Folio Vol. 37, Issue 11

coLnetsiL a lly listen to K e eizn

11

Pride Guide Carson Rich

13

Podcast Picks

Su Ertekin-Taner

15

Juneteenth Events

Amiyah Golden

18

Darby’s Dungeon: Where Pints, Puzzles and Polyhedral

Shenanigans Collide

Carmen Macri

23

Once Upon A Time in Jacksonville

Ambar Ramirez

25

TV Reviews: ‘Succession’, ‘Barry’ and ‘Ted Lasso’

Harry Moore

29

Margaret Cho

Rob Nicholson

35

Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 Season Predictions Carson Rich

38

UF’s Alex Fudge and FAU’s Johnell Davis Declare for NBA Draft Carson Rich

51

Folio’s Survival Guide to Music Festival Season

Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri

54

From Heartache to High Notes: A Zach Bryan Concert Review

Carmen Macri

59

New Music Releases

Amiyah Golden

62

Listen Locally, Listen to Kenzie

Amiyah Golden

71

I Sea You (and Taste Too): AB Kitchen Su Ertekin-Taner

79

Fear Not the Fruit Bats

Shelton Hull

81

Florida’s Miraculous Spring Waters

Ted Hunt

AMIYAH GOLDEN Writer/Photographer

MATTHEW SCHNEIDER Sales

Behind the Cover: “Listen Locally, Listen to Kenzie”

Photo by Amiyah Golden

SHELTON HULL Writer

SU ERTEKIN-TANER Writer

CARSON RICH Writer

JACK POPOVICS Sales

TED HUNT Contributor

Everything old is new again

Just as Pharaoh ran the immigrant work force out of Egypt, in that case the soon to be Israelites, so to has Ron DeSanctis recently done the same here in Florida (SB 1718). Residents of what would become Alexandria and then Cairo certainly must have wondered if it was sensible to expend such lavish resources on the pyramids. Yes, those buildings could be seen at great distance but they were rarely used. Similarly, some of us who reside in Jacksonville, who will be asked to fork over a billion dollars for stadium upgrades, are wondering the same thing. Meanwhile, even those who favor said expenditures must be wondering how long the upgrades will take now that the immigrants have been forced to move on.

Eric M. Mongar Sr.

BOUQS & BRICKS BOUQUETS BRICKBATS

Tim Tebow for donating $5.5 million toward a new state of the art pediatric dental surgery center. The Lakeside Dental Surgery Center, being constructed on Philips Highway, will cater to those with special needs and patients from all backgrounds. His gift will help fill the dearth of pediatric dentistry in Jacksonville, which is currently a big issue, some even say “a crisis.”

Drivers with road rage. Yes, we are throwing a brickbat at those with road rage in writing, but our rant is much safer what some drivers are out there doing, including shooting into cars with children inside. If you find yourself becoming so agitated you constantly feel you need give other drivers the bird, lay on your horn, rev your engine (we’re so impressed), shout obscenities, wave a gun or even worse, you might want to consider talking to someone about your anger issues. No one is saying Jacksonville drivers can’t be frustrating as hell at times (looking at you, slow drivers in the left lane), but is it really worth rage levels just prove your point? A car is a deadly weapon, and aggravated battery is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Why not download an app for meditation and learn to chill out, people?

HOROSCOPES

ARIES

June brings a delightful whirlwind of opportunities your way, dear Aries. Brace yourself for a month filled with unexpected twists and turns. Remember, you’re a fire sign, so go ahead and set the world ablaze with your magnetic charm. Just be sure to channel your impulsive nature wisely.

LIBRA

Hello harmony and social energy, Libra. It’s time to embrace your natural diplomacy and find balance in your relationships. This month encourages you to connect with others on a deeper level. Seek compromise and understanding, as you navigate any conflicts that may arise. Remember to also prioritize self-care and set aside time for personal reflection.

SCORPIO

Summer is right around the corner, Taurus! But before you hop in a tube and make your way down the lazy river, there may be some obstacles blocking your sunny view with the presence of Mars and Venus in Leo. So put on your trusted sunnies and remember that at the end of the day, you are in charge of your destiny.

TAURUS GEMINI

Hold on to your twin hats, Gemini, because June is about to take you on a wild rollercoaster ride. Your wit and charm are in full swing, making you the life of every social gathering. (We all know how much you love that.) However, remember to pause the chatter every once in a while and give your restless mind a break.

CANCER

As we step into the month of June, the cosmic energy brings a mix of challenges and opportunities for you, Cancer. It would be wise to not make any major decisions in regard to your career. After all, it’s almost summer, and nobody really wants to be thinking about work whilst lying on the sandy beaches. Instead, set aside any free time you have for yoga and meditation; you’ll need it.

A wave of introspection and emotional depth is headed your way, Scorpio. It’s time to dive deep into the depths of your soul and explore the intricate labyrinth of your emotions. This month presents opportunities for self-discovery and healing. Take a closer look at your relationships and assess whether they align with your evolving needs and values.

LEO VIRGO

It’s time to focus on your personal growth and self-improvement. This month presents you with opportunities to take a step back from the limelight and reflect on your goals. It’s crucial to reassess your ambitions and make sure they align with your true passions and values. This may involve making some adjustments or reevaluating your priorities.

June presents you with a period of practicality and self-reflection, Virgo. It’s time to assess your goals and priorities, and ensure they align with your true desires. Take a step back and evaluate your routines and habits. Are they serving you well, or do they require some adjustments? This month encourages you to streamline your daily life, finding efficient ways to manage your time and energy.

What better month to start planning your summer vacations than June, Sagittarius. It’s time to set your sights on new horizons and embrace the spirit of exploration. Seek out new experiences that challenge your existing beliefs. Allow your curiosity to guide you toward exciting adventures and intellectual pursuits.

Capricorn, it is time for a period of steady progress and practicality. This June, your disciplined and hardworking nature will be in full swing. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and tackle the tasks at hand with your signature determination. While it may feel like a grind at times, remember to find a balance between work and relaxation.

SAGITTARIUS CAPRICORN AQUARIUS

This June your rebel spirit will be on full display. Break free from the chains of conformity and march to the beat of your own offbeat drum. It’s a month for innovation, social connections and expanding your horizons. Embrace your unique perspective and think outside the box. Your inventive ideas have the potential to create positive change and inspire those around you.

PISCES

It’s time to listen to your intuition and delve into your dreams and aspirations, Pisces. Take a step back from the busyness of life and allow yourself moments of solitude and introspection. This month encourages you to reconnect with your inner self and explore your creative side. Engage in artistic pursuits or indulge in activities that bring you joy and inspiration.

THE SPECKTATOR

Words by Kerry Speckman

hurrIcane seaSon hItS

June 1. Prepare yourselF for monThS oF weaTher alertS, more weaTher alertS, breakIng weaTher alertS, more breakIng weaTher alertS … and freSh memes oF JackSonvIlle treasure lane PiTtman (aka FlorIda man).

dn’t see Sir Tom JoneS aT the FlorIda TheaTre in may, ed one oF the besT shows oF the year. PerhapS being in such awe kepT the ladIeS from throwIng panTies on the S cusTomary aT a Tom JoneS concert excepT for one woman who tosSed a black pair begrudgIngly, iT seemed, and th terrible aIm. eiTher thaT or iT’s kInda weird throwIng undergarmenTs aT an 82-year-old man.

hearTs are breakIng all over the world aS globe-troTtIng conductor and JackSonvIlle Symphony musIc dIrecTor courTney lewiS iS oFf the markeT. lewiS recenTly proPoSed to personal traIner and nutriTion coach JeFf lewiS aT the top oF the eiFfel Tower no lesS. PourraIent-ils êTre pluS mIgnons? (mercI for the aSsIsT, google TranSlate.)

ouT and about: Jags head coach doug Pederson and gm TrenT baalke sPoTted aT cowford chophouSe havIng drinkS aT the rooFtop bar. Sorry, no phoTo evidence. use your imaginaTion.

nd the wInner for beSt T-ShIrT “label” goeS to … only in duval! In addItIon to oFferIng excellent lIfe advIce, the shirt iT’s aTtached to iS preTty sweet. now go supPort local busInesS and buy a shirt.

P R I D E GUIDE

JUNE 3

Triple D Drag Brunch

Tulua Bistro tuluabistro.com

JUNE 6

Pride Proclamation Reading at City Hall

Fernandina Beach City Hall facebook.com/fernandinabeachpride

JUNE 8

Jumbo Shrimp Pride Night 121 Financial Ballpark jaxrcpride.org

JUNE 9

Duval Folx Pride 2023 Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens Cummermuseum.org

JUNE 10

Rainbow Awards Jax WJCT Studios rainbowevents.org

Pride Parade & Festival Central Park, Fernandina Beach fernandinamainstreet.com

Triple D Drag Brunch

Tulua Bistro tuluabistro.com

JUNE 11 AND 18

The Art of Pride Tour Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens cummermuseum.org

Paint Nite: Rainbow Beach Chairs

Hamburger Mary’s paintnite.com

Pride Drag Brunch Disco Witch Brewing, Yulee discowitchbrewing.com

JUNE 17

St Augustine Pride Parade Downtown St. Augustine facebook.com/houseofprism

JUNE 23

10th Annual Stonewall Pride Event InCahoots Nightclub incahootsnightclub.com

JUNE 25

Big Gay Picnic Riverside North rainbowevents.org

Trek Jacksonville Lakeshore Pride Ride Baldwin Rail Trail eventbrite.com

ONGOING

Sunday Funday Drag Brunch

Hamburger Mary’s hamburgermarys.com

PODCAST PICKS

Words by Su Ertekin-Taner

The Short Box: A Comic Book Talk Show

A soft jazz, percussion and brass heavy instrumentation crescendos like a superhero’s theme — fitting, to say the least, with the content that will follow. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you The Short Box Podcast.” The chipper voices of Badr, Cesar, Ed, Ashley and Drew, the podcast presiders/ pontificators (whichever alliteration speaks to you more), soon replace this minute-long score. The Short Box, a weekly comic book and pop culture discussion podcast running since 2012, first pulsed green on the “Folio” radar in 2018 when it won Best Podcast in our annual Best of Readers Poll — for the first time. Since then, Folio and Short Box have both expanded their audiences with the Short Box remaining clearly in our line of view.

Cheers to you, Short Box — which, for the non-comic book fanatics, refers to a type of container designed to store comic books — for receiving a Folio Podcast Pearl. A toast to your insightful, informed, flowing, digestible and humorous discussions on new comic books, movie iterations of comics, the industry’s leading creators and the comic industry in general. A toast to entertaining interviews with the comic industry’s professionals and excited amateurs (artists, publishers, actors and content creators) that scratch the average comic fan’s informational itch and offer advice on comic creation and publication. A toast to your expanding fanbase and impressive marketing featuring fashionable merchandise and recurring Patreon plugs, which advertise exclusive, never-before-seen video content. Another toast to nearly 400 hour-long episodes. And a final toast to well-timed, applicable audio interjections that encourage viewers to *insert applause noise* right back at The Short Box team.

If our (imaginary) glasses were filled with champagne, we’d be blind drunk with all these toasts and certainly, we are (metaphorically) drunk on The Short Box podcast’s natural banter and researched discourse. The Short Box welcomes comic lovers and comic discoverers alike!

Learn more about The Short Box on its website (https://www.theshortboxpodcast.com/) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theshortboxjax/) and hear it on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Podcast Addict, SoundCloud, Pandora, Spotify, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, iHeart or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Straight Chilling: A Horror Podcast

“Folio” is straight chilling with the Straight Chilling Podcast. This weekly horror movie review podcast promises killer commentary on your favorite horror flicks from around the world (like “Ringu” and “The Happiness of the Katakuris”) and through the ages (like 1957’s “The Curse of Frankenstein” to films that debuted just weeks before). The podcast team — Rob, Andy, Justin and DJ Elzebub — promise to “kill, slice, dice and chop up” slashers and thrillers alike; in fact, the team has been chopping up conversation about their weekly victim-movies for nine years.

Perhaps the most bloodcurdling, yet strangely satisfying, aspect of the Straight Chilling Podcast is its ability to set the spooky scene. Their introductory and conclusory sound samples chock-full of glass breaking and evil laughter set the tone. The well-segmented, time-stamped and audio-cued sections on housekeeping, recommendations, spoiler warning and full reviews, as well as Cooter of the Week, highlighting the most manipulative character in the movie of the week, and Hotline Scream, featuring listener voicemails, make for an organized, accessible listening experience. Most exciting, especially for syntax lovers like me, is Straight Chilling’s homonym-filled vocabulary with words like “chilling,” meaning the act of relaxing, or the adjectives “horrifying” or “chop up,” meaning, literally, cut up and have a conversation.

Horror movie fans and genre newcomers feast on Straight Chilling’s body of work which always features cinematic discussion on a weekly movie’s plot, themes, score, actor performances and cinematography. The sometimes light-hearted, sometimes heavily analytic discussion will have you rolling in (evil) laughter and wanting to rewatch fan favorite horror films.

Overall, “Folio” loves Straight Chilling; hell, we’d bury a body for them. So, as the Straight Chilling team would say “All you motherf***kers, keep chilling,” and listen to the next fresh (movie) kill.

Find Straight Chilling on their website (https://www.instagram.com/ straightchillingpodcast/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ straightchillingpodcast/) and listen on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Podchaser, Rephonic, Deezer, RadioPublic, Patreon, Stitcher or OwlTail, among other

These days everybody has a podcast, so we did some deep diving into the local podcast scene and found these two pearls.

SAVOR SUMMER WITH FRAY

Join a JAX Fray social sports league to make friends, build community and have fun this summer.

Basketball

Bocce

Cornhole

Flag football

Hockey

Kickball

JUNETEENTH EVENTS

JUNE 10

Juneteenth Rodeo Jacksonville Equestrian Center blackrodeousa.com

JUNE 15

“Respect: Soul Music in the Civil Rights Movement”

Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

Black Founders Forum UNF–Adam Herbert University Center ps27foundation.org

Live Jazz Performance with Marcus Click Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

JUNE 16

“Celebration of African American Music: A Musical Journey” Florida Blue Center–St. Johns Town Center eventbrite.com

The Mahøgånëë Xperīence Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

“The Blackening” Screening AMC 24 Regency eventbrite.com

The Art District: A Streetwear Affair Jacksonville Fairgrounds facebook.com/theinfluencecrew

JUNE 17

5th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Walk Eighth & Davis juneteenthinjacksonville.com

Juneteenth Freedom Walk Parade MLK Foundation eventbrite.com

Juneteenth Father’s Day Family Cookout Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church juneteenthinjacksonville.com

Melanin Market Juneteeth Celebration 822 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. jaxmelaninmarket.com

Dom Flemons Live Waterworks, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

JUNE 18

Heritage Brunch ft. Longineu Parsons Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center lincolnvillemuseum.org

Gospel Juneteenth Celebration Daily’s Place dailysplace.com

Miss Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant Ritz Theatre and Museum juneteenthinjacksonville.com

Lincolnville Juneteenth Festival Corner Market, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

JUNE 19

Juneteenth Recognition Concert Cathedral Basilica, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

“100 Days of Hope, 2019” by Hope McMath

MONDAYS

• The Brix Taphouse (music bingo), 7 p.m.

• Donovan’s Irish Pub, St. Augustine, 7 p.m.

• Hurricane Grill & Wings–Atlantic Boulevard (music bingo), 7 p.m.

• Hurricane Grill & Wings–Julington Creek (music bingo), 7 p.m.

• Mellow Mushroom–Avondale, 7 p.m.

• Mellow Mushroom–Durbin Pavilion Drive, 7 p.m.

• Mellow Mushroom–Fleming Island, 7 p.m.

• Mellow Mushroom–River City/ Northside, 7 p.m.

• Mellow Mushroom–Tinseltown, 7 p.m.

• V Pizza–Fleming Island (music bingo), 7 p.m.

• Wall Street, 7 p.m.

• Treylor Park (pop culture trivia), 9 p.m.

TUESDAYS

• Mr. Chubby’s Wings–Fleming Island (music bingo), 6:30 p.m.

• The Back 40, 7 p.m.

• Bottlenose Brewing, 7 p.m.

• Dick’s Wings–Nocatee, 7 p.m.

• Dick’s Wings–San Pablo, 7 p.m.

• Harps American Grill, 7 p.m.

• Hoptinger–5 Points (music bingo), 7 p.m.

• Hurricane Grill & Wings–Atlantic Boulevard, 7 p.m.

• Hurricane Grill & Wings–Julington Creek, 7 p.m.

• Hurricane Grill & Wings–Neptune Beach, 7 p.m.

• Island Wing Company–Southside, 7 p.m.

• Jax Craft Beer, 7 p.m.

• Jerry’s Sports Grille, 7 p.m.

• Players Grille, 7 p.m.

• Raindogs, 7 p.m.

• Sahara Cafe, 7 p.m.

• Southern Grill, 7 p.m.

• Xtreme Wings Sports Bar and Grille, St. Johns, 7 p.m.

• Culhane’s Irish Pub–Southside, 7:30 p.m.

• Flask & Cannon / V Pizza (pop culture), 7:30 p.m.

• King Maker Brewing (Name That Tune), 7:30 p.m.

• Lynch’s Irish Pub (music bingo), 7:30 p.m.

• Time Out Sports Bar, 7:30 p.m.

• Surfer the Bar (pop culture trivia), 9:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAYS

• Mr. Chubby’s Wings–Ponte Vedra (music bingo), 6:30 p.m.

• V Pizza–Mandarin (pop culture), 6:30 p.m.

• The Beacon, St. Augustine, 7 p.m.

• Cruisers Grill, 7 p.m.

• Dick’s Wings–Mandarin, 7 p.m.

• Firefly Bay, 7 p.m.

• Ink Factory Brewing, 7 p.m.

• Island Wing Company–Southside Boulevard (music bingo), 7 p.m.

• Mellow Mushroom–Jacksonville Beach, 7 p.m.

• Scarlett O’ Hara’s, St. Augustine, 7 p.m.

• V Pizza–Fleming Island (pop culture trivia), 7 p.m.

• Veterans United Craft Brewery, 7 p.m.

• Dick’s Wings–Fleming Island, 7:30 p.m.

• Harps American Grill (pop culture), 7:30 p.m.

• Hoptinger–5 Points, 7:30 p.m.

• Hurricane Grill–Fleming Island, 7:30 p.m.

• King Maker Brewing, 7:30 p.m.

• Time Out Sports Grill, 7:30 p.m

• The Brix Taphouse (pop culture trivia), 8 p.m.

• Hamburger Mary’s (drag bingo, 21+), 8 p.m.

• Hoptinger–Jacksonville Beach, 9 p.m.

THURSDAYS

• Dick’s Wings–Atlantic Boulevard, 7 p.m.

• Kava and Company–San Marco (every other Thursday), 7 p.m.

• Mr. Chubby’s Wings–Ponte Vedra, 7 p.m.

• Whiskey Jax–Baymeadows, 7 p.m.

• Burrito Gallery–Brooklyn (’80s, ’90s & 2000s), 7:30 p.m.

• Flask & Cannon / V Pizza, 7:30 p.m.

• Dick’s Wings–St Augustine, 7:30 p.m.

• Hoptinger–Jax Beach (music bingo), 9 p.m.

SATURDAYS

• Hamburger Mary’s (HamBingo), 2 p.m.

• Dick’s Wings–Atlantic Boulevard, 7 p.m.

• Ink Factory Brewing (Name That Tune), 7 p.m.

SUNDAYS

• Ann O’Malley’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m. (first and third Sunday)

All games are general knowledge trivia unless otherwise noted.

Darby’s Dungeon: Where Pints, Puzzles, and Polyhedral Shenanigans Collide!

Words and photos by Carmen Macri

When my boyfriend called and asked if I wanted to go to Darby’s Dungeon with him, I was a little concerned. Not knowing anything about the place besides the name, my head went straight into the gutter (can you blame me?). But upon arrival, I was more than pleasantly surprised. No, It wasn’t a BDSM shop; it was better.

We were met with a welcoming troll, hundreds of board games and a bar — a Dungeons and Dragons-themed bar/coffee shop. (Not a full bar, but it gets the job done.) The tables are lined with fantasy maps with dragon and ogre heads mounted on the wall above.

Darby Montgomery, the proud owner and namesake of Darby’s Dungeon, was sick and tired of having no place (besides her own “dungeon”) for game nights, so, she decided to take matters into her own hands back in March 2019, boldly proclaiming, “F*** it, I’m making this happen!” And thus, her saga began.

“We would go to restaurants or bars, but they don’t want us sitting there for five hours. And the card shops around here were kind of gross,” Montgomery explained. “I just couldn’t get over the idea that, like, I could do this.” After the realization, Montgomery wasted no time springing into action. With a burning desire to unleash something truly outlandish upon the unsuspecting Jacksonville scene, she dove in headfirst. Unfortunately, the timing was not on her side. Montgomery was returning from a tradeshow in Nevada, carrying valuable inventory worth more than $5,000, when the entire country unexpectedly went into lockdown. Rather than spending more on contractors and painters, Montgomery gathered her closest companions and made it a DIY dungeon. With the shop serving as an ideal blank canvas, Montgomery and her team had the opportunity to transform her visions into reality. However, due to a limited budget in the initial stages, the outcome had a “raw” aesthetic.

“We painted it this horrible color, I absolutely hated it,” Montgomery explained. “Then we put this B.S. carpet down that came in eight-by-eight squares. We literally just duct taped them down. I just handed one of my friends my credit card and said, ‘Go to Home Depot and find something.’” Because of Montgomery’s consistent hosting of game nights at her residence, she managed to amass a considerable fan base. Consequently, when the time came for the grand opening, she already found herself surrounded by a dedicated clientele. There was no worry that Montgomery might struggle to bring in a crowd. Her loyal game partners and friends might have been more excited than she.

“I had been doing a bunch of events just getting the brand out there and doing a bunch on social media,” Montgomery said. “And so by the time I opened my doors, I had 1,400 followers. People felt like they were a part of this whole thing. Whenever it finally opened, they’re like, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve been waiting for this.’”

Throughout our brief interview, the bar became teeming with a bustling crowd. In fact, it was so packed that Montgomery and I had to find a new spot to chat, surrendering our tabletop to a duo of avid gamers in need. And according to Montgomery, that’s an average night. Especially on the weekend or Tuesday night — Ladies Night— when ladies get a dollar off drinks and no table fees while Montgomery and the rest of the dungeon have free rein to “yell at men for being the absolute worst.” (I mean, c’mon. Sign me up.)

Driven by her personal experience, Montgomery aspires to cultivate an inclusive environment where women feel genuinely embraced within this community. “Ladies Night is great for getting the ladies out and meeting new people that have similar interests,” Montgomery explained. “Going into ‘Cool Stuff Games’ [as a woman], seriously, like, you immediately feel like a pariah. It doesn’t work. If you’re a woman, you’re getting shit on”

On Wednesday nights, Darby’s Dungeon dedicates their evenings to RPG (Role Play Game) sessions. Montgomery also emphasized that this particular night is exceptionally welcoming to beginners, further fostering the inclusive and accommodating atmosphere (though, Montgomery does recommend reaching out to her personally or through the shop’s social pages to rent a table in advance because the advanced players might gobble up the newbies).

Fridays are Board Game Social nights which offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion. It’s an excellent occasion to forge new friendships and expand your social circle.

Darby’s Dungeon extends a warm invitation to anyone and everyone — with the only caveat being a simple request: “Don’t be an asshole.” So, if you’re in near Beach Boulevard and San Pablo Road and seeking a refreshingly different experience away from the ordinary Jacksonville haunts, check out Darby’s Dungeon. But be aware — there are three rules you must follow.

“No Jenga, no magic tricks and NO karaoke,” Montgomery says. “Jenga is jarring when it falls and startles me. Karaoke? No. Why the f*** would I do karaoke?”

THEATER / DANCE

THROUGH JUNE 4

“Jersey Boys”

Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com

“Little Miss Sunshine” Limelight Theatre, St. Augustine limelight-theatre.org

JUNE 8-18

“Grease the Musical” High School Edition

Amelia Musical Playhouse, Amelia Island ameliamusicalplayhouse.com

JUNE 8- JULY 23

“Beauty and the Beast” Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com

JUNE 9-27

The 5 & Dime presents “Clyde’s” The Florida Ballet Theatre the5anddime.org

JUNE 9-24

“Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery”

Amelia Community Theatre, Fernandina Beach ameliacommunitytheatre.org

“Mean Girls” (High School Version)

The Island Theater, Fleming Island theislandtheater.com

JUNE 9-25 “Pippin” Theatre Jacksonville theatrejax.com

“Little Shop of Horrors” Orange Park Community Theatre opct.info

JUNE 11

Amelia Island Dance Series: Havana Nights Sadler Ranch, Fernandina Beach crescendoamelia.com

JUNE 16-JULY 2

ABET presents “Burn This” Players by the Seat Theatre abetjax.com

JUNE 16-24

Apex Theatre presents “Beautiful: The Carole King Story” Flagler College–Lewis Auditorium apextheatrejax.com

JUNE 17

“One Woman Man: The Stage Play” Ritz Theatre & Museum ritzjacksonville.com

JUNE 18-22

“Mean Girls” (Junior Version)

The Island Theater, Fleming Island theislandtheater.com

JUNE 22-25

Apex Theatre presents Disney’s “Newsies” Flagler College–Lewis Auditorium apextheatrejax.com

JUNE 23

Story Slam: “No Class”

BABS’LAB at CoRK barbaracolaciello.com

JUNE 30-JULY 6

“Nunsense”

The Island Theater, Fleming Island theislandtheater.com

ONGOING

Fridays and Saturdays

Magician Bill Abbott at the Magic Hideway

Casa Monica Resort & Spa, St. Augustine magichideaway.com

Once Upon A Time In Jacksonville

Words and photos by Ambar Ramirez

Over a century ago, before films were made with sound and before Hollywood became analogous with cinema, Jacksonville was known as the “Winter Film Capital of the World.” From 1907 to 1917, our (you guessed it) winterless climate attracted 30 film studios and filmmakers from all over the world to settle down in the Bold City of the South and produce over 300 silent films.

But as with many valuable and delicate items, many of the films from that time were either lost or destroyed. Nevertheless, if there is one thing Jacksonville is renowned for, it is our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the history of our city.

On Old Arlington Road sits a large white wood-paneled building that at first seems like any other property — except it hasn’t been open to the public for 100 years, locking up Jacksonville’s film history along with it. The building in question? Norman Studios.

Before we talk about Norman Studios, though, we have to talk about the man behind it all, Richard E. Norman. Born in 1892 in Middleburg, Norman was just four years old when the first public screening of a motion picture took place in Paris. He and cinematography grew up together, side by side. As a teenager, he worked at theaters in Jacksonville, and once 1910 rolled around and his parents split, he moved to the Midwest. It was in Kansas City where Norman’s filmmaking career would truly begin.

“In about 1914-1915, he started making so-called ‘townie motion pictures,’ which were pictures made for a local audience with a set script,” said Barbara C. Wingo, vice president of the Norman Studios Board. “He would go into the town, make a deal with usually a theater owner, and they would make a film that would have as the stars of the film, people in the town. And the people in the town would certainly enjoy watching that in their local theater.”

It was through these “townies” that Norman began to make a name for himself. By the 1920s Norman would move back to Jacksonville and set up shop at the five-building Arlington property that originally belonged to Eagle Film City.

“This complex was built by Eagle Film Manufacturing Company, which was a group that came down in 1916 from Chicago for the express purpose of building a complete motion picture complex that would have everything in it so they wouldn’t have to send any more movies back to be developed [or] film back to be developed in New York,” Wingo shared. “They could do it right here. Everything would be in this one complex.”

Despite Norman’s films being silent, they spoke volumes and what really set him apart from the other 30 silent filmmakers in Jacksonville was his contribution to “race films.”

“Race films were films that started to be made in the early 1910s and were meant to counteract the very, very negative pictures of African-Americans

that were in the motion pictures, if they were even in them,” Wingo explained. “This was greatly exacerbated by ‘The Birth of a Nation,’ which, as you know, portrayed Blacks in incredibly negative terms. So there were several companies that grew up out of this effort to provide for this large Black audience of moviegoers, something that would be relevant to them, at least aspirational, in the case of Richard Norman.”

Considering this was around the mid-1920s, segregation, racism and discrimination were very much prominent. Norman took risks making these films and faced many censors. Nonetheless, he looked past all the restrictions and made many memorable films because of it. Some popular “race films” of his being the “The Flying Ace” and the “The Green Eyed Monster,” both of which showed Blacks in a positive light, as regular people who deserved the same rights as everyone else. (Talk about being ahead of his time!) Not only did Norman cast Black actors, but he also hired Black crew members, including assistant director, and notably, Steve “Peg” Reynolds (so named because he had a peg leg) who acted and did stunts in many of the films and even worked as a self-employed advertiser, often accompanying Norman on trips to promote the films.

Still, all good things must come to an end and when sound in films came along, so did the end Norman’s filmmaking career.

“He had invented something that was like the Vitaphone. It was sound on disc, but, of course, that was rapidly overtaken by sound on the film itself,” Wingo explained. “So he really got out of the business of feature-length films. Although he stayed in the movie distribution business, he and his wife owned two African-American theaters in Florida, one in Apopka and one in Winter Park.”

Even though Norman is no longer with us, his legacy lives on. Even more so now with the re-opening of Norman’s Studios, Jacksonville’s only surviving silent film complex. While the five-story structure is still in the works of being refurbished, the first floor is open to the public and has original movie posters, film canisters and even one of Norman’s many inventions, the camera phone.

When I visited the space for their sneak-peek preview, it was as if I had time-traveled to the 1920s. The magic that was made in that studio very much still exists within its walls. So if you are looking for something unique to do in Jacksonville, I suggest taking a trip down our city’s silent film memory lane.

While I’m at it, I’d also like to suggest to our city’s leaders replacing the Andrew Jackson statue with one of Richard Norman. His contributions to the city — and the world, really — are far more deserving of recognition than Old Hickory’s.

For more information on Richard E. Norman and Norman Studios, visit normanstudios.org.

TV REVIEWS: ‘SUCCESSION’, ‘BARRY’ AND ‘TED LASSO’

Words by Harry Moore

In an interesting turn of fate, or more likely in a bid to beat the deadline for Emmy eligibility, three of the most acclaimed and discussed series of recent years are making their final farewells and going off the air within the same week. Each show has been a stalwart of the streaming era and a flagship for their respective services, but they differ greatly in their aims and executions.

With “Succession,” power in modern capitalism is examined through a privileged and conniving family who sit at the head of a media empire, perpetually double-cross and squabble with one another to seize control of the multinational conservative news corporation Waystar Royco and also attempt to gain affection from their monstrous father. The Roy family, a set of thinly-veiled stand-ins for the Murdoch clan of media tyrants, is headed by the brutish patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) whose unwavering drive to dominate industry and steer the wheels of power in America has caused the underlings who surround him to both fawn and fear him — none more so than his emotionally stunted adult children. Since the beginning of the show the craven siblings, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan aka Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin), have spent the majority of their time and energy jockeying amongst each other for Logan’s affection and the keys to the family business in the inevitable succession of corporate power. While many audience members may be understandably turned off by watching a bunch of wealthy deplorables fighting over a hollow throne, the peerless performances from the ensemble somehow turn these self-serving, soulless husks into characters with depth who, against all odds, you find yourself routing for even as we see them verbally destroy anyone they cross paths with, casually upend people’s lives and even subvert democracy itself for their own means.

Cox has long been regarded as a consummate thespian, able to bring gravitas to any role he takes on, and the part of Logan Roy was supposed to be an emphatic exclamation point to his long and revered career — and it is a titanic, scenery-chewing performance. But the show’s success also speaks to the strength of Strong’s performance as Kendall, the seemingly most capable Roy sibling, who deals with an endless roster of inner demons. As Kendall, Strong has developed this equally loathsome and tragic character with a layered performance that stands with the likes of James Gandolfini and Bryan Cranston as one of the best leading roles in any series ever. And it truly is the entire ensemble giving revelatory, career-best performances, from recurring characters like J. Smith-Cameron’s veteran executive Gerri Kellman and Alexander Skarsgård’s maniacal tech billionaire Lukas Maatsen to scene-stealing supporting characters like the Disgusting Brothers themselves, Nicholas Braun’s Cousin Greg and Matthew Macfadyen’s Emmy-winning turn as Tom Wambsgans, the self-preserving husband of Shiv. But as good as the performances are, it is the writing that really puts “Succession” at the precipice of prestige television. Headed by Jesse Armstrong, a veteran of British television, the writers of “Succession” manage to seamlessly blend the drama of these broken people with some of the most acidicly funny lines of dialogue uttered on television. Through its time on the air, “Succession” has been peerless as a dramatic series and will leave a massive void in the television landscape.

The conclusion of “Succession” has been paired with the ending of another lauded series from HBO with Bill Hader’s sublime black comedy “Barry” air -

ing its fourth and final season. Much like its previous seasons, “Barry” managed to clear its endlessly raised bar as it hurtles toward its inevitable bombastic conclusion. For the final act of his hitman/Hollywood satire, Hader has gone full auteur, directing and co-writing every episode, and his labor has produced results for all to see. “Barry” is amongst the most cinematic works of television ever seen. Everything from the camera movements to the choices in blocking and framing and editing shows that this series is the work of someone with a deep knowledge of and affection for film and has put an endless number of hours of thought into what they would like to see on screen and then flawlessly executes that vision. Hader has revealed plans to turn to filmmaking once his series has ended, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will go on to be one of the most exciting and definitive directors of his generation. Even still, this gripping, deeply funny and often heartbreaking series will be greatly missed after the finale.

Then there is “Ted Lasso,” the feel-good underdog star of the pandemic. Upon its release in 2020, Jason Sudeikis’ fish-out-of-water sitcom about an eternally optimistic American football coach moving across the pond to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling London-based Premier League football club, was a much-needed breath of positive fresh air at a time we’d all like to forget. And that first season has all the hallmarks of a feel good, underdog sports comedy, often tickling a funny bone as it tugs on the heart strings. Then the second season avoided the sophomore slump even as the hugely expanded cast and the divergence into weightier themes threatened to derail the breezy show. But in its current third and, supposedly, final season Ted Lasso has wavered and struggled beneath the weight of its deep bench of charming ensemble players, who are largely given a supply of underdeveloped storylines with half-baked resolutions to work with. The developments in the season feel more concerned with sharing a perspective on a given social issue than on telling a cohesive story. Most egregiously, key moments in ongoing storylines happen off screen with little build up; such as the redemption arc of Nate (Nick Mohammed), Ted’s former assistant-turned-heel, where important moments in his return to the light occur between episodes, which is quite befuddling given that the episodes’ runtimes have doubled on average. It is almost as though the writers on “Ted Lasso” got a head start on the Writers Guild strike.

Having said that, “Ted Lasso” is far from terrible. Sudeikis is a ray of light on screen in a role that will likely define his career going forward, as are the rest of the cast, who have earned their expanded time in front of the camera — even if it is to the detriment of the show’s overall writing choices. It is hard to escape the feeling that if “Ted Lasso” were continuing for further adventures, then this could be viewed as an adequate, if underwhelming, season of a long- running sitcom. But as an ending to one of the more beloved dramedies in recent years, it is a disappointment.

comedy

JUNE 1

Brad Upton

Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

LaVilla Laughs Comedy Show Ritz Theatre & Museum ritzjacksonville.com

JUNE 2

Trey Kennedy Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

JUNE 2-3

Lynne Koplitz Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Show (adults only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

JUNE 6

Sam Jay

Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

JUNE 7

Improv Night

Colonial Oak Music Park, St. Augustine thecolonialoakmusicpark.com

JUNE 8

Comedy Night with River City Comedy Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

Hilliary Begley

Jackie Knight’s Comedy Club, St. Augustine jackieknightscomedyclub.com

JUNE 8-10

Jason Banks Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m. Full Disclosure (adults only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

JUNE 11

The IT Factor First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

Sammy Obeid Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

JUNE 14

Improv Night

Colonial Oak Music Park, St. Augustine thecolonialoakmusicpark.com

JUNE 16-17

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m. The Blue Show (adults only), 10 p.m.

First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

JUNE 16-18

Tommy Davidson Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

JUNE 18

The Jam Showcase

First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

JUNE 20

Jen Kober Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

JUNE 21

Doug Berky’s Gems: The World’s Wisdom Stories Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Improv Night

Colonial Oak Music Park, St. Augustine thecolonialoakmusicpark.com

JUNE 22

Dorian Gayle Jackie Knight’s Comedy Club, St. Augustine jackieknightscomedyclub.com

JUNE 22-24

TK Kirkland Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

JUNE 23-24

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Show (adults only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

JUNE 25

Margaret Cho: Live and LIVID!

Florida Theatre floridatheatrecom

10 WALLS

COMMUNITY DAY - EVERY 3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

MLK FOUNDATION

EXPRESSIONS WITH HENNY ART OF SPOKEN WORD - AHYNTE

TRAP FITNESS - HOSTED BY AJ

EXPRESSIONS WITH HENNY ART OF SPOKEN WORD - AHYNTE

TRAP YOGA - HOSTED BY TRACI

WATCH

Photo by Jen Rosenstein

ART

THE ART CENTER COOPERATIVE tacjacksonville.org

JENNA ALEXANDER STUDIO

• “Modern Summer” jenna-alexander.com

BUTTERFIELD GARAGE ART GALLERY butterfieldgarage.com

THE CORNER GALLERY AT THE JESSIE

• Ricder Ricardo: Transitory Permanance, through Aug. 2 facebook.com/movingthemargins (https://www. facebook.com/movingthemargins/)

CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS

• The Art of Pride Tour, June 11 and 18

• “Reflections: The Art of Well-Being,” through June 18

• “Flamboyance! A Topiary Menagerie,” through June 25

• “James McBey: Etchings,” through Oct. 29

• “Outside: In,” through Nov. 30

• Jacksonville’s Norman Studios, through Jan. 31, 2024 cummermuseum.org

FEMART GALLERY

• “Figure It Out,” through June 24 femartgallery.org

FIRST COAST CULTURAL CENTER firstcoastculturalcenter.org

GALLERY 725

• The Art of Chad Smith, virtual exhibition gallery725.com

GOVERNOR’S HOUSE CULTURAL CENTER AND MUSEUM, ST. AUGUSTINE

• “Freedom Is Not Free: Ax Handle Saturday,” virtual exhibition staugustine.ufl.edu

HASKELL GALLERY AT JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT jaxairportarts.com

HILLARY WHITAKER GALLERY hwhitakergallery.com

JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY

• ”Bill Davis: No Dark in Sight,” virtual exhibition

• “Kristin Skees: Close Knit,” virtual exhibition ju.edu/cfa

THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM

• “Contemporary Chronicles of St. Augustine,” through Sept. 30

• “75 for 75: Lightner Musuem Diamond Anniversary Exhibition,” ongoing

• “Illuminate: Lightner Museum’s Stained Glass Rediscovered,” ongoing

• “St. Augustine Through the Lens of William Henry Jackson,” ongoing lightnermuseum.org

MOCA JACKSONVILLE

• Project Atrium: ”Hiromi Moneyhun: Ghosts,” through Aug. 27

• “Print+: Sameness and Otherness in Contemporary Printmedia,” through Aug. 27

• ”Bo Bartlett: Earthly Matters” through Sept. 10

• “Contemporary Cartographies,” through Oct. 15 mocajacksonville.unf.edu

RITZ THEATRE & MUSEUM

• “10 Walls,” ongoing

• “Lift Ev’ry Voice,” permanent collection ritzjacksonville.com

ST. AUGUSTINE ART ASSOCIATION staaa.org

STELLERS GALLERY

• Works by Eileen Corse, Jim Draper, Fallon Pepper, C. Ford Riley, Alice Williams, MacTruque and Jeff Foxworthy (yes, that Jeff Foxworthy) stellersgallery.com

THE VAULT AT 330

• Featured artists include Susan Astleford, Margena Burnett, Ellen Diamond, Ed Hall, Dolf James, Harry McCormick and Denise Murphy thevaultat1930.com

YELLOW HOUSE

• “A Time to Beast: The Art of Traci Mims,” through TBD

• “Sit in Stand Up,” virtual exhibition

• “Still Not About a Hotdog and a Coke,” virtual exhibition

• “Magic, Mirth, and Mortality: Musings on Black Motherhood,” virtual exhibition yellowhouseart.org

ONGOING

Art Walk: June 7

Downtown Jacksonville lights up the first Wednesday of the month with art by local artists at hubs in James Weldon Johnson Park, The Jessie and Vagabond Flea at VyStar Tower from 5–9 p.m. Visitors can also enjoy live music, food trucks, street performers, free admission to MOCA and complimentary rides on JTA’s Skyway. dtjax.org

Fernandina Beach Arts Market: June 10 and 24

Amelia Island’s premier arts and crafts market comes alive the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. fernandinabeachartsmarket.com

Riverside Arts Market: June 3, 10, 17 and 24

Artists, artisans and makers display their original paintings, jewelry, photographs, prints and other handcrafted items every Saturday—rain or shine—from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Riverside Avenue underneath the canopy of the Fuller Warren Bridge. riversideartsmarket.com

St. Augustine First Friday Artwalk: June 2

On the first Friday of every month (hence the clever name), more than 30 galleries around the Oldest City open their doors from 5–9 p.m. for visitors to browse exhibits and interact with artists. A complimentary trolley service provides transportation between downtown venues. staaa.org

Vilano Beach Artisan Market: June 17

Part beach party, part arts market, this monthly event includes works by local artists and locally-made products, as well as live music. The market takes place on the third Saturday of every month from 4-8 p.m. on A1A and Vilano Road. facebook.com/vilanobeachofficial

JUNE 2-4

Raise The Woof Basketball Tournament Sports Edge thesportsedge.com

JUNE 3

United Elite Wrestling: Reloaded 8200 Cypress Plaza Drive, Ste. 202 facebook.com/unitetheelite

JUNE 6-11

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs. Nashville Sounds 121 Financial Ballpark milb.com/jacksonville

JUNE 10

WakeSurf Competition WW Motocross Park wakesurflaw.com

Jacksonville Sharks vs. Fayetteville Mustangs Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxsharks.com

Tyreek Hill Youth Football and Speed Camp University of North Florida thespeedacademysr.com/camps

JUNE 10-11

RiverCity Wrestling Con MMXXIII Jacksonville Fairgrounds rivercitywrestlingcon.com

JUNE 13-18

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs. Memphis Redbirds 121 Financial Ballpark milb.com/jacksonville

JUNE 14

Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Tallahassee SC UNF–Hodges Stadium jacksonvillearmada.com

JUNE 17

Jacksonville Armada FC U-23 vs. Florida Roots FC Hodges Stadium jacksonvillearmada.com

JUNE 24

UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Topuria Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com

JAX Olympic & Sprint Triathlon Riverfront Plaza drcsports.com

JUNE 26

Jacksonville Sharks vs. Carolina Cobras Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxsharks.com

JUNE 28

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs. Durham Bulls 121 Financial Ballpark milb.com/jacksonville

“A Range Day” photo submitted by Adam Johnson

Words by Carson Rich

WEEK 1: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (AWAY)

The Jaguars begin their journey on the road against a division rival. Their matchups last season brought great success for the Jags, as they were undefeated in two blowout wins. Rookie QB Anthony Richardson makes his debut in this game for the Colts, but Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence’s experience will shine during the opener.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 24-Colts 14

WEEK 2: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (HOME)

In the first home game of the season, the Jaguars face off against the defending Super Bowl champs. Their matchups last year ended with two heartbreaking losses, including one in the playoffs that ended their season. This may be a revenge game for Jacksonville, but Kansas City comes out with the win.

Prediction: L

Jaguars 17-Chiefs 28

WEEK 3: HOUSTON TEXANS (HOME)

Jacksonville welcomes yet another rookie QB — C.J. Stroud — and also a new head coach in this matchup. Both of these are large advantages for the amount of veterans stacked on the Jaguars defense. Coming off the tough loss to the Chiefs the week before should also provide the momentum they need to pull through before their trip to London.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 35-Texans 13

WEEK 4: ATLANTA FALCONS (LONDON)

The Jaguars have back-to-back international games this year in London, which brings an entirely new atmosphere to play in. This will also be a long-awaited reunion for both fanbases, as WR Calvin Ridley looks to confront his former team after a year-long gambling suspension that caused him to be traded to Jacksonville. Both teams are pretty evenly matched, but Atlanta finishes strong in the last minutes.

Prediction: L

Jaguars 24-Falcons 27

WEEK 5: BUFFALO BILLS (LONDON)

The Jaguars’ second game in London presents a dominant threat from the AFC. These two teams have not seen each other in two years, and both have made drastic improvements since then. Jacksonville has momentum coming into this, but QB Josh Allen and the Bills’ explosive offense will be enough to push them ahead.

Prediction: L

Jaguars 10-Bills 21

WEEK 6: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (HOME)

The second meeting in the AFC South should look a little different, since Indianapolis has had some time to adapt to their new additions. The final score will be a bit tighter, but LB Josh Allen and the Jags Defense will prevail in the end.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 13-Colts 7

WEEK 7: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (AWAY)

This week’s matchup brings the Jags back to the NFC South against the Saints, who have seemingly been going through a rebuild over the past few years. The addition of veteran QB Derek Carr will make a tough game for the Jags secondary under the Thursday night lights. It will be tight, but Jacksonville pulls it out late in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 14-Saints 10

WEEK 8: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (AWAY)

The Steelers defense has built up a group that could be a real force this season, but Jacksonville will have an answer. The combination of RB Travis Etienne and WR Calvin Ridley should enforce some speed for the team to cruise by for their third win in a row, a week before the bye.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 21-Steelers 7

WEEK 9: BYE WEEK

WEEK 10: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (HOME)

The refurbished 49ers are going to be intimidating for defenses around the NFL. The blockbuster trade that landed them superstar RB Christian McCaffrey and the elusiveness of LB Fred Warner will shake Jacksonville up on both sides of the ball. San Francisco blows through this game in a tough loss for the Jags.

Prediction: L

Jaguars 6-49ers 23

WEEK 11: TENNESSEE TITANS (HOME)

Tennessee’s unstable quarterback situation will come to light in this game, when QB Ryan Tannehill struggles against the fearsome Jaguars defensive line. Head Coach Mike Vrabel looks to be entering the team in a light rebuild these next couple of years, and it might show here.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 17-Titans 7

The NFL draft has concluded, and the schedules are out, so now it is time to predict how the Jacksonville home team will fare this upcoming season.

WEEK 12: HOUSTON TEXANS (AWAY)

In back-to-back division rivalry games, Jacksonville looks to build some momentum coming into their Monday night game with this one. Just as it happened earlier this season, it will most likely happen again since Houston lacks greatly in the wide receiver department and their defense needs improvement.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 21-Texans 3

WEEK 13: CINCINNATI BENGALS (HOME)

Jacksonville’s second primetime game of the season presents a matchup of two major offensive forces in the league. Both wide receiver cores should shine in this one, and it will end up being a shootout after halftime. Cincinnati pulls away at the end but not without a fight.

Prediction: L

Jaguars 28-Bengals 35

WEEK 14: CLEVELAND BROWNS (AWAY)

Cleveland has one of the best running backs in Nick Chubb and one of the best edge-rushers in Myles Garrett. This poses a problem for Jacksonville, as both their rush defense and their offensive line could use some work. QB Deshaun Watson’s controversy from last year will have settled down by this time, giving him enough to push them through in a tough road game for the Jaguars.

Prediction: L

Jaguars 7-Browns 17

WEEK 15: BALTIMORE RAVENS (HOME)

Facing former MVP QB Lamar Jackson after two straight losses is going to be a challenge for Jacksonville but not an impossibility. RB Travis Etienne should have a great game against Baltimore, and as long as their defense can contain Lamar Jackson, they should be in great shape to come out with a victory.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 14-Ravens 13

WEEK 16: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (AWAY)

After having some time to get used to the absence of former QB Tom Brady, this Tampa Bay offense should be fired up for this in-state matchup. Just hours away from Jacksonville, the fans in attendance should be pretty neutral, working in the Jaguars favor. In the end, Trevor Lawrence has a field day on the Bucs.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 27-Buccaneers 13

WEEK 17: CAROLINA PANTHERS (HOME)

In the penultimate round of the season, Carolina is still trying to workout some of the flaws in their game. After losing WR D.J. Moore, nobody stands out as a leader just yet, and rookie QB Bryce Young will have to prove to everyone that he has what it takes. I do not think it will happen this season, though, as the Jags take the win on their way to the final game.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 20-Panthers 7

WEEK 18: TENNESSEE TITANS (AWAY)

The closer to the 2023 regular season ends well for Jacksonville, as the second game between the two shouldn’t be too different from the first. RB Derrick Henry remains a threat to their defense, but the Titans’ quarterback weaknesses are still prominent. The Jaguars finish off strong, likely heading into the playoffs.

Prediction: W

Jaguars 24-Texans 14

OVERALL RECORD: 11-6

FAU’s Johnell Davis Declare for NBA Draft Carson

Words by Carson Rich

The 2023 NBA season is coming to a close, and with the draft date quickly approaching on June 22, many collegiate-level players are looking to make their mark on the professional level. UF’s Alex Fudge and FAU’s Johnell Davis are two stars that recently declared themselves eligible for this next step in their career.

Alex Fudge is a forward from the University of Florida, who has made a strong impression during his time in the NCAA. After transferring from LSU to Florida, Fudge goes into June as a serious contender for a pick in this year’s draft. As a 6’9” rim protector, he uses his size and reach to intimidate anyone who dares going into the paint. He had multiple double-doubles to add to his highlight reel, including a viral posterizer (aka dunk) during an in-state rivalry matchup that electrified the crowd.

Fudge’s sophomore year pointed out his versatility with the way he is able to go coast to coast, doing whatever it takes to work his team toward a win. Although neither team he was on had much success in the two seasons he played, he was still able to prove that he can perform at the highest level.

“It’s going to be those kids out there that just want your spot … but if you stay true to your game and you know what you can do and what you’re capable of, I mean, it shouldn’t be anything that could knock you off your path,” Fudge said in an interview with JT Micdup about the pressure of being a ranked player in college.

Johnell Davis is a guard from FAU that also declared in early April, and he has shown that he certainly has what it takes. Davis’ play style is fastpaced, and he can seamlessly get a bucket whenever he chooses. The way he attacks the rim with his wide wingspan and his ability to pull up from deep proves that he can be a threat from anywhere on the court.

Like Fudge, Davis also had a viral moment during his college career when he accidentally cursed on live television following his second round performance and immediately apologized for it. This was taken very lightly as he noticeably did not mean to, but the moment still managed to spread across social media soon after.

Throughout his career at FAU, he built up quite the resume that could land him a position in the NBA. In March 2023, the Owls were thriving in the NCAA tournament, eventually making it to the FInal Four, and Davis played a massive role in taking them there. He shined in the round of 32 putting up a historic triple-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds, which earned them a spot in the Sweet 16.

Over the years, Florida has been growing in popularity in the basketball world, and these two young men are next in line to represent at the highest level. Look out on June 22, when they will be waiting for their moment in history to walk across the stage at the NBA Draft.

Give a Toy. FeeL the Joy.

VirtuaL TOY & DONATION DRIVE Now untiL JuLy 25, 2023

Christmas in July is a month-long community-wide campaign to raise funds for activities, experiences and toys for Wolfson Children’s patients.

Every year, corporations, civic organizations, groups and individuals — like you — help bring some midyear holiday cheer to the kids who need it most.

You can make Christmas in July a little brighter when you visit ChristmasJuly.com and *virtually* fill Santa’s sleigh by making a donation or shopping our Amazon wish list will make a lasting impact on a child visiting Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

SUMMER STAYCATION GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ONE: JAX BEACHES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY &

• ONE OCEAN WEEKEND GETAWAY

• FOUR PACK GUIDED TOUR WITH ART BIKES JAX

• KAYAK AMELIA ADVENTURE

• JUMBO SHRIMP TICKETS

• $100 CASH - CUMMER MUSEUM

GIVEAWAY TWO: JAX BEACHES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

&

• THE SALT AIR INN & SUITES WEEKEND STAY

• BEACH LIFE RENTALS GIFT CERTIFICATE

• THE PIER ADMISSION

• $100 CASH - CUMMER MUSEUM

THREE: AMELIA ISLAND

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

&

• TWO-NIGHT STAY AT OCEAN COAST HOTEL AT THE BEACH

• LUXE PICNICS FOR TWO BY LES BOHO

• THE AMELIA RIVER CLUB GOLF FOURSOME

• TWO AMELIA RIVER CRUISE TICKETS TO CUMBERLAND

• PAM BELL BEACH PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION

• MOCAMA BREWING TOUR TASTING FOR TWO

• FOUR PACK GUIDED TOUR WITH ART BIKES JAX

• $100 CASH - CUMMER MUSEUM

• WEEKEND STAY AT THE LOCAL

• TWO TICKETS FOR BRUNCH SAILING EXPERIENCE WITH ST. AUGUSTINE SAILING

• TWO TICKETS TO MAGIC HIDEAWAY

• FOUR PACK GUIDED TOUR WITH ART BIKES JAX

• $100 CASH - CUMMER MUSEUM

HOPPY TRAILS TO YOU.

Jacksonville’s a hoppin’ destination for those looking to tap into a thriving, flavorful beer scene.

And with the Jax Ale Trail, it’s even easier to explore our brews.

No trailhead needed for this route. Just hop on the #JaxAleTrail with our Brewery Passport found at any of the 26 (and counting) participating breweries. Consider your passport a guide to the best local pints — and a key to free beer gear.

Jacksonville’s beer scene extends beyond craft breweries. Find out more about our beer-centric restaurants, bars and activities, then start sippin’!

Explore the Ale Trail with our Brewery Passport and plan your beer-venture by visiting jaxaletrail.com.

Folio’s Survival Guide to Music Festival Season

Words by Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri

Our days of long sleeves and pants are a distant memory as we welcome jean shorts, fringe tops, and tank tops with open arms.

As we readily anticipate the arrival of summer with its warm embrace and sun-kissed days, we can feel the excitement building as the highly-awaited music festival season draws near. The air is charged with eagerness as festival-goers prepare to immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere, pulsating rhythms and captivating performances that await them. Being that we are incredibly qualified to offer our advice, as we just returned from Rockville (and have a whopping combined 30 festivals under our belts), we think it is only fair to share our secrets to surviving music festivals.

First things first, (as you’ll quickly find out) you’re going to need sunscreen. Like a lot of it. Stepping out of our car into the sweltering sun, we wished we brought some. Even as we were walking into the festival, a poor, poor parking attendant was begging festival goers for sunscreen as she pointed at her lobster-red legs. You don’t want to be that person, and we don’t want you to be that person, so don’t be that person. Avoid the uncomfortable sunburn and awkward tanlines and bring a tub of SPF, as you’ll frequently be re-applying.

While on the topic of the sweltering sun, you must HYDRATE: You are not too good for water. Keep in mind, however, you cannot bring an already opened container of water into the festival; Either have it sealed or bring a hydration pack — most festivals offer free water refill stations … use them. You do not want to be in the middle of the crowd dying of thirst with an empty water bottle. Prepare, kids. Especially if you are attending a festival in Florida since we all know how brutal the summers can be here.

Not only will you need the water to stay alive, but you’re also gonna need it to save your liver from all the alcohol you will be consuming. And while we can’t officially condone sneaking in your own party favors, we will say that what is offered is a bit pricey. Do what you will with this information. (For beginners, you can use fake tampon applicators or empty sunscreen bottles … but you did not hear that from us.) Plus, if you decide to partake in some extracurricular activities, water will be your best friend. Just remember not to take “candy” from strangers: It’s none of our business what you do take; we just want you to be safe.)

Lastly, dress comfortably. That’s not to say you can’t dress up as if you were headed to Coachella (which, at this point, is its own fashion show), but just know that you’ll be walking around and on your feet for hours. No elaborate outfit is worth being stuck in the suffocating porta-potties attempting to pull those skin-tight pants back up over your sweaty legs.

In spite of the apparent hurdles, music festivals can be an absolute blast when executed effectively. Regardless of how sweaty, exhausted, malodorous, inebriated or elevated you may feel, it’s worth staying ’til the very end for the final performer. There’s a reason they were picked to conclude the festival, and you won’t be disappointed. (That and your friends won’t make fun of you for tapping out early.)

A ZACH BRYAN CONCERT REVIEW

Before delving into this review, I must confess that my unwavering love for Zach Bryan, who happens to be my all-time favorite artist, may introduce some bias. However, if we can set aside personal preferences and have faith in my impeccable taste, let’s proceed.

Acquiring tickets for this concert turned into a chaotic ordeal after Zach Bryan’s decision to boycott TicketMaster (and rightly so — down with the scalpers!). Instead of sky-high prices, ticket costs were capped at $150, but the process to obtain them became a lottery of chance. Only those randomly selected were deemed eligible. I, unfortunately, was not one of those lucky few. I was placed into an online waiting room and had to put all my cards on some unlucky schmuck bailing last minute. Regardless, I made it to the concert.

Trampled by Turtles took the stage as the opening act, and to no one’s surprise, they unleashed unparalleled domination. This group of six-string virtuosos crafted an electrifying atmosphere that left the audience in awe. And fortunately for the audience, Trampled by Turtles brought Bryan out for a little pre-show surprise and let him sing alongside them for their final two songs.

During the brief intermission between sets, the bars became flooded with last-minute drink refills (myself included) fortifying themselves for hours of relentless dancing and singing. After a seemingly endless stretch of time, though it was merely a fleeting handful of minutes, the lights gradually dimmed, and the crowd erupted. Bryan with the perfect cold open to any concert — “Open The Gate.” Never before have I witnessed a concert where the entire crowd was so intimately acquainted with every single lyric. Not a single beat was missed.

Midway through the concert, Bryan unleashed a bombshell on the crowd: It turns out that half of the cherished songs we all hold dear were crafted within the confines of Jacksonville. Bryan was stationed in Jacksonville during his time in the Navy back in 2019. One can only imagine the thunderous chorus of “DUUUVAL!” chants that ensued in response. (Of course, I participated.)

Occasionally, it can be frustrating when an artist takes a step back during the chorus of a song, letting the crowd take control. However, when Bryan did so, it was pure magic. Witnessing the entire stadium resoundingly echo the lyrics back to him was a jaw-dropping moment. One can only imagine the indescribable feeling it must evoke within him. That is something that sets Bryan’s concerts apart from the rest: He has a profound connection with the audience making small talk in between songs and reassuring the crowd how much he loves the city we’re in.

When the time came for Bryan to play “Heavy Eyes” (undoubtedly, my favorite song), I was pleasantly surprised I didn’t sink through the floor or receive any hushing remarks. My voice is gone, but that’s OK — it was worth it.

Each song on the setlist weaved a captivating tale, and Bryan proved himself to be an exceptional storyteller. The concert was a perfect blend of heartfelt melodies and songs that make me wish I grew up in Oklahoma line dancing.

The climax of the concert unquestionably stood out as the highlight. Like many concerts where the artist exits the stage, attempting to deceive the crowd into believing the night has concluded, only to have us collectively chant, “One more song! One more song!” Bryan added his unique touch to the experience. Emerging from backstage, Bryan, accompanied by his bandmates and the members of Trampled by Turtles, held a guitar in hand, strumming the enchanting melody of “Revival.” The majority of the crowd was well aware that he wouldn’t conclude the set without performing that particular song. However, they were unaware of Bryan’s plan to deliver a 15-minute rendition, intertwining it with heartfelt introductions and praises for his talented bandmates, all while in-between the chorus “We’re having an all-night revival…” — and indeed, that’s exactly what ensued. Not a single moment did the audience or Bryan himself waver. Throughout the entire song, the crowd remained on their feet, harmoniously joining in the singing.

My bias aside, a Zach Bryan concert is one that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Words and photos by Carmen Macri

CONCERTS

JUNE 1

Charlie Puth Daily’s Place dailysplace.com

Hymn for Her Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

JUNE 2

Fast Fashion: The Depeche Mode Mode Experience Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JP Soars & The Red Hots Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

JUNE 2 & 3

Kane Brown St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

“Revolution: The Music of The Beatles. A Symphonic Experience.”

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org

JUNE 3

Carole Mayedo Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

Chalooby Album Release Show Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Ultimate Floyd: A Tribute to Pink Floyd Underbelly underbellyjax.com

Undefined Tour: Inner Sanctum, Tricord, Crimson Overtone, The Citrus Trees Murray Hill Theatre murrayhilltheatre.com

JUNE 4

TLC & Shaggy: Hot Summer Nights with special guests En Vogue & Sean Kingston St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

Jazz at the Jacksonville Symphony Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org

AFTON Showcase 1904 Music Hall 1904musichall.com

JUNE 6

Them Dirty Roses Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 7

The Fellas Underbelly underbellyjax.com

Jameson Tank with Parks & Razz and Outer Edge Band

1904 Music Hall 1904musichall.com

Within Chaos/Squidmaker Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 7 & 8

Rebelution St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

JUNE 8

Subhumans Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Grass Is Dead Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

JUNE 9

Walker Hayes: Duck Buck Tour Daily’s Place dailysplace.com

Chalk Tiger Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Grass Is Dead and The Copper Tones Underbelly underbellyjax.com

JUNE 9-10

Conrad Tao Plays Prokofiev Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org

JUNE 10

Ritz Voices: The Gospel Truth Ritz Theatre & Museum ritzjacksonville.com

Quail Hollow Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 11

Logic: The College Park Tour Daily’s Place dailysplace.com

JUNE 12

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Spotlight Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

June 14

The Convalescence Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Walter Parks & Guy Davis: Songs of the American Story Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

JME Presents: Jared Matteson The Walrus thewalrusjax.com

June 15

My Morning Jacket with special guest Wilderado St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

The Music of Led Zeppelin with The Jacksonville Rock Symphony Orchestra Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Halocene Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Marcus Click Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

JUNE 16

Nardo Wick and Lil Poppa Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Flipturn with special guest Trash Panda Intuition Bier Hall intuitionaleworks.com

Swamptooth Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

King Peach Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

The Mahøgånëë Xperīence Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, St. Augustine lincolnvillemuseum.org

Big Murph Sadler Ranch, Fernandina Beach sadlerranch.com

JUNE 17

R&B Music Experience 2023 VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com

Dayna Stephens Quartet Friday Musicale fridaymusicale.com

Deaf Orca Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Flipturn with Teal Peel Intuition Bier Hall intuitionaleworks.com

Freebird: Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Underbelly underbellyjax.com

Gamble Rogers Concert Series: Dom Flemons with Bad Dog Mama The Waterworks, St. Augustine gamblerogersfest.org

JUNE 18

Jazz Discovery Series: Dayna Stephens Quartet James Weldon Johnson Park jamesweldonjohnsonpark.org

Triathalon

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 19

Juneteenth Celebration Cathedral Basilica, St. Augustine staugustinemusicfestival.com

JUNE 20

NASCAR Aloe Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 22

Tedeschi Trucks Band Summer Tour 2023 Daily’s Place dailysplace.com

Zach Bartholomew Trio Friday Musicale–L’Engle Hall fridaymusicale.com

JUNE 23

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Labrada Band Murray Hill Theatre murrayhilltheatre.com

Mad Caddies with The Supervillains Underbelly underbellyjax.com

JUNE 23-25

St. Augustine Music Festival Cathedral Basilica, St. Augustine staugustinemusicfestival.com

JUNE 24

An Intimate Evening with Jagged Edge, Dru Hill and Ginuwine

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxevents.com

Jeremy’s Ten: A Pearl Jam Tribute Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MOLD!

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 25

Straight No Chaser with special guest Ambrosia St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

JUNE 26

Tatiana Eva-Marie & The Avalon Jazz Band Cafe Eleven originalcafe11.com

JUNE 27

Bilmuri

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 28

An Evening with Peter Frampton St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

Dirty Rotten Imbeciles 40th Anniversary Tour Underbelly underbellyjax.com

Davy Knowles Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

JUNE 29

Parker McCollum with special guest Larry Fleet St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

Foolish Relics, Jahmen, Dakar & more 1904 Music Hall 1904musichall.com

Jazz Discovery Series: Lexi Hamner Quartet Friday Musicale fridaymusicale.com

JUNE 30

Southern Soul Summer Jam Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxevents.com

Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns Live Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Shaw Davis & The Black Ties with Street Preacher 1904 Music Hall 1904musichall.com

Twin Sun/Rohna

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

JUNE 30-JULY 2

St. Augustine Music Festival Cathedral Basilica, St. Augustine staugustinemusicfestival.com

JME PRESENTS

“Gossamer”

Passion Pit

NEW MUSIC RELEASES

The Massachusetts-based indie band, who have gifted us with hits like “Sleepyhead” and “The Reeling,” release an expanded digital version of their sophomore album, “Gossamer.”

JUNE 9

“But Here We Are”

Foo Fighters

“Bunny”

Beach Fossils

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced the release of their new project, “But Here We Are,” a “brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters have endured over the last year.” This will be the band’s first project since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

As with the band’s previous albums, expect a melodic, mellow undertone with a strong emphasis on the guitar. Fans whisper about the theme of their seventh studio album “Bunny.”

JUNE 16

“Another Life”

Big Time Rush

This one may reel in some nostalgia for Nickelodeon fans. Pop group Big Time Rush releases its fourth studio album, “Another Life,” the group’s first album under their independent label.

“Heaven is a Junkyard”

Youth Lagoon

“Heaven is a Junkyard” comes out after seven years of silence from Youth Lagoon’s Trevor Powers. Powers’ has already released three songs off of the anticipated album with “The Sling” and “Idaho Alien” having a dark but dulcet undertone, and “Prizefighter” having a slight pop accompaniment. Epic lyricism is to be presumed.

“Living in a Haze”

Milky Chance

With summer classics like “Stunner” and “Stolen Dance,” the German band has decided to grace us with their new album, “Living in a Haze.” The early release of the title track predicts an upbeat album perfect for a Florida summer.

“Is It?”

Ben Howard

Fans may be in for something a bit different from Howard. With the influence of electronic beats, “Is It?” shifts from his usual neo-folk sound with plenty of variety. Born out of a serious health scare for Howard, the new release is being descried as a “sonically splintered album… [capturing] Howard working through the moments of seismic shift.”

“In Times New Roman”

Queens of the Stone Age

“Grudges”

Kiana Ledé

The Washington natives known for hits such as “Go with the Flow” and “Mosquito Song” have announced their new album, “In Times New Roman.” The release of their single “Emotion Sickness” continues to highlight their classic rock sound, which will be nice to hear in 2023. This is the band’s first album in five years.

Ledé’s sophomore album, “Grudges,” comes three years after her debut album, “KIKI,” which was met with optimistic reviews. “Grudges” will feature another collab with Grammy winner Ella Mai. The R&B singer’s previous hits such as “Ex” and “Wicked Games” and the release of the title point to a potentially sultry soulful record.

“Chemistry”

Kelly Clarkson

The singer-turned-talk-show-host’s 10th studio album, “Chemistry,” is being dubbed her “post-breakup album” after divorcing music producer Brandon Blackstock. The release of her single, “me and mine” from the album, showcases Clarkson’s vulnerable lyricism with soulful vocals.

BORN IN A BARN

Words and interview by Rob Nicholson

From Macclenny to Hollywood: Dylan Gerard has ‘The Voice’

Macclenny’s own Dylan Gerard is “always trying to write his next favorite song.” Drawing on inspiration from artists like Otis Redding, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, and bands including The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, creating a mix between country and rock and Americana. His first single, “Simple Things,” was very well received in Nashville and reached No. 37 on the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart. Gerard followed that song up with his newest single, released last month, “Young Again.”

It’s no surprise to people who know Gerard that he is a songwriter due to his family. Both of his parents were performers in their younger days. Also, growing up in Macclenny didn’t hurt when it came to enjoying country music.

If you like watching NBC’s “The Voice,” you may already be familiar with Gerard. The singer songwriter appeared on Season 13 and says that he is thankful for the relationships he built while on the show, as well as the advice he received from both Kelly Clarkson and his coach, Adam Levine. He will always remember his blind audition on the show when his nerves were

instantly calmed after two coaches turned their chairs. In addition to his time on “The Voice,” Dylan has many other memories that influenced and motivated his music career. One is singing to his sister while she was in a coma. He was moved by the healing power that music had in his sister’s medical recovery, and this incident propelled him to pursue his career in music.

Today, Dylan resides in Riverside and travels back and forth to Nashville working with his record label SSM Nashville. Dylan stopped by the Folio HQ to play live acoustic versions of “Simple and “Young Again” and debuted a brand new single, “Big World Smaller.” We also talked about how things are blowing up with his career and where his future is going. Learn more about Gerard at dylangerard.com

LISTE N LOCALLY

LISTEN TO KENZIE

Words and photos by Amiyah Golden

College student by day.

Makeup artist and hairstylist on occasion.

Talented artist 24/7.

Mackenzie Connoway, preferably known as Kenzie of Kenzie’s Place is a true example of a girl boss, who just so happens to make soulful ballads in her limited free time.

The Jacksonville native recognized she liked performing after a solo chorus audition in middle school during Ms. Azelton’s class. This catalyzed Kenzie into the possibility of being a singer. But, 2019 was when Kenzie realized this was her dream.

“I felt like my world was kind of crumbling and I felt like I had no control over anything in my life. Everyone was telling me to find something realistic to do career-wise and that’s why I always fell back on doing what I love to do,” Kenzie said. “... and then I realized…don’t listen to them and just do it anyway.”

With this revelation, Kenzie’s first album, “Kenzie’s Place” was born. The 12-track album exudes neo-soul influence with the added flare of her unique enchanting vocals. With “11:11” being my favorite song off of the album (as well as one of Kenzie’s) - each song shines a light on the place Kenzie created for herself as well as her fans. Kenzie’s Place is more than a self-titled album but also a metaphor for a space of freedom.

“Kenzie’s Place is something I can control, this is my place. Whatever I say goes,” Kenzie said. “To create a place of vulnerability for not only myself but for my listeners.”

Heartbreak is also noted as a big inspiration for the release of her debut album,

“[I was] putting that pain into something”

While R&B is her expertise, Kenzie plans to break through into other genres. Stating the desire to write a country song and having a few unreleased alternative records (which I have heard and they rock - literally.) With talent that knows no bounds, Kenzie is working overtime to become a household name but maybe not in the way you imagine.

“I don’t want to be a mainstream artist. I want to stay underground because I feel like you cherish those artists more for being who they are,” Kenzie said.”I don’t want to have to do too much to be recognized as an artist. I want to be an artist that is cherished.”

As Kenzie continues to emerge into the Jacksonville art scene and beyond, she has recently announced the dates for her first tour with fellow Jacksonville rapper, Kale.

The pair met at an event last November, with Kenzie singing background vocals for a show Kale was headlining. The two were met with considerate praise after the performance, prompting the two to work together, leading to their current self-titled tour.

The two have five shows coming up in Jacksonville for June, with the opportunity to open for Grammy nominated artist and producer, Toro y Moi at The Walrus, on June 14.

To check out their additional shows and music you can find them on their respective social media/streaming platforms listed below.

Kenzie

Instagram: @kenzieesplace

Spotify: Kenzie

Kale

Instagram: @kalethatraps

Spotify: KALE THAT RAPS

Kenzie emphasizes the wish to be known for her artistry. Alluding to notable artists such as Erykah Badu and Cleo Sol.

PLUS FREE LOCAL PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER!

BITE BY BITE

Cliff’s Bar & Grill cliffsbarandgrill.com

La Palmerita orderlapalmerita.com

Rice + Noodles Korean Restaurant riceandnoodles.net

Anejo anejococinamexicana.com

Angie’s Subs facebook.com/angiessubs

Aqua Grill aquagrill.net

Azurea at One Ocean azurearestaurant.com

Barbara Jean’s on the Water barbarajeansonthewater.com

Caffe Andiamo caffeandiamo.com

Cantina Louie cantinalouie.com

Coop 303 coop303.com

Engine 15 Brewing Company engine15.com

The Fish Company Restaurant and Oyster Bar thefishcojax.com

Flying Iguana Taqueria & Tequila Bar flyingiguana.com

The G.O.A.T. Tapas & Bar thegoatjax.com

Hawkers eathawkers.com

JJ’s Liberty Bistro jjbistro.com/ponte-vedra

BEACHES

Kamiya 86 kamiya86fl.com

Marker 32 marker32.com

Seven Wonders Restaurant 7wondersbakery.com

Tabouleh Cafe taboulehcafe.com

Mezzaluna mezzalunajax.com

Mojo Kitchen mojobbq.com/mojo-kitchen Nona Blue Modern Tavern nonablue.com

North Beach Fish Camp thenorthbeachfishcamp.com

Palm Valley Fish Camp palmvalleyfishcamp.com

Poe’s Tavern poestavern.com

Ragtime Tavern ragtimetavern.com

Safe Harbor Seafood Market and Restaurant safeharbor-seafood.com

Salt Life Food Shack saltlifefoodshack.com

Singleton’s Seafood Shack singletonsseafood.com

Sliders Oyster Bar slidersoysterbar.com

Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com

TacoLu tacolu.com

Two Dudes Seafood Restaurant twodudesrestaurant.com

Valley Smoke BBQ valleysmoke.com

MURRAY HILL

Bellweather bellwetherjax.com

The Bread and Board thebreadandboard.com

Burrito Gallery burritogallery.com

Cowford Chophouse cowfordchophouse.com

De Real Ting Cafe facebook.com/derealtingcafe

Estrella Cocina estrellajax.com

The Happy Grilled Cheese thehappygrilledchees.wixsite.com/grilledcheese

Indochine indochinejax.com

Juliette’s Bistro at Marriott Jacksonville Downtown marriott.com

Ocean Street Tacos oceanstreettacos.com

On The Fly Sandwiches & Stuff (food truck) ontheflyjax.com

Sweet Pete’s sweetpetescandy.com

Spliff’s Gastropub spliffsgastropub.com

Berndt Ends BBQ facebook.com/berndtendsbbq

Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro bluebamboojacksonville.com

ChopHouse Thirteen chophouse13.com

Julington Creek Fish Camp julingtoncreekfishcamp.com

Kazu Japanese Restaurant kazujapaneserestaurant.com

Le Petit Paris French Cafe lepetitparisjax.com

Masala Indian Cuisine jaxmasala.com

One Night Taco Stand onenightjax.com

Picasso’s Pizzeria jaxpicassos.wixsite.com/jaxpicassos

Umami Japanese Curry & Ramen umamijax.com

Wicked Barley Brewing Company wickedbarley.com

Buchner’s Bierhall buchnersbierhalle.com

The Dreamette dreametteicecream.com

El Jefe Tex Mex eljefejax.com

Fired Up Pizza woodfireduppizza.com

Maple Street Biscuit Company maplestreetbiscuits.com/murray-hill

Moon River Pizza moonriverpizza.net

Murray Hillbilly murrayhillbilly.com

Vagabond Coffee Co. vagabondcoffee.com

&

Green Papaya Pan Asian Cuisine greenpapayaus.com

Junior’s Seafood Restaurant juniorsseafoodrestaurant.com/north-jacksonville

Joseph’s Pizza josephspizza.com/northside-full-menu

Masala Mantra masalamantrajax.com

Ship 2 Shore Seafood & Steak ship2shoreseafood.com

13 Gypsies 13gypsies.com

904 Tacos facebook.com/904tacosfivepoints

Ale Pie House alepiehousefl.com

Arepa Please arepaplease.com

Black Sheep blacksheep5points.com

Biggie’s Pizza biggiespizzajax.com

Biscottis biscottis.net

Blue Orchid blueorchidthai.com

Bold Bean boldbeancoffee.com

Brew Five Points brewfivepoints.co

Corner Taco cornertaco.com

Cuisine 76 & Bar cuisine76andbar.com

European Street Cafe europeanstreet.com

The Fox Restaurant facebook.com/thefoxrestaurant

Hawkers eathawkers.com

Homespun Kitchen homespunkitchen.com

Iguana on Park iguanaonpark.com

Jazzy’s Restaurant & Lounge jazzysrestaurant.net

Josephine josephineavondale.com

MOJO No. 4 Urban BBQ & Whiskey Bar mojobbq.com/mojo-no-4

The Mossfire Grill mossfire.com

Nacho Taco nachotaco.net

Pizza Cave facebook.com/pizzacave5pts

Restaurant Orsay restaurantorsay.com

River & Post riverandpostjax.com

Sake House sakehousejax.com

Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com

Sushi Cafe sushicafejax.com

Sweet Theory Baking Company sweettheorybakingco.com

Taqueria Cinco taqueria5points.com

SAN MARCO

Bar Molino barmolino.com

bb’s bbsrestaurant.com

The Bearded Pig thebeardedpigbbq.com

Bistro AIX Restaurant and Lounge bistrox.com

European Street Cafe europeanstreet.com

Flavors of Thai flavors-of-thai.business.site

Fuji Sushi jacksonvillefujisushi.com

The Local thelocaljax.com

SPRINGFIELD

1748 Bakehouse 1748bakehouse.com

Crispy’s Springfield Gallery facebook.com/CrispysSpringfieldGallery

The Dreamette dreametteicecream.com

The District thedistrictspr.com

III Forks 3forks.com/location/jacksonville

SOUTHSIDE

Catullo’s Italian catullos.hrpos.heartland.us/menu

Culhane’s Irish Pub culhanesirishpub.com

The French Pantry thefrenchpantryfl.com

WESTSIDE

The Juicy Crab thejuicycrabjax.com

The Fox Restaurant facebook.com/thefoxrestaurant

The Potter’s House Soul Food and Bistro thesoulfoodbistro.com

Matthew’s Restaurant matthewsrestaurant.com

The Metro Diner metrodiner.com

The Olive Tree Mediterranean Grille theolivetreemediterraneangrille.com

Peterbrooke peterbrooke.com/pages/san-marco

Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com

Taverna taverna.restaurant

Town Hall townhalljax.com

V Pizza vpizza.com

Hola Mexican Restaurant holajax.com

Strings Sport Brewery stringssportsbrewery.com

Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar meetatsilkies.com

Waafa and Mike’s Cafe facebook.com/waafaandmikes

Prati Italia pratiitalia.com

Mr. Potato Spread mrpotatospread.com

Midtown Table midtowntable.medurebrothers.com

Taste of Thai tasteofthaijax.com

Puerto Plata Restaurant puertoplatarestaurant.com

Sushi Bear sushibearjax.com

Trent’s Seafood jltrents.com

Photo by Nick Groshell

I Sea You (and Taste Too): AB Kitchen

Words by Su Ertekin-Taner

I was certainly feeling like an Anton Ego (the food critic in the movie Ratatouille, for those that don’t recognize the character by name) when I walked into Neptune Beach’s AB Kitchen this afternoon, especially after the publication of my last food review. I laid my careful gaze on every corner of the very recently opened (circa December 2022) restaurant. AB Kitchen’s atmosphere and dining experience satisfied not only my attentive eyes, but also my eager taste buds.

For the visual readers and the visual eaters: Located just a couple hundred steps from the beaches, AB Kitchen embraces the beach atmosphere and I mean really tightly clutches it like a pet owner might clutch their pet after a long work day away from home; it’s as if the exterior beach aura wafted into the building and imposed itself on the interior design. The large artworks of beach scenes scattered throughout the venue, the lone surfboard on the entrance wall, the wicker light fixtures that imitate beach chairs, the sailor’s rope wrapped around a supporting beam all capitalize off of the restaurant’s location.

Yet, the layout and the colors of AB Kitchen more completely capture the ocean’s ambience. The open concept design mimics the free, expansive ocean, the white ceilings and wall mirrors further open up the space, the navy blue hue of the booths and mosaic tiles found throughout the venue reflects the ocean’s color back to its viewers and the ecru-sandy walls call back to just that, sand. Of course, the outdoor seating with a convenient view of palm trees and the sometimes-glaring-sometimes-mild Florida sun also adds to the beachy bohemian atmosphere.

Not to mention AB Kitchen bears the mark of a young restaurant: its characteristic cleanliness and simplicity. This quality makes AB Kitchen’s interior easily visually digestible (pun intended) and appealing, gives the feel that the restaurant isn’t cramped even when it might be crowded and implies that every art piece and color has a purpose.

For the taste-dominated consumers: The thematic unity between the restaurant and the nearby ocean continues with AB Kitchen’s cuisine. The restaurant brings the ocean’s flavors to the table, literally: wild caught shrimp, yellowfin tuna, octopus, snow crab, seared scallop, salmon and the like grace the pages of the lunch and dinner menu and at a reasonable price no less.

But AB Kitchen broadens its flavor profile and indeed pioneers profiles, if I dare become so alliterative, creating a carefully curated upscale but relatively inexpensive menu (except for certain seafood items).

For this particular lunch, I tried the wild mushroom flatbread, a dish which marries roasted mushrooms with caramelized onions, goat cheese, arugula and balsamic vinegar. I also tried a bit of the $9 AB Chopped, a featured salad that mixes spinach, apples, dried cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese in a rosemary bacon vinaigrette and in doing so, gives a zesty flair to a basic spinach salad.

The roasted beet and burrata appetizer–which continues our theme of alliteration–the honey thyme roasted carrots and the feta chicken meatballs are also noteworthy meals. These dishes and all of AB Kitchen’s dishes are fashioned in thought-out proportions: each menu item–even the appetizers–is filling and could stand on its own. Overall, AB Kitchen dabbles in many flavors and yet, its menu remains cohesive in its focus on innovation and healthy, honest, hearty foods.

Irrefutably, AB Kitchen has established itself as a place of culinary excellence in its first five months of operation. Its timeless and youthful beach-inspired decor and inventive flavors make for a visual and gustatory heaven. Of course, I could praise AB Kitchen’s setting and menu more but I’m sure, dear readers, your mouths are already watering and your pupils are already dilating. In dining at AB Kitchen, you would join a steady stream of customers, some willing to wait in long lines to taste AB’s cuisine, whose presence speaks louder than any one review can.

ARLINGTON

Cliff’s Bar and Grill cliffsbarandgrill.com

BEACHES/PONTE VEDRA

Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

The Brix Taphouse jacksonvillebeachbar.com

Culhane’s culhanesirishpub.com

Flask & Cannon facebook.com/flaskandcannon

Fly’s Tie Irish Pub facebook.com/Flystieirishpub

Green Room Brewing greenroombrewing.com

Grey Matter Distillery Greymatterdistillery.com

Gusto Gustojax.com

Hoptinger Bier Garden + Sausage House hoptinger.com

Ink Factory Brewing inkfactorybrewing.com

Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com

Julep Palm Valley facebook.com/JulepPalmValley

Lemon Bar & Grille Lemonbarjax.com

Lynch’s Irish Pub lynchsirishpub.com

Mango’s mangosjaxbeach.com

Mavi’s Waterfront Bar & Grill mavijax.com

Monkey’s Uncle Tavern monkeysuncletavern.com

Palm Valley Outdoors Bar and Grill palmvalleyoutdoors.com

Penthouse Lounge at Casa Marina Hotel casamarinahotel.com/penthouse-lounge

Ragtime Tavern ragtimetavern.com

Refinery Jax Beach refineryjaxbeach.com

Reve Brewing revebrewing.com

The Ritz Lounge Theritzlounge.com

The Shim Sham Room shimshamroom.com

Southern Swells Brewing Company southernswells.com

Surfer The Bar Surferthebar.com

Voo Swar Restaurant & Lounge instagram.com/vooswar

DOWNTOWN 1904 Music Hall 1904musichall.com

The Bier Hall intuitionaleworks.com/bierhall

Bold City Brewery boldcitybrewery.com

Dos Gatos dosgatosjax.com

Intuition Aleworks intuitionaleworks.com

Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com

Justice Pub facebook.com/thejusticepub

Live Bar facebook.com/livebarclubjax

Manifest Distillery manifestdistilling.com

Ruby Beach Brewing rubybeachbrewing.com

Underbelly underbellyjax.com

The Volstead thevolsteadjax.com

FLEMING ISLAND

Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com/fleming-island

Mercury Moon facebook.com/mercury-moon

Mr. Chubby’s Wings mrchubbyswings.com

Sunset Tiki Bar the-sunset-tiki-bar.business.site

Whitey’s Fish Camp whiteysfishcamp.com

INTRACOASTAL WEST 9 Zero Pour 9zeropour.com

MVP’s Sports Grille facebook.com/mvpssportsgrille

The Spot Hookah Lounge thespothookahloungejax.com

Time Out Sports Grill timeoutsportsgrill.com

MANDARIN/JULINGTON CREEK/ FRUIT COVE

2nd Bay Brewing 2ndbaybrewing.com

Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

Iggy’s Grill and Bar facebook.com/IggysGrill

Kava & Company kavaandcompany.com

Legacy Ale Works legacyaleworks.com

Monkey’s Uncle Tavern facebook.com/monkeysunclemandarin1

Rack’em Up Sports Bar facebook.com/rackemupsportsbar

Time Out Sports Grill timeoutsportsgrill.com

MURRAY HILL Buchner’s Bierhalle buchnersbierhalle.com

Fishweir Brewing Company fishweirbrewing.com

The Flamingo theflamingojax.com

Perfect Rack Billiards Perfectrackbilliards.com

Silver Cow silvercowjax.com

The Stout Snug thestoutsnug.com

The Walrus thewalrusjax.com

NORTHSIDE

Coppertop Bar and Restaurant coppertopbarandrestaurant.com

Four Fathers Distillery fourfathersdistillery.com

ORANGE PARK/MIDDLEBURG 57 Heaven facebook.com/57HeavenOP

Big Dawgs Sports Restaurant bigdawgsrestaurant.com

Cheers Park Avenue cheersparkave.com

The Daq Shack thedaqshack904.com

Dee’s Music Bar and Grill facebook.com/musicbarandgrill

The Fresh Spot Lounge thefreshspotlounge.com

LeaderBoard Arcade leaderboardarcade.com

Locals Pub localspub.co

Nakama Anime Bar nakamabar.com

Park Avenue Billiards parkavenuebilliards.com

Pinglehead Brewing Company pinglehead.com

Southern Social Whiskey Bar & Lounge southernsocialbar.com

RIVERSIDE/AVONDALE Birdies facebook.com/birdiesfivepoints

Bold City Brewery boldcitybrewery.com

Brick Restaurant brickofavondale.com

Burlock & Barrel burlockandbarrel.com

Casbah Cafe thecasbahcafe.com

Dart Bar & Games facebook.com/DartBarJax

Eclipse Bar & Nightclub facebook.com/EclipseBarJax

The Garage garagejax.com

The Green House thegreenhousebar.com

Hoptinger Bier Garden + Sausage House hoptinger.com

Jazzy’s Restaurant & Lounge jazzysrestaurant.net

Kanine Social Taproom kaninesocial.com

Keg & Coin kegandcoinjax.com

Kingmaker Brewing kingmakerbrewing.com

Lemonstreet Brewing Company lemonstreetbrewing.com

The Loft loftjax.com

Myrtle Avenue Brewing facebook.com/myrtleavebrewing

Park Place Lounge park-place-lounge.business.site

Rain Dogs instagram.com/raindogs5points

River & Post riverandpostjax.com

Rogue Bar facebook.com/rogue.bar.1

Root Down facebook.com/rootdownjax

Tabula Rasa Brewing tabularasa.beer

Wall Street Lounge facebook.com/thewallstreetlounge Wildcrafters facebook.com/wildcraftersjax

SAN MARCO/ST. NICHOLAS Aardwolf Brewing Company aardwolfbrewing.com

Bar Molino barmolino.com

Breezy Jazz House breezyjazzhouse.com

Cuba Libre Ultra Lounge cubalibrebar.com

Fore Score Golf Tavern forescoregolf.com

The Grape & Grain Exchange grapeandgrainexchange.com

Hamburger Mary’s hamburgermarys.com/jax

Kava & Company kavaandcompany.com

The Mudville Grill themudvillegrill.com

The Players Grille playersgrille.com

Posting House posting.house Sidecar instagram.com/sidecarjax

Tabula Rasa Brewing tabularasa.beer

SOUTHSIDE/ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER Austin Karaoke facebook.com/austinkaraoke

Bottlenose Brewing bottlenosebrewing.com

Culhane’s culhanesirishpub.com

Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com

Jax Craft Beer jaxcraftbeer.com

Secret Tiki Temple secrettikitemple.com

Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery 7bridgesgrille.com

Trio Lounge Triohookahlounge.com

Veterans United Craft Brewery vubrew.com

Wicked Barley Brewing Company wickedbarley.com

WXYZ Bar at Aloft Hotel AloftJacksonvilleTapestryPark.com

SPRINGFIELD

Crispy’s Springfield Gallery crispysspringfieldgallery.com

Historically Hoppy Brewing Company historicallyhoppy.com

Hyperion Brewing hyperionbrewing.com

Shantytown Pub facebook.com/shantytownjax

Strings Sports Brewery stringssportsbrewery.com

ST. AUGUSTINE

Ancient City Brewing ancientcitybrewing.com

Arnold’s Lounge arnoldslounge.com

Beacon Listening Room beaconstaug.com

Cellar Upstairs Bar at San Sebastian Winery Sansebastianwinery.com

Dog Rose Brewing dogrosebrewing.com

The Original Café Eleven originalcafe11.com

Prohibition Kitchen pkstaug.com

Tradewinds Lounge tradewindslounge.com

WESTSIDE Lillian’s lillianssportsgrill.com

The Phoenix Bar & Bowling facebook.com/thephoenixjax

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

Time Out Sports Grill (Beach Blvd), 7:30 p.m.

Fear Not the Fruit Bats

Words by Shelton Hull

Live music has been a big part of the Intuition Ale Works brand from their very beginning, over a decade ago. I remember watching Robin Rutenberg and Friends (later known as Four Families) playing at their original location on King Street, not long after their opening. Their move to Bay Street made them an anchor of the entertainment district, and they’re poised to benefit directly from the continued growth in that area. They’re basically the last venue you’ll see, when walking eastward down Bay, before getting to the arena, ballpark, stadium, Metro Park, etc. It bookends The Elbow, and much of downtown’s nightlife occurs within that roughly .75 miles.

The move to Bay Street gave Intuition much more space for food, beers and brewery operations, allowing one of the city’s original craft breweries to really anchor itself within local culture, cultivating a huge new fanbase in the process. Again, live music has been crucial to that with a number of excellent shows there in recent years. A lot of this is local activity, with LPT holding down the block for years, and Crescendo Amelia Big Band doing the same in recent months.

The space has also brought a variety of national acts (like Guided By Voices and The Mountain Goats), presented in almost bespoke fashion, often by the late Tib Miller and his group, Flying Saucer Presents. One such act is Fruit Bats, who made their Duval debut at Intuition’s Bier Hall in late April, right after some big shows in Nashville and Atlanta that weekend. From there, it was straight out to San Diego.

The project represents the sole vision of one Eric D. Johnson, a voraciously productive teacher and multi-instrumentalist who’s been involved in a number of bands in and around the Chicago scene since the early 1990s. He’s also been part of Bonny Light Horseman, Califone and The Shins. Fruit Bats is his main gig, though, actively so since 1997, save for a brief hiatus, 2013-2015. Flying Saucer Presents’ website describes them quite well: “From the project’s origins in the late ’90s as a vehicle for Johnson’s lo-fi tinkering to the more sonically ambitious work of recent years, Fruit Bats has often showcased love songs where people and locations meld into one.”

Fruit Bats’10th album, “A River Running to Your Heart,” is brand new, and local audiences were among the very first to hear this new material in a live setting. The album was released April 14, their fourth for the legendary Merge Records. They had previously released four albums on Sub Pop Records, thus giving Fruit Bats the rub from two of the most important rock labels of the last 40 years. (They also recorded for Perishable Records, Turntable Kitchen, Spacebomb and Easy Sound Recording Company.) It’s a fine album, and a good introduction to Johnson’s sound, especially since he co-produced it. Hardcore fans will also enjoy “Sometimes A Cloud Is Just a Cloud: Slow Growers, Sleeper Hits and Lost Songs,” a collection of Fruit Bats’ most beloved songs, packaged with a plethora of b-sides, demos and other rarities. You can’t go wrong.

Florida’s Miraculous Spring Waters

Words by Ted Hunt

Medical practices during most of the 1800s relied on traditional treatments such as bloodletting, blistering, high doses of mineral poisons and vomiting. One or more of these techniques would hopefully restore the body’s natural balance, and the patient would be cured from a variety of illnesses. Bloodletting is slicing open a vein, then applying a cup to draw blood containing harmful bacteria out of the body. Blistering is placing hot plaster onto the skin to raise blisters, then drain the pus which contains harmful bacteria. Mineral poisons were consumed to encourage diarrhea and vomiting to purge the system of bacteria. Unfortunately, these regimens resulted in high rates of death. Go figure.

By the mid to late 1800s the health industry realized these standard treatments were not working and began looking for alternative cures. Doctors began exploring an ancient form of therapeutic medicine — natural sulfuric mineral springs. The practice recommended bathing in and drinking spring water. The Victorian era (1837-1901) referred to the practice as “taking the waters.” It was thought that the water had healing properties that could cure everything from rheumatism to skin problems and more deadly diseases such as tuberculosis. TB, often called consumption, was common at the time. To accommodate the demand, New York’s Saratoga Springs and the region of western Virginia with sulfur-mineral springs began building resorts to offer relief to invalids. Health spa resorts with hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues emerged. Sick people flocked to soak and drink the sulfur spring waters.

Florida was already a winter destination for residents of the North seeking a refuge from the bitter cold. Suddenly, it had gained a reputation as a healthy getaway for its plentiful natural mineral springs with high concentrations of

sulfur. Perhaps the embedded myth of Ponce de Leon seeking the elusive Fountain of Youth in Florida in the 1500s helped fuel the interest. During the mid to late 1800s, Florida entrepreneurs, looking to take advantage of the “taking of the waters,” built resorts with hotels and bathhouses around many sulfur springs. They heavily promoted the unique healing qualities of their resort’s waters in newspapers, magazines and travel brochures across the North and Midwest. They even bottled and shipped the spring water to the masses. “Taking the waters” created fortunes for many.

By the late 1800s more than two dozen Florida health resorts played host to thousands of invalids from the North seeking the therapeutic waters. Most resorts were in northern Florida. The sick came by ship and train, to the major ports in Florida. From there, riverboats, ferries, trollies and stagecoaches would transport them to the various health resorts built around the sulfur miracle springs. Entire towns were developed to support the industry. Among the most successful resorts were these.

White Sulfur Springs Health Resort on the Suwannee River

The resort’s first hotel and bath house were built next to the Suwannee River sulfur spring in the mid-1800s. They called it the Fountain of Health. It was marketed as a cure-all health spa. Guests arrived by ferry on the Suwannee River or stagecoach from Tallassee and Jacksonville, seeking treatment for a host of ailments. By 1900 the town of White Springs had 14 hotels and several boarding houses to meet the hordes of tourists seeking cures. In 1908 the original bath house was rebuilt using coquina shells mixed with cement. Treatment rooms and dressing rooms were added and even a concession stand. Soon, four balcony levels were built surrounding the spring. Popularity of the resort declined in the 1930s, and the final blow

White Sulfur Springs Bath House – Suwanee River Florida. Early 1900s

came when the spring dried up in 1990. Visitors to the area today can view the ruins of the old coquina bathhouse, which still stands as a reminder of White Springs’ days as Florida’s first tourist attraction, whose famous visitors included Teddy Roosevelt and Henry Ford.

Green Cove Springs Health Resort on the St. Johns River

Green Cove Springs, 30 miles south of Jacksonville, was a fashionable spa area in the late 1870-1890s. It was dubbed the Saratoga (New York) of the South. Advertisements in the North encouraged the sick to come down and enjoy the warm climate, hydrotherapy and the sulfur mineral springs or what the locals called “the Boil.”

The ads worked, as steamers from Savannah, Charleston and Jacksonville traveled the St. Johns River to the resorts down river. Band concerts were held daily during winter months to greet the guests. Bottled spring water was passed out as they departed the ships. Trollies and carriages were available to take passengers to their hotels or guest houses. Over the years thousands came to enjoy the miraculous healing power of the mineral waters. President Grover Cleveland came annually.

The grandest hotel was the Clarendon House. Built in 1871, it was the largest, most posh and successful of the town’s hotels. It had broad verandas overlooking the spring, accommodated 200 guests, and had a bowling alley and a billiards saloon. Each winter, the Clarendon entertained hundreds of Northern tourists trading freezing rain and snow for the balmy Florida climate and its healing springs. The town of Green Cove Springs flourished and depended heavily on the annual infusion of cash and jobs. In April of 1900, the Clarendon burned to the ground with the exception of the detached guest house, now home to a bed and breakfast. With the coming of the railroads and the development of resorts farther south, Green Cove Springs lost most of its out-of-state patronage. Green Cove Springs had seen its heyday.

Gone but not forgotten

The interest in mineral springs has continued well into today. However, with the advent of modern medicine and the rise of pharmaceuticals, the popularity of natural cures has waned. Many alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, are becoming more popular as people seek alternatives to pharmaceuticals. Although Florida spring resorts catering to the sick has declined over the decades, a few still continue to provide therapeutic services to those in need. Also, there are several companies bottling Florida spring water, which is available everywhere. While none of the health claims of “taking the waters” were ever proven, visitors still flock to enjoy the waters. As they say, “a soak a day hopefully keeps the doc away.”

Zarah Y Former Football Player

"It just heals up so much better. To the point I’m more functional now than I have been in years!”

Clarendon House – Green Cove Springs, Florida

“The Pier” By Zach Sawyer