hendricks Ave. SLOAN MEDICINE SHOW March 27, The Amp Feb. 26. Faze Wave, Denver Hall, Yellow Steve, PABLO CRUISE March 28, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Hensley Feb. 28. Passafire, Bumpin Uglies, Joey KANE BROWN, RUSSELL DICKERSON, CHRIS Harkum Feb. 29 LANE March 28 & May 16, Daily’s Place RIVER CITY BREWING COMPANY, 835 Museum The STEELDRIVERS March 29, Florida Theatre Cir. John Kaminski Feb. 26 The EVERLY BROTHERS TRIBUTE March 30 & 31, Alhambra Theatre SOUTHSIDE, BAYMEADOWS HAYES CARLL April 2, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall VETERANS UNITED CRAFT BREWERY, 8999 GRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE: DARK STAR Western Way, Ste. 104 Jason Taylor Feb. 28 ORCHESTRA April 3, The Amp WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 135 Leann Purvis Feb. 26. 4 Play Feb. 27. LYONS is RICKY SKAGGS, KENTUCKY THUNDER April 3, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall R.S.P. Feb. 28. Sidewalk 65 Feb. 29 VANILLA ICE & SIR MIX-A-LOT April 7, Clay SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE County Fair COPPERTOP BAR & RESTAURANT, 12405-7 N. MANDY MOORE April 7, Florida Theatre Main St. Dixie Highway Feb. 28 EILEN JEWELL BAND April 10, Mudville Music Room PALMS FISH CAMP, 6359 Heckscher Dr. Michael LEO KOTTKE April 10, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Ward Feb. 26. Taylor Shami Feb. 27. Billy Bowers MAZE & FRANKIE BEVERLY April 11, Times-Union Feb. 28. Eric Alabiso, Atlantic Alabi Feb. 29. Mike & Center Carrie, Willow Sisters March 1 SLAID CLEAVES April 16, Mudville Music Room COLE SWINDELL, HARDY, TREA LANDON April PCOMING ONCERTS 17, Daily’s Place DIANA ROSS March 4, Times-Union Center The PSYCHEDELIC FURS, ELETTRO DOMESTICO ARCADIA GREY, FIRST CASE SCENARIO, April 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall LIPZCUM March 5, Kona Skatepark The FLOOZIES, SUNSQUABI + NOBIDE April 22, RICHARD SMITH March 5, Mudville Music Room The Amp Backyard Stage MiMOSA, CHARLIE HUSTLE, VLAD the INHALER BRITTANY HOWARD, NÜ MANGOS April 23, March 6, 1904 Music Hall Florida Theatre WALKABOUT MUSIC FEST: JOSH MCGOWAN & SHAWN COLVIN, DAPHNE WILLIS April 24, Ponte SAM MCDONALD, BLACK SHEEP BLUES BAND, Vedra Concert Hall DRURY BROTHERS BAND, CAT McWILLIAMS COLLIE BUDDZ April 25, Surfer the Bar BAND, SIDE SHOW, JAYBONE, JOE KING & ZACH TOWER of POWER April 28, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MOTES March 7, Walkabout Camp & RV Park MELISSA ETHERIDGE April 30, Thrasher-Horne Center The OUTLAWS March 8, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE: ZOSO April 30, Ponte The McCARTNEY YEARS March 9, Alhambra Theatre Vedra Concert Hall
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Alternative rock quartet GLASS HOUSE POINT returns to St. Augustine. Sarbez has become a home away from home for the young bucks from Tampa, whose atmospheric sound is gaining traction across the state. Also on the bill: Gainesville’s The Forum and hometown heroes BLÜM and Quarter Roy. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Sarbez, St. Augustine, sarbezstaugustine.com, $5. FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 15
FOLIO PETS
LOCAL PET EVENTS & ADOPTABLES PET LOSS SUPPORT GROUP This group meets the fourth Thursday of every month to help members cope with grief and loss. The group is open to anyone and everyone. 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, Jacksonville Humane Society, 8464 Beach Blvd., Southside, jaxhumane.org, free.
ADOPTABLES
BIRDIE
PETS LIKE ME
GEMMA
GEMMA THE GERBIL RAPS ABOUT RODENT LIFE LET’S FACE IT: ALL OF US AT ONE POINT in our lives feel compelled to write about gerbils. It’s a rite of passage. With their rangy hind legs and furry tails—tails as long as their bodies—gerbils are sweet enough, in a rodenty sort of way, and so fascinating to watch. Seeing as how gerbils love to burrow, like dachshunds, I made an instant connection with this creature. DIGGING GEMMA THE GERBIL Davi: How did gerbils, of all the rodent species in the world, end up a popular pocket pet? Gemma: Gerbils are naturally clean, quiet and gentle, and we can easily fit in a small apartment. We are also sociable creatures that enjoy the company of humans and other gerbils. Tell me something about gerbils that would surprise most people. Because our natural habitat is arid terrain, we are keen on water conservation. We don’t pee very much, and this means we smell cleaner than other rodents. And we have long tails that are able to shed, allowing us to escape predators! What food do you crave most often? Gerbils are omnivores, so we like to fill our bellies with fruits, veggies and nuts, but sunflower seeds are my favorite treat! Do you have any special talents? Gerbils are tunneling experts and will typically dig extensive networks of burrows, with tunnels leading to food stores, nesting areas and escape routes. What do you do in your free time? When I’m not busy running around the house in my exercise ball, I enjoy a cozy nap in my nest box. Do gerbils need baths? We have a unique way of bathing, which
16 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
doesn’t involve water at all. We roll around in sand or dust, which clears away dirt and debris, and keeps our fur silky soft. How do you communicate with other gerbils? Thumping! We thump the ground with our hind feet whenever we get frightened, excited or we are stressed. We also do it to let others know of any danger from approaching predators. Do gerbils like music? Gerbils are sensitive to sound and can hear music. We mostly enjoy classical music played quietly, as it’s relaxing, but loud or chaotic music, like rock and metal, can be stressful.
If you’re a bird, I’m a bird! I’m a sweet, friendly gal who loves head rubs, chin scratches, and soft blankets. I also like talking and greeting my friends with a happy “meow-lo!” I’d love to get to know you. You’ll find me hanging out with my kitty roommates in Group Room 5 at JHS. Stop by for a test pet!
YOGA WITH CATS Meowmaste! Certified instructor Beth Jordan, of Beth’s Boot Camp, leads an hourlong yoga session starring—you guessed it—cats and kittens. This event is BYOM (Bring Your Own Mat). 5:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Jax Humane Society, 8464 Beach Blvd., Southside, jaxhumane.org, $20.
ADOPTABLES
DAISY
What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from simply meeting you? Gerbils are notorious for food hoarding. We will take food to various places in our cage for storage, bury it and often forget about it. What do you think about when you are staring out of your comfy cave? I dream of becoming a great ninja in Mongolia, protecting my desert tribe from the dangers of the land! What three words perfectly sum you up? Calm, cute, and curious. That sentiment is not surprising, since the small, furry and inquisitive creatures look adorable when they nibble on their food, stand on their hind feet or scurry around their environment. There’s no denying that these desert dwellers can make fantastic pets. Davi the Dachshund mail@folioweekly.com Subscribe to Folio Weekly Magazine’s Pets Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters
Me = fun-loving, curious pup who enjoys new adventures but also appreciates quiet walks around the neighborhood and taking time to smell the flowers. You = dog fanatic with plenty of affection—and treats!—to give. Wanna meet up for a game or two of fetch? Come find me at 8464 Beach Blvd.
MUTTS & MIMOSAS The fifth annual edition of this petfriendly benefit brunch boasts a buffet, live music and a silent auction. A portion of the proceeds go to the animal welfare advocates at Friends of Jacksonville Animals. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Sheraton Jacksonville, 10605 Deerwood Park Blvd., Southside, muttsandmimosas2020.eventbrite.com, $25-$35.
DALE RATERMANN’s Folio Weekly Crossword presented by
Serving Excellence Since 1928 Member American Gem Society
San Marco 2044 San Marco Blvd. 398-9741
Avondale 3617 St. Johns Ave. 388-5406
Ponte Vedra
THE SHOPPES OF PONTE VEDRA
330 A1A North 280-1202
Voted Best Jeweler in FW’s Best of Jax readers’ poll!
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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You may sometimes reach a point where you worry that conditions are not exactly right to pursue your dreams or fulfill your holy quest. Draw inspiration from Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), one of history’s foremost novelists. Here’s how one observer described Cervantes during the time he was working on his masterpiece, Don Quixote: “shabby, obscure, disreputable, pursued by debts, with only a noisy tenement room to work in.” Cervantes dealt with imperfect conditions just fine.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “True success is figuring out your life and career so you never have to be around jerks,” says John Waters. I trust that you have been intensely cultivating that kind of success in the last few weeks—and that you will climax this wondrous accomplishment with a flourish during the next few weeks. You’re on the verge of achieving a new level of mastery in the art of immersing yourself in environments that bring out the best in you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I would love for you to become more powerful—not necessarily in the sense of influencing the lives of others, but rather in the sense of managing your own affairs with relaxed confidence and crisp competence. What comes to mind when I urge you to expand your self-command and embolden your ambition? Is there an adventure you could initiate that would bring out more of the swashbuckler in you? CANCER (June 21-July 22): For my Cancerian readers in the Southern Hemisphere, this oracle will be in righteous alignment with the natural flow of the seasons. That’s because February is the hottest, laziest, most spacious time of year in that part of the world—a logical moment to take a lavish break from the daily rhythm and escape on a vacation or pilgrimage designed to provide relaxation and renewal. For those of you above the equator, I urge you to consider thinking like those below the equator. If you can’t get away, make a blanket fort in your home and pretend. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Walter Scott (1771–1832) was a pioneer in the genre of the historical novel. His stories were set in various eras of the Scottish past. In those pre-telephone and pre-Internet days, research was a demanding task. Scott traveled widely to gather tales from keepers of the oral tradition. Draw inspiration from Scott’s old-fashioned approach. Seek out direct contact with the past. Put yourself in the physical presence of storytellers and elders. Get first-hand knowledge about historical events that will inspire your thoughts about the future of your life story.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Over a period of 40 years, Rembrandt (1606–1669) gazed into a mirror as he created more than 90 self-portraits—about 10 percent of his total work. Why? Art scholars don’t have a definitive answer. Some think he did self-portraits because they sold well. Others say that because he worked so slowly, he himself was the only person he could get to model for long periods. Still others believe this was his way of cultivating self-knowledge, equivalent to an author writing an autobiography. Engage in your personal equivalent of extended mirror-gazing. It’s a favorable time to understand yourself better. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): From Don DeLillo’s many literary works, I’ve gathered five quotes to serve as your guideposts in the coming weeks. These observations are all in synchronistic alignment with your current 18 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020
needs. 1. Sometimes a thing that’s hard is hard because you’re doing it wrong. 2. You have to break through the structure of your own stonework habit just to make yourself listen. 3. Something is always happening, even on the quietest days and deep into the night, if you stand a while and look. 4. The world is full of abandoned meanings. In the commonplace, I find unexpected themes and intensities. 5. What we are reluctant to touch often seems the very fabric of our salvation.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I remember a time when a cabbage could sell itself just by being a cabbage,” wrote author Jean Giraudoux (1882–1944). “Nowadays it’s no good being a cabbage—unless you have an agent and pay him a commission.” Generally, I agree with Giradoux’s assessment. But I think that right now it applies to you only minimally. The coming weeks will be one of those rare times when your interestingness will shine so brightly, it will naturally attract its deserved attention. Your motto, from industrialist Henry J. Kaiser: “When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): When he was 29 years old, Ludwig Beethoven published his String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 4. Most scholars believe that the piece was an assemblage of older material he had created as a young man. A similar approach might work well for you in the coming weeks. I invite you to consider the possibility of repurposing tricks and ideas that weren’t quite ripe when you first used them. Recycling yourself makes good sense.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Are there parts of your life that seem to undermine other parts of your life? Do you wish there was greater harmony between your heart and your head, between your giving and your taking, between your past and your future? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could infuse your cautiousness with the wildness of your secret self? You’re primed to address these questions with a surge of innovative energy. Healing will come as you juxtapose apparent opposites and unite elements that have previously been unconnected. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When he was 19, Robert Graves joined the British army to fight in World War I. Two years later, the Times of London reported that he had been killed at the Battle of the Somme in France. But it wasn’t true. Graves was very much alive, and continued to be for another 69 years. During that time, he wrote 55 books of poetry, 18 novels and 55 other books. This story can serve as an apt metaphor for your destiny in the coming weeks and months. Some dream or situation or influence that you believed to be gone will in fact have a very long second life filled with interesting developments.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you’re like most of us, you harbor desires for experiences that might be gratifying in some ways but draining in others. If you’re like most of us, you may on occasion get attached to situations that are mildly interesting, but divert you from situations that could be amazingly interesting and enriching. The good news is that you are now in a phase when you have maximum power to wean yourself from these wasteful tendencies. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to identify your two or three most important and exciting longings—and take a sacred oath to devote yourself to them above all other wishes and hopes.
Rob Brezsny freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com
NEWS OF THE WEIRD OOPS An unnamed 33-year-old woman from Herminie, Pennsylvania, took an unconventional route home after a night out drinking on Feb. 16, according to City of Duquesne police. Driving a Mazda CX-5, the woman left a tavern and ended up in a rail yard near the Port Perry Railroad Bridge, a narrow span that carries one set of tracks over the Monongahela River. “The vehicle did quite well, considering it is not a locomotive,” noted police, and the driver traveled a significant distance along the bridge before getting stuck. WPXI reported she called 911 for help at about 2:40 a.m., and Norfolk Southern stopped all rail traffic while the car was removed from the tracks. Police arrested the driver for DUI. THE PASSING PARADE Three friends were wrapping up a night of dinner and drinking on Feb. 15 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when things got “a little out of control,” according to a police report. As the night wore on, Kasey Margaret Westraad, 24, became increasingly amorous toward a resistant female friend, the friend told police, eventually escalating to the point that a naked Westraad pursued the woman outside, punching her several times in the face. Myrtlebeachonline.com reported Westraad was charged with third-degree assault and battery, damage to property and resisting arrest. THE SMELL TEST Police in Speyer, Germany, gave chase after they were passed by a car driving at high speed with its lights off on Feb. 14. The suspect, a 26-year-old man, pulled over and ran from the car, leaving a trail of scent that was so distinct officers said they were able to follow it from the car to the man, who was hiding behind a hedge. “Due to the cloud of perfume that was detected inside the car and on the man,” police said, “it was possible to identify him as the driver,” the Associated Press reported. His breath didn’t smell so good, though: He was far over the alcohol limit. WAIT, WHAT? The woman who attempted to board an airplane with her emotional support peacock made headlines, but in Port St. Lucie, Florida, one man is questioning why his particular support item has been banned from the dialysis center where he takes treatments three times a week. Nelson Gibson first brought an eight-by-ten-inch photo of President Donald J. Trump to comfort him as he endured the 3 1/2-hour treatments, then
exchanged that for a small cardboard cutout of himself standing next to a Trump photo. When he next arrived with a life-size cutout of the president, no one complained, Gibson told WPBF, but on Feb. 11, “they told me it was too much and it wasn’t a rally.” “It just feels like bringing something from home to make you comfortable,” Gibson said, noting that others bring items, including one woman who pops bubble wrap during the entire treatment. “That’s very nervewracking,” he said. It’s unclear whether Gibson will return to the center for treatments. EXTREME MEASURES Tensions are running high in China, where the coronavirus has affected thousands of people and sparked instances of panic-buying. AFP reports that supermarkets have experienced runs on staples such as rice and pasta, but in Hong Kong, a gang of men wielding knives attacked a delivery driver in Mong Kok on Feb. 17, making off with hundreds of rolls of toilet paper worth about $130. Police said the missing rolls were recovered, and two suspects were arrested. Locals seemed baffled, with one woman telling a TV station, “I’d steal face masks, but not toilet roll.” ANNALS OF ENTITLEMENT Seloni Khetarpal, 36, threw a tantrum worthy of the terrible twos on Feb. 13 when she “repeatedly” called 911 to report that her parents had shut off her cellphone, according to court documents. Khetarpal demanded that officers respond to her home in Jackson Township, Ohio, and was warned that she should only call 911 for a legitimate emergency. Several hours later, News5 Cleveland reported, she called back, became “belligerent” and told the dispatcher she thought it was a legitimate issue. She was arrested and charged with disrupting public services. AWESOME! Hell, Michigan, is inviting 29 couples to “take the leap” and tie the knot in their fair city on Feb. 29, 2020 (Leap Day), all at no cost, MLive reported. Outside the tiny chapel there, at 2:29 p.m., Reverend Vonn will join the couples in a mass ceremony. “Imagine having only to remember your wedding anniversary every four years,” said the reverend. “There are some couples that are paying officiant and chapel fees to be married in the chapel at different time slots. It is going to be one Helluva Day.” weirdnewstips@amuniversal.com
FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 19
FOLIO WEED
YANKEE, GO HOME!
AMSTERDAM IS FINALLY SICK OF OUR SH*T
I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO AMSTERDAM, owing to a deathly fear of airplanes, but our esteemed editor Georgio Valentino is a frequent visitor, and he assures me this is big news. Indeed, recent developments in the Netherlands amount to a wholesale about-face on one of the fundamental aspects of the famously permissive country’s public brand—and these changes could have a butterfly effect on our own culture. For ages, long before the legalization of cannabis became a matter worthy of serious discussion, let alone something that could actually be implemented, libertarians and libertines in this country and many others looked to Amsterdam as an example of how our own societies could potentially evolve; in turn, the city became a mecca of sorts for those wishing to indulge in relative safety and security. Even if we knew nothing else about Amsterdam (and I certainly do not), everyone knew that weed was legal there. In fact, damn near everything was legal, or at least tolerated, from hard drugs to prostitution. Europe has always tended to skew liberal on drug policy, but Amsterdam went further than any other city in the world. Its red light district is famous for a refreshingly relaxed attitude toward freedom in all its sundry forms, and that reputation has attracted tourists from every corner of the earth like moths to a flame. You could go to a coffeeshop and smoke in public then do some literal window-shopping for ladies of the night (or day, as it were). As cannabis culture grew, well-heeled stoners gravitated there year-round, in particular for the legendary Cannabis Cup. Historical records show that marijuana has been legal there since at least 1927,
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with government enforcing some laws against it through the ‘70s. The first coffeeshops opened in 1975; that number grew to more than 1,500 within 20 years. Other drugs are essentially legal, as well, and that has made the city a major hub for international drug traffic. With a population of just 1.1 million, it has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing nearly 17 million people in 2018. But all of that is set to change, and soon. Femke Halsema, who’s been the city’s mayor since July 2018, recently announced plans to revamp the red light district, essentially banning cannabis among foreigners and choking foot traffic, effective April 1. Her plan has elicited pushback from business owners, tourgroup organizers, and the roughly 10,000 sex workers in the city (nearly 500 of whom work the windows of the red light district and all of whom will see their incomes curbed drastically if these changes come to pass). Theirs is very much a first-world problem: too many tourists. Studies suggest that these changes could potentially reduce their tourist trade by at least half. One hopes for a reasonable compromise, but the odds of that are slim. The good news, though, is that their loss could be our gain. With many major cities having gone all-in on the cannabiz, we are likely to see the Amsterdam model duplicated in places like Denver, Seattle and San Francisco. Hell, maybe some of them will come visit us now. Shelton Hull mail@folioweekly.com Subscribe to the Folio Weed Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters
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ANNUAL UNDIE RUN BENEFITS NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
Subsequent MRIs revealed a small brain RUNNING IN YOUR UNDERWEAR IN PUBLIC? tumor. A single neurofibroma adorns his For some, it sounds like a dream; for wrist. Slow development of motor skills others, it’s straight out of a nightmare; accompanied by learning disabilities, reading and for a select few, well, it’s just Friday comprehension and retention challenges, night. Now imagine running in your and years of speech therapy are common for “undies” with a large group of like-minded those with NF. When you are told and read individuals … just for fun. Imagine stories about living with NF, you can’t help that you and your newfound friends are but anticipate the worst outcomes. Connor running in your undies with purpose: to lives each day despite these challenges. He help others, to help family. You’re undiehas excelled! running to fight multiple tumors and the Now for the proverbial two-by-four: associated pain and challenges into which my “wake-up call.” My wife and I were people are born. You’re undie-running to never truly engaged with NF awareness, bring awareness to a devastatingly painful only keeping tabs on the few advances in and debilitating disorder. research. When Connor entered high school, That is my story. My name is Ken, and I received my wake-up call to get engaged. I I embraced my purpose eight years ago contacted the Children’s Tumor Foundation when a proverbial two-by-four struck me (CTF), the leading nonprofit whose sole upside my head. My purpose: to eradicate mission is to fund a cure for NF, and started neurofibromatosis. Classified as a genetic an NF walk in Jacksonville, a family-friendly disorder, neurofibromatosis, or simply NF, fundraiser. In 2014, I attended my first promotes tumor growth along nerve endings NF forum and was blown away following both inside and on the body. It knows no one of the most amazing, informative and demographic or geographic boundaries, personal experiences of my life. For the first and it affects one in every 3,000 births time, I met other families living the same worldwide. I fight to end NF because this is experiences as our family. personal. Our son was born with NF, and This was also the I will do whatever it time I was introduced takes to cure him. CUPID’S UNDIE RUN to Cupid’s Undie Run. Our son, Connor, Noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Kickbacks Gastropub, 910 King St., Riverside, CUR is the nation’s was diagnosed cupids.org, $40. largest pantless party with NF at 15 and one mile(ish) months. When you run. This will be our sit across from a fourth year in Northeast Florida. We run medical professional telling you that your in our undies, because those affected by young child has a disorder for which NF can’t cover up their tumors. They can’t there is no known cure, it will cause you put on clothes to feel more comfortable, to act. Connor’s pediatrician knew the outward signs of NF and alerted us to the so why should we? The CUR community pigmented spots on his skin: café au lait has raised more than $18.9 million since its spots (birthmarks). When there exist six inception in 2010, with 100 percent of net or more, the individual should be tested proceeds funding NF research through our for NF. Connor had 12. Thus began our partner, CTF. And we are seeing real results, family’s introduction to NF and the journey including groundbreaking clinical trials that would shape our lives forever. By the where 70 percent of participants experienced age of two, Connor had been examined by 20 to 50 percent tumor reduction. This is neurologists, ophthalmologists, oncologists real hope for our NF heroes. and radiologists—our new normal. MRIs We don’t know what the future holds for our NF hero, Connor, but we do know were scheduled every two months, and that we will not stop fighting until a cure is shortly after Connor’s second birthday, one found. Until that day, my family and I will revealed the development of three optic continue to run the streets in our undies! We pathway gliomas (tumors) rooted in his optic nerves. Tests confirmed they were benign, will do whatever it takes! Ken Linkous but their growth was aggressive. Radiation mail@folioweekly.com and surgery would bring blindness, so we __________________________________ chose a third option: chemotherapy. Connor went through a year of chemo to fight those Linkous is founder and co-director of known tumors, which stopped growing and Jacksonville’s Cupid’s Undie Run. have remained lifeless to this day. FOLIO WEEKLY welcomes Backpage submissions. They should be 1,200 words or fewer and on a topic of local interest and/or concern. Send your submissions to mail@folioweekly.com. Opinions expressed on the Backpage are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Folio Weekly. FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 23
