Folio Vol. 38, Issue 5

The

Jumbo

The

I wish you guys at Folio would get off your White-manis-evil theme. It is beyond tiresome and intellectually bankrupt; it is actually quite offensive. And judging by the ever-thinning magazine, people agree with me. I’m just interested in art, music, and other creative stuff. Mixing your social justice warrior obsessions with arts and entertainment is like mixing oil and water. Think of the interesting cultural topics that the Folio could explore. But no, you’re trying to get Liberal street cred with the anti-White stuff. I’m not guilty of slavery or anything else that happened in the past. Quit trying to essentially associate me with that stuff. It’s called blood libel and that is highly divisive for any society. Stick to your lane - arts, entertainment, *positive* cultural issues - and stay away from racial issues.

T H E

BOUQS & BRICKS

BOUQUETS

To the organizers of the Bob Hayes Invitational Track and Field Meet. Launched in 1964 with Douglas Anderson High School, this legendary event has now grown to 162 middle and high schools participating. The 2024 invitational has a new collaborative partnership with Running For The Culture which will expand the event with anticipation of at least 25 colleges and universities participating as well. Bravo to this organization for bringing student athletes, coaches and former Olympians together March 15-16th.

BRICKBATS

To the thieves who burglarized the “Folio” distribution lot. They made off with three trailers that were used for things like toy distribution to kids in need at the holidays, participating in various charity events and distributing “Folio” around town

The stolen property is a white box trailer, a utility trailer and a boat trailer. The lot is located near Springfield (Main and MLK). The crooks cut a lock in the back exit, unloaded “Folio” boxes from the cargo trailer and cut off tags. We are offering a reward for the arrest and conviction of these thieves. Tips can be emailed to us team@folioweekly.com.

HOROSCOPES

Words by Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri

ARIES

This month, Aries, your energy is like a firecracker ready to explode. Use it wisely to ignite your passions and pursue your goals. Don’t be afraid to take the lead and make bold moves. Your determination will pave the way for success.

LIBRA

Libra, the more you avoid confronting a problem, the more it tends to intensify. Despite being the zodiac sign associated with balance, achieving equilibrium seems to be your biggest challenge. On March 9, the dynamic conjunction of the war planet Mars with Uranus will make evading your issues more difficult. This cosmic alignment will demand essential changes, possibly requiring sacrifices from you.

SCORPIO

Is that the sound of success we’re hearing? This month, you’ll finally reap the benefits from all the hard work you’ve been putting in these past couple months, Taurus. And while that definitely deserves a celebration all on its own, remember to keep up the hard work. The more seeds you plant, the more you’ll grow.

TAURUS GEMINI

This month, Gemini, focus on finding balance in all aspects of your life. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings, and seek harmony within yourself and your relationships. Embrace change with an open mind, as it will lead to growth and new opportunities.

CANCER

Anticipate significant spiritual and physical growth in March, Cancer. The love planets Venus and Mars will fortify your spiritual zone, fostering a deepening of your relationships. This isn’t limited to just romantic connections; your higher mind will also experience strengthening during this period.

LEO VIRGO

March brings opportunities for Leo to shine brighter than ever. Embrace your creativity and let your inner light illuminate every situation. Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to show the world what you’re made of. Your confidence will be your greatest asset. Don’t be alarmed by all the smoke, Virgo. That’s just the effects of your impending burnout. Recently, you’ve been all work and no play. Not only is that, dare we say, boring, but also incredibly unhealthy. Take time this month to really take care of yourself.

March is a time of transformation for you, Scorpio. Embrace the changes happening around you and within you. Trust in your intuition to guide you through any challenges that arise. Remember that endings are often the beginning of something beautiful. But also, f*ck your ex. Figuratively, not literally.

SAGITTARIUS

You can walk the walk, but can you talk the talk? March will prove to be an advantageous for expanding your communication skills, Sagittarius. When Venus and Mars align, they bring you the power to speak confidently and effectively. Still, be wary of confrontation. Focus on voicing what matters.

CAPRICORN

This month, Capricorn, focus on nurturing your ambitions and setting clear goals for the future. Take practical steps toward achieving your dreams and don’t let anything hold you back. Trust in your abilities and stay disciplined in your pursuits. Success is within your reach.

AQUARIUS

The planets are aligning in your sign, Aquarius, bringing a newfound sense of confidence. Hold on to this confidence as doubt is always around the corner, especially on March 3 and 9. As long as you are sharing your light, no shadows can form.

PISCES

March brings a sense of renewal for Pisces. Take time to reflect on the past and release anything that no longer serves you. Embrace your sensitivity and intuition, as they will guide you toward greater fulfillment. Trust in the universe and believe in the magic of new beginnings.

THE SPECKTATOR

Words by Kerry Speckman

Sun-Ray Cinema is bringing back its award-winning (if it’s not, it should be) series called The Talkies, where they invite filmmakers and actors to provide live commentary to one of their films (John Waters and John Cameron Mitchell have previously participated). And their latest collab is a screening of “The Outsiders” with Ponyboy himself C. Thomas Howell. Word has it Ponyboy will be dishing on his costars, including Tom Cruise, as well as Rob Lowe and the rest of the Brat Pack. The Talkies happens April 24, and tickets are going fast. And always remember to stay gold. More info: sunraycinema.com

If you’re sick of Taylor Swift, stop reading now. If, on the other hand, you’re curious how the Jacksonville Symphony would perform Swift’s hit “Love Story,” get out your wallet. The Jacksonville Symphony’s annual gala returns March 2 and features music by artists who have appeared on the cover of “Vogue” including Swift and Madonna. The “fashionable evening” celebrates music education and community engagement by raising funds for music education programs like Communities in Schools, Ensemble School Visits and the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra. In addition to the concert, guests of the Music in Vogue Gala will be treated to a cocktail reception, three-course dinner, live and silent auctions and after party with DJ and dancing, so save your Beyonce moves ’til then. More info: jaxsymphony.org.

Jacksonville’s newest professional sports team, the 95ers, makes their hometown debut March 15 at Jacksonville University’s Swisher Gymnasium (their historic, first-ever appearance actually takes place at an away game in Huntsville, Alabama). The pro basketball team, helmed by Head Coach Jerrod Tucker and President Kevin Waters, seeks to fill the void of the Jacksonville Giants, who mysteriously disappeared — though someone forgot to tell their website. More info: jacksonville95ers.com

Words of wisdom from Bold City Brewery in Riverside.

MARCH MADNESS

Words by Malorie Aldrich

Ah, March, the month of its almost-spring or what the ancient Romans liked to call the month of war. March is also known for some pretty big sports events, first the PGA tournament Jacksonville knows and loves, The Players Championship, and the next one is the NCAA’s biggest tournament and biggest money maker for the collegiate sport governing body, the March Madness Basketball tournaments. It’s that time of year again for college basketball’s biggest dance, and with the tournaments only a few short weeks away here are some predictions on who will be a part of the lucky 64 teams that take part in the tournaments and information on how to make your bracket.

First some information on the brackets. If you like to print your own bracket or take part in your own bracket pool, you can print out brackets by going to the NCAA’s website under their March Madness information and click the official bracket tab. Keep in mind selection day for the tournaments is not until March 17, so if you fill out your bracket before then you may not have all the correct teams in the tournament.

As for submitting your bracket for the March Madness bracket challenge, you can do it with the NCAA, ESPN or any sports betting platform such as DraftKings. No matter which one you submit your bracket to, it will be counted toward the number for the amount of brackets filled out. Now be aware ESPN’s bracket challenge has not started yet and the challenge’s sign up page is not live yet as well. But as we get closer to the big dance the site will be set up and ready to go. And I can’t stress this enough: Some of the bracket challenges might be open, but I would wait until March 18 to fill yours out to ensure you have the correct teams.

Now for the tournament predictions. For the men’s tournament inserting a “Mean Girls” reference, you got your plastics — Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Perdue, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, etc. — essentially the teams that always make the tournament. Although some of the plastics are ranked, a No. 1 ranking doesn’t necessarily mean you really are the best. Just ask Kentucky who lost in the first round in 2022 to the Cinderella story of that year’s tournament, Saint Peter’s University. And that year Saint Peters, the little school out of Jersey City, New Jersey, made it all the way to the Elite Eight. Let’s just think about that for a second, there’s a reason the tournament has “madness” in the name because you never know what’s going to happen. Speaking of Cinderella stories, here are some that I think are going to happen this year. One being UC Irvine: although they are a small school in California, they have been doing pretty well this season, and I think they have a good shot of getting past the first couple rounds in the tournament to the Sweet 16. The next surprise of the tournament being the University of South Florida Bulls. They’ve had a great season, and I think that they have a great shot going far with the amazing talent they have down in Tampa. Maybe UNF can get some pointers from them on how to win. Well that’s enough about the men … how about the ladies?

Don’t worry the basics will be there: UConn, Baylor, Notre Dame, South Carolina, FGCU. And let’s not forget Caitlin Clarkand and Iowa Hawkeyes teammates will be there too. Now for their Cinderella stories, the first one that I think is going to shake things up in the tournament is University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Phoenix. They’ve been killing it this season with a record of 23-5, and I really think they can make it to the Sweet 16. And then there’s Sacred Heart. Like Green Bay, they’ve had an impressive season and I think they have a good shot in the tournament. Even if they don’t, I still think they will cause some madness with some brackets.

Well, those are my predictions for this year’s March Madness tournaments. The men’s tournament starts March 19 and runs through April 8, and the women’s tournament starts March 20 and runs through April 7. Now may the best dancer win.

MARCH 1

UNF Men’s Basketball vs Stetson

UNF Arena Unfospreys.com

UNF Baseball vs Dartmouth

Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

JU Baseball vs Ball State

John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

JU’S Men’s Basketball vs FGCU Swisher Gymnasium Judolphins.com

JU Baseball vs Ball State

John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

UNF Women’s Tennis vs Florida A&M

UNF Tennis Complex

Unfospreys.com

MARCH 2

UNF Baseball vs Dartmouth

Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

JU Baseball vs Ball State

John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

Jacksonville Icemen vs Orlando Solar Bears

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena

Jacksonvilleicemen.com

Jacksonville Icemen vs Orlando Solar Bears

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena Jacksonvilleicemen.com

MARCH 5

UNF Baseball vs South Florida

Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

JU Baseball vs Valparaiso

John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

MARCH 6

UNF Baseball vs North Carolina A&T

Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

UNF Men’s Tennis vs Belmont

UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

JU Baseball vs South Florida

John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

MARCH 7

UNF Men’s Tennis vs South Alabama

UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

UNF Women’s Tennis vs Furman

UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

MARCH 8

UNF Baseball vs Seton Hall

Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

JU Softball vs Tarleton State

Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex Judolphins.com

MARCH 9

UNF Baseball vs Seton Hall

Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

JU Softball vs Marist

Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex Judolphins.com

JU Softball vs USC Upstate

Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex Judolphins.com

MARCH 10

UNF Baseball vs Seton Hall

Harmon Stadium

Unfospreys.com

JU Softball vs Presbyterian

Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex Judolphins.com

MARCH 12

JU Softball vs Bucknell

Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex Judolphins.com

MARCH 13

UNF Men’s Tennis vs Chattanooga UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

UNF Women’s Tennis vs Kennesaw State

UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

UNF Softball vs Bucknell

UNF Softball Complex Unfospreys.com

MARCH 14

The Players Championship

TPC Sawgrass Theplayers.com

MARCH 15

UNF Women’s Tennis vs Lipscomb

UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

JU Baseball vs Stetson John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

Jacksonville Icemen vs Florida Everglades

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena Jacksonvilleicemen.com

Jacksonville 95ers vs Raleigh Firebirds Swisher Gymnasium

Jacksonville95ers.com

The Players Championship

TPC Sawgrass Theplayers.com

MARCH 16

UNF Softball vs Austin Peay

UNF Softball Complex Unfospreys.com

JU Baseball vs Stetson

John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

The Players Championship

TPC Sawgrass Theplayers.com

MARCH 17

UNF Men’s Tennis vs Kennesaw State

UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

UNF Softball vs Austin Peay

UNF Softball Complex Unfospreys.com

UNF Women’s Tennis vs Central Arkansas

UNF Tennis Complex Unfospreys.com

JU Baseball vs Stetson

John Sessions Stadium Judolphins.com

Jacksonville Icemen vs Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena

Jacksonvilleicemen.com

The Players Championship

TPC Sawgrass

Theplayers.com

MARCH 20

UNF Men’s Tennis vs Jacksonville State

UNF Tennis Complex

Unfospreys.com

Jacksonville Icemen vs Trois-Riviereres Lions

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena

Jacksonvilleicemen.com

MARCH 21

Jacksonville 95ers vs Coastal Georgia Buccaneers

Swisher Gymnasium

Jacksonville95ers.com

MARCH 22

UNF Baseball vs Central Arkansas Harmon Stadium Unfospreys.com

UNF Men’s Tennis vs Lipscomb

UNF Tennis Complex

Unfospreys.com

Jacksonville Icemen vs Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena

Jacksonvilleicemen.com

Jacksonville 95ers vs Rocket City Flight

Swisher Gymnasium

Jacksonville95ers.com

MARCH 23

UNF Baseball vs Central Arkansas

Harmon Stadium

Unfospreys.com

JU Softball vs FGCU

Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex

Judolphins.com

Jacksonville Icemen vs Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena

Jacksonvilleicemen.com

MARCH 24

UNF Baseball vs Central Arkansas

Harmon Stadium

Unfospreys.com

UNF Men’s Tennis vs North Alabama

UNF Tennis Complex

Unfospreys.com

UNF Women’s Tennis vs North Alabama

UNF Tennis Complex

Unfospreys.com

JU Softball vs FGCU

Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex

Judolphins.com

MARCH 26

JU Baseball vs UCF

John Sessions Stadium

Judolphins.com

MARCH 29

Jumbo Shrimp vs Gwinnett

121 Financial Ballpark MILB.com

MARCH 30

Jumbo Shrimp vs Gwinnett

121 Financial Ballpark

MILB.com

MARCH 31

Jumbo Shrimp vs Gwinnett

121 Financial Ballpark

MILB.com

The Rise and Fall and Rise

of Foosball

Words & photos by Ambar Ramirez

It’s a Thursday night, and after a long work day, you head over to your Dart Bar & Games to unwind. You walk in, expecting a quiet crowd, since the weekend hasn’t yet arrived. If anything, there might be a small crowd celebrating a birthday or men in suits catching up over IPAs. What you didn’t expect was a large group of people in matching sports jerseys engaging in spirited games of foosball. At least that’s not what I expected when I met up with Tony Cinca and Perry Palacio, founders of Foosball Academy.

Before the rise of our favorite arcade games, such as Pac-Man and Street Fighter, there was foosball. According to “Smithsonian Magazine,” the game gained popularity in parts of Europe during the 1880s and 1890s. However, foosball didn’t arrive in America until 1962 when Lawrence Patterson, stationed in West Germany during the ’60s, observed the game’s popularity and introduced it to the United States. It quickly gained widespread popularity.

By the 1970s, the U.S. had its own homegrown foosball tables, and tournaments were featured in “Sports Illustrated” and “60 Minutes.” In 1976, the European Table Soccer Union was established, transforming foosball from a popular pastime into organized events and clubs. Rookies and professionals traveled across the country to participate in these tournaments, competing for significant prizes. Yup, that’s right, back in the ’70s, if you won a professional game of foosball, you potentially could have won a Porsche or Corvette.

“I started playing [foosball] when I went to [Florida State College] back in ’73 when it was just a junior college,” Cinca recalled. “I played foosball instead of going to classes.”

For some perspective, at the time, Jacksonville had about only a handful of bars with foosball tables including The Keg, Brinkman’s, Beer Stew and Applejacks. In 1975, Cinca heard through the grapevine found out that a group of foosball players were headed to one of these bars to play some matches. What Cinca didn’t know at the time was that this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill group. This was Tournament Soccer, a Seattle-based company that would pack players into a van with a foosball table and send them around the country to play at bars to promote professional foosball.

“They were nice guys, but they wore these matching uniforms — collared, striped shirts. They looked professional,” Cinca explained. “And they destroyed us, and we all thought we were pretty good. It was different. It was an organized game. If it wasn’t for their professionalism, I might not have been as turned on, let’s say, to it.”

Looking back, Cinca gives a lot of credit to that moment for his passion for the sport and for the formation of Foosball Academy. But around 1982 Cinca decided to go back to school and get serious about his future, even though every now and then he would go to his nearest foosball table to play a couple of matches, which is around the time he met Palacio.

“There was a group of us skipping class and going to this place up the street that had tables and that’s where we ran into Tony. He started teaching us really how to play at a high level, you know, and it was kind of a good period of time there in the ’90s where we just played a lot,” Palacio said. “Everybody wanted to level up each other. And we found that we would seek wherever there was a table and then a lot of us would kind of collect and play. Then we just started to have professional lives which would kind of create a long break for foosball for me.”

As time goes by, life catches up. Before they knew it, Cinca and Palacio had families, full-time jobs and no time for foosball … until 2018, when Palacio — in search of somewhere to play foosball — reached out to Cinca on Facebook.

“I was working so much. I had my day job, I had a night job, and I needed to do something more fun,” Palacio recalled. “So I connected with Tony and then started playing a little bit again with some of the locals.”

Having reconnected with the game that had once brought him joy and community, Cinca thought others might be looking for the same thing. And in 2019, Foosball Academy was born.

The easy part was done. They had a name and a place where they could consistently play. The hard part was getting more people to join. The tabletop game that was so popular back in the day had become something placed sporadically at dive bars, a game played only when the pool tables were occupied or the conversations were boring.

“I would say for sure, like when I tell people I play foosball, they think of it like it’s just like some casual bar game, that there’s no levels to it,” Foosball Academy member Joseph Neely said. “Just like any other sport there’s technique, strategy, practice drills, all that stuff goes into it.”

As mentioned before, the rise of arcade games killed foosball. Bar owners were taking into account how much money these smaller sized games were bringing in versus how much one large foosball table brought in. It was about quantity, not quality. But what arcade games don’t have is socializing and community. Whether you’re playing a singles or doubles game, some sort of conversation has to happen.

“It’s ultimately a social thing. We have a foosball community,” Cinca expressed. “And there are probably a lot of people out there that don’t realize that we still have foosball.”

Since its inception, Foosball Academy has experienced significant growth. It has not only established a welcoming space for individuals of all backgrounds to enjoy the classic game but has also fostered symbiotic relationships with various bars. Eventually, Cinca would like to get foosball tables set up in schools in Jacksonville to further nurture and grow this community.

Regardless of your foosball experience, every Thursday night at Dart Bar & Games from 7 - 11 p.m., Foosball Academy sets up tables for free play. Their only rules? Have fun and no spinning.

For more information, check out foos.academy.

JUMBO SHRIMP CONTINUE TO MOVE ON UP!

Words by Teresa Spencer

Jacksonville’s hometown baseball team moved up to Triple-A classification in 2021 in conjunction with Major League Baseball’s reorganization of the minor leagues, meaning they are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

In 2022, the team announced $25 million in renovations, which are soon coming to fruition. The organization let the “shrimp out of the bag” recently saying the team’s home field — 121 Financial Ballpark, will be seeing some major upgrades, including a new building for the ground- level store and team offices, as well as new banquet space. Also in the plans are a new video board and ribbon boards, concourse stands, enhanced club space behind home plate and more. Basically, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp want to elevate and reinvent the fan experience. Check it out for yourself here.

MONDAYS

• St. Augustine Fish Company & Oyster House, 6:30 p.m.

• 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.

• Jekyll Brewing, 7:30 p.m.

• Rain Dogs, 9 p.m.

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

• TUESDAYS

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

• Amici’s, St. Augustine, 7 p.m.

• The Back 40, 7 p.m.

• Bold City Brewery (Name That Tune), 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.

• Surfside Kitchen, St. Augustine, 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.

• Shantytown Pub, 8:30 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.

• Bold City Brewery, 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.

• Shaughnessy’s Sports Grill, 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

• Bold City Brewery, 7 p.m.

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

• Justice Pub (music bingo), 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)

• Rain Dogs (B-movie bingo), 7 p.m.

As a 21-year-old, that’s just a girl in her last semester of college, trying to balance an internship, working full time, and four classes (that feel like another full-time job), let’s just say I haven’t necessarily been slaying the financial game as of late. And despite working my ass off all the time, I seem to have nothing to show for it. And time is not slowing down at all, in fact, just today I had to Venmo the second half of what I owed for my Spring Break plans with friends for the trip we have planned, and I nearly shed tears. I am super grateful that I was able to find something that worked out for me and my friends financially, and we are able to get away and enjoy a well-earned week off. But I also know for many that is not the case. Since everybody deserves a great Spring Break but might not be able to afford it, I’ve compiled a list of my top picks that you and your friends can do in order to have the best Spring Broke possible. Don’t let finances hold you back from living and making memories. Remember: YOLO and life is too short to say no.

SPRING BREAK? MORE LIKE SPRING BROKE.

Words by Briana Pereira

1 2 4 5

BEACH DAY

This one might seem a little bit obvious, but if you are one of our coastal readers why would you not?! People are spending hundreds, if not thousands to get a taste of what you have right in your backyard, so pack a cooler, pick up some snacks and grab your sunnies, and you’ve got yourself a day!

SILVER SPRINGS + SALT SPRINGS + DRIVE-IN MOVIE

This is something you’ll want to grab your closest friends for because it is a two-hour drive (the more friends the cheaper the gas too). However, it’s definitely a fun day and I highly recommend it. Start the day by heading to Silver Springs for some hiking and see some monkeys. For a few extra bucks you can also do a glass-bottom boat tour to see manatees if you’re interested. From there hopefully you’re nice and sweaty. This is where you’ll head to Salt Springs where you can spend a few hours swimming and catching some rays. When the sun starts to set you and your party will want to dry off and get comfy as you head over to the Ocala Drive-In to watch a movie. Overall the tickets for the movie are pretty comparable to a standard theater but the experience of this is 10 times cooler. Pro-tip: Watching a scary movie in the dark in your car might be the most thrilling, horrifying, fun thing you will ever do, but I can totally recommend it.

3

PLAY TOURIST IN YOUR OWN CITY

This is an idea I personally really love. As someone who is continuously finding a new spot in Jax, I am big on trying new things. I feel like one of the best ways to find a new place is by going in as if you’re brand new to the city. As for recommendations, ask friends, Google “food blogs,” check out Tik Toks for the best things to do: There are so many resources out there that share the best spots in every area in every part of North Florida and for every niche too. Whether you like the arts, sports, nature, it doesn’t matter, hands down there will be something for you. Find a museum to explore, the MOCA Jacksonville is free to UNF students, faculty, and staff, and so is the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens for UNF students (Tuesday through Friday). Take the time away from the stress of life to find new places you like or even inspire a new hobby for yourself.

DINNER PARTY WITH A TWIST

Host your friends at a dinner party, but this time it’s a little bit different. Everyone has to bring five ingredients, but they have to be things they already had at home. Then you all come together to get creative and try and make a dish that is delicious and feeds the masses. Worst case the dish doesn’t work out, there’s always pizza (kidding, not really)!

GAME NIGHT WITH DESSERT POTLUCK

Host a board game night with friends or family. Dust off your favorites or try out some new ones for a fun and inexpensive way to spend time together. Elevate the sweetness by having everyone bring their favorite dessert so bellies stay full and hopefully good ’ol competition stays nice and friendly.

6 7 8 9 10

HAVE A MOVIE MARATHON

Don’t even try to lie to me. We both know your social battery can’t last for the entirety of Spring Break and even if it can, we can’t always guarantee sunshine 24/7. This is Florida afterall. But it’s pretty self explanatory, whether you’re like me and even though they’re just SO BAD that they’re SO GOOD you can’t help but watch the “After” series over and over again (SORRY NOT SORRY, I’m literally not sorry at all), or you’re a Trekkie or want to watch a series for the first time, it’s the times when you have no commitments that are the perfect times for it. If you ask me, it’s OK to bed rot, only sometimes though.

BEACH OR COMMUNITY CLEAN UP + PICNIC WITH FRIENDS

Who doesn’t love giving back to the community? Something about a random act of kindness even if it’s indirectly affecting myself or someone else makes me feel so happy. I personally think volunteer work is 1,000 times more fun when I’m with my friends, so I encourage you to take some time out of your week to give back and help pick up trash, even if it’s 20 minutes on a walk during your beach day, it doesn’t have to be big. To make it even better, have a picnic and enjoy some snacks with your friends appreciating all of the beautiful nature around you as you’re eating.

ATTEND A LOCAL FESTIVAL

For this one, be so real we live in North Florida, babies! There is always something happening nearby whether it is something weekly like the Riverside Arts Market or more quarterly like a 904 Pop Up down by the Seawalk Pavilion. Take a minute to see what’s going on nearby and enjoy some time outside while supporting local businesses. Be sure to check out this issue’s listing of all of the upcoming festivals for the spring for some inspo.

BFF SLEEPOVER + SUNRISE ON THE BEACH

Listen, IDK who said you can age out of sleepovers but whoever did, I’d like to inform them that respectfully, they are wrong. I am a sleepover girly through and through and I am not ashamed to admit it. I love hanging with my girls, and whether we’re going out or staying in just having their company brings me so much joy. Point is, girls, guys or both, have your crew over and have yourselves a time! Whether you have your own little party, watch movies all night, play games or just enjoy one another’s presence, and then wake up stupid early and grab coffee before sitting on the beach watching the world wake up around you as the sun breaks the horizon. Sure, you might be tired, but it’s the moments like those that will never return. They are priceless, so take all of the pictures — in 30 years you’ll want them.

MAKE A SPRING BROKE VLOG

This one is less advice on one specific activity to do, but more an overall something to do with all of the moments from your break. Whether big or small, I am big on documenting all of the moments in my life. I love knowing I’ll be able to hold on to the memories of them forever. So be sure to capture the moments when you’re laughing so hard you nearly pee yourself, and your bestie falling over from being so drunk after leaving the bars, and you guys screaming your favorite song in the car make a compilation just because!

2024 OSCARS

Words by Harry Moore

Awards season is in full swing with the nominees for this year’s Oscars being set. 2023 was, to put it mildly, a mixed bag for Hollywood; the blockbuster bubble seemingly burst with a string of “safe” tentpoles collapsing in on themselves, and the industry-halting strikes have left us with a barren-looking slate for 2024. However, there was something of a return to form with the breadth of quality films released last year as the industry seemingly overcame its struggle to get fully back on its feet after the pandemic. This is by far the strongest set of Best Picture nominees we’ve had since 2020 when “Parasite” triumphed over the likes of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women.” Unlike that year, where it felt as though anyone could win going into the night, this season has been dominated by one film that has obliterated everything in its path. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” has been the Oscar frontrunner since its release in July, and that status has only been cemented further as the season has worn on with the film set to beat out the likes of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Gerwig’s “Barbie.”

With the quality of this year’s crop of nominees for the top prize — which includes crowd-pleasing dramas such as “The Holdovers” and “American Fiction,” breakout international films “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Past Lives,” two films about women stepping into the real world and having to endure men with “Barbie” and “Poor Things,” a pair of challenging depictions of historical horrors in “The Zone of Interest” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” (there was even room for a self-serious biopic with Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro”) — it should maybe be more of a surprise that the race is such a foregone conclusion. “Oppenheimer,” however, ticks many of the boxes of an Academy Award Best Picture winner: A biopic of a consequential historical figure with an A-list cast that was a hit with both critics and audiences and came from a revered filmmaker who has yet to be recognized by the Academy is quite the recipe for Oscar gold. For some it goes even deeper. “Oppenheimer” represents a beacon of hope for the future of the industry. In a time in Hollywood where recognizable properties are king, it is something of a miracle that a three-hour, non-linear film that is mostly scenes of men talking in government offices is an almost billion-dollar grossing hit. And sure, give or take a James Cameron, there are no other filmmakers whose name alone garner such attention. “Oppenheimer” is irrefutable proof that if a project is given the necessary resources, it can be a breakout success and impact the culture at large.

While Nolan is locked in as the presumptive winner for picture and director, it remains to be seen if “Oppenheimer” will do a full sweep of the ceremony. Robert Downey Jr. is likely to be rewarded with Best Supporting Actor for his return to serious acting after a decade-plus of getting rich by delivering quips, while Cillian Murphy is in a coin toss of a race for Best Actor with Paul Giamatti, who gives a virtuosic turn in “The Holdovers” that works as a grand summation for his career. Also, from “The Holdovers” Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s supporting performance has been a runaway success in the precursor awards and is likely to be triumphant at the Oscars.

The Best Actress race has narrowed down to two with Emma Stone’s performance in “Poor Things” going up against Lily Gladstone’s in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” is a funny and strange film that has struck the right nerve with the voters as it earned 11 nominations, lending credence to the theory that Stone’s unique central performance seems likely to be rewarded ahead of Gladstone’s far more mournful turn.

Best Animated Feature is a coin toss between “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron.” Despite how groundbreaking “Spider-Verse” is for the future of animation, Miyazaki is a legend of his medium, and I feel he will be triumphant for what may be his final film. “Barbie,” the biggest film of the year, received eight nominations and is the apparent front-runner for Best Costume and Best Production Design. Director Greta Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach may also be the only nominees to be able to beat out “Oppenheimer” in Best Adapted Screenplay. And while Gerwig once again missed out on a nod for directing, she’ll just have to settle for having a blank check on whatever she wants for her next few projects.

This year’s Oscar class was so competitive with potential nominees that there were legitimate snubs in multiple categories. “Barbie” star Margot Robbie didn’t make the cut this time, but she is one of those performers who will inevitably be crowned on a future Oscar night, while many critics would argue that Lee’s “Past Lives” was even more deserving of a nomination. Leonardo DiCaprio was a surprising omission after doing some of the best work of his career in “Flower Moon,” and in a different year, Andrew Scott’s heartbreaking performance in “All of Us Strangers” could’ve be a frontrunner for Best Actor. Zac Efron quietly gave a transformative performance in the well-received wrestling drama “The Iron Claw” but was never considered a contender for a shot at the gold. And Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and “Riverdale” alum Charles Melton, the three leads of Todd Haynes’ dark satire “May December,” all went unrecognized for their subtle portrayals of a very f*cked-up dynamic. Perhaps the most egregious miss by the Academy this year was for Daniel Pemberton’s magnificent and expansive musical score for “Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse,” which is certain to go on to be a touchstone for future compositions, regardless of if they’re made by humans or software.

The Oscars have had their own fair share of surprises over the past few years, but this year’s ceremony is shaping up to have few in store for us. A preemptive congratulations is in order for Christopher Nolan, as it is nice to see a populist filmmaker be rewarded for making a project on his own terms. Let’s see if they shock us all by pulling the football on Oscar night March 10.

THEATER/DANCE

THROUGH MARCH 2

“A Small Fire”

San Marco Church lumenrep.org

THROUGH MARCH 3

“Tuck Everlasting”

Limelight Theatre, St. Augustine limelight-theatre.org

“A Gentlemen’s Guide to Murder” Orange Park Community Theatre opct.info

MARCH 4

“Nighthawks!”

Amelia Community Theatre Ameliacommunitytheatre.org

THROUGH MARCH 31

“Oklahoma!”

Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com

MARCH 1-10

“Shirley Valentine”

A Classic Theatre, St. Augustine aclassictheatre.org

MARCH 5-10

“Tine Turner: The Musical” Jacksonville Center for the Arts fscjartistseries.org

MARCH 7-10

Cirque Du Soleli: “Corteo” Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com

MARCH 8-9

“Next of Kin” Murder Mystery Theatre Yulee Lions Club bluefiretheatre.org

MARCH 8-17

“Pride and Prejudice”

The Island Theatre, Fleming Island theislandtheater.com

MARCH 8-24

“Alabama Story” Theatre Jacksonville theatrejax.com

MARCH 15-23

“POTUS”

The 5 & Dime Theatre Co. the5anddime.org

MARCH 15-30

“Phantom: The Musical” Players by the Sea Theatre abetjax.com

MARCH 15-31

“Wait Until Dark” Limelight Theatre, St. Augustine limelight-theatre.org

MARCH 17-21

Clay and Water 2024: Play Reading Series McCormick Hall, Green Cove Springs clamourtheatre.org

MARCH 20

Here Comes Tomorrow: Cinema of the Last Century MOCA Jacksonville mocajacksonville.unf.edu

MARCH 24

“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” LIVE! Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

MARCH 29

World Ballet Series: “Swan Lake’ Thrasher-Horne Center thcenter.org

FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS

Magician Bill Abbott at the Magic Hideway Casa Monica Resort & Spa, St. Augustine magichideaway.com

STREAMAGEDDON:

HOW THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GOT PLAYED

Words by Carmen Macri

Back in the good ol’ days, catching a movie trailer meant sitting through cable TV commercials. If it piqued your interest, you’d eagerly mark your calendar for the release date, rally your friends (or call up a hot date) and hit the theaters. You’d splurge on popcorn that could buy a small island and a soda with enough sugar to power a small town. You’d settle into your seats to endure 20 minutes of previews — that might be better than the movie itself — and have yourself a movie night.

These days, hitting the theater is a rare treat, maybe once every blue moon, and only if a film is truly exceptional enough to resist the urge to wait for its streaming debut. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve excitedly suggested catching a movie, only to hear my friend’s all-too-familiar refrain: “Let’s just wait until it’s on Paramount.” Talk about a buzzkill. No, I want to see Barbie in IMAX.

Before it was streaming services, it was DVD rentals. Remember that big blue Blockbuster building that could be found on almost every corner of town? It comes as no surprise that my generation hardly remembers it. Streaming services began building popularity in 2007 when Netflix made the switch from renting DVDs to launching the first popular video-on-demand service. Only a few short years later, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy and ultimately closed up shop in 2014.

A recent study from Dartmouth shows that in 2018, 28% of consumers preferred to watch a movie for the first time in theaters while only 15% chose streaming services. Shortly after when the world fell into quarantine, I’m sure we can all guess what happened, right? Those in favor of catching a movie in the theater dropped to 14% with 36% choosing to stream movies at home instead. By 2021, 78% of US consumers had subscriptions to one or more streaming services.

When streaming services burst onto the scene, it was a no-brainer why they caught on like wildfire. Financially, it just made sense to stay at home instead of shelling out for a trip to the theater, especially with subscription prices ranging from $9.99 to $12 a month, while a single movie ticket could set you back around $11. Plus, the added bonus of uninterrupted TV time, free from those commercial breaks just when the plot thickens — who could resist? But that was then, and this is now, where the cheapest subscription for any service now has those pesky commercial breaks and if you pay to have the upgraded package, the price nearly doubles. So, why are we all still so hellbent on them? At this point, it’s just glorified cable TV.

The convenience is nice, I won’t lie, but after so long I prefer quality over quantity. One of the biggest issues with Streamageddon is now that it is this massive entity in every home across the globe, they need to keep up with the demand — which usually calls for new movies or shows to be released biweekly. This, in turn, is the cause for so many horribly written, horribly cast and overall horrible movies that have been released recently on streaming apps (I’m looking directly at you, Netflix) or the constant remaking of old classics.

Rather than coming up with new, interesting stories, we have resulted in remaking movies or TV shows … worse. I mean, how many “Avatar the Last Airbender” remakes need to be made? After the first movie flopped, producers should have just taken the hint.

Streaming platforms are all about that binge-worthy content, driving creators to pump out entire seasons at lightning speed to keep viewers glued to their screens. This rush often means sacrificing quality for quantity, as the pressure to churn out episodes can lead to formulaic shows that cater to the broadest possible audience — usually ending with no one enjoying it. This obsession with mass appeal can result in a standardization of content, where originality takes a backseat to safe bets and tried-and-tested formulas.

Streamageddon has brought with it a reliance on data and algorithms to guide creative decisions. Instead of following artistic vision, creators may find themselves at the mercy of viewer metrics, pressured to conform to trends and genres that promise the biggest returns. This data-driven approach can limit experimentation and risk-taking, stifling the kind of innovative storytelling that pushes boundaries and captivates audiences.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for us. We are all hooked and there is no real way out. The convenience is just too nice for some people to look past, even though this convenience has come at a cost to the traditional cinematic experience. Theater attendance is dwindling and their revenue is steadily declining. Many theaters have had to scale back operations due to a lack of attendees. But it’s not just about the money. The disappearance of the cinematic vibe signals a change in culture, stripping away that feeling of togetherness and thrill that accompanies catching a flick on the big screen.

There’s something special about sitting in a darkened theater, surrounded by fellow moviegoers, as the story unfolds before your eyes. The collective gasps, laughter and applause create an atmosphere that simply can’t be replicated at home. I’ll never forget when I saw “Avengers: Endgame” in theaters and the uproar that occurred after Captain America caught Thor’s hammer. Or during “Spiderman: No Way” Home when both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire made an appearance. That doesn’t happen when you are sitting alone on your couch.

In May of 2022, Dartmouth conducted another online survey with 2,210 respondents. The survey was regarding the current popularity of movie theaters. The results showed that 41% of respondents rarely go see a movie at the theater, they prefer to wait until it’s up on a streaming site.

So what do we do? Do we wait for cinema to wither and die out?

MARCH 1-2

Donnell Rawlings Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Show (21+ only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

MARCH 2

Killer Beaz

Murray Hill Theatre murrayhilltheatre.com

Danny Johnson

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 3

Brad Williams

Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

And Then We …

Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

MARCH 6

River City Comedy Showcase Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

MARCH 7-9

Ginger Billy Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

MARCH 8-9

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Show (21+ only), 10 p.m.

First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

MARCH 9

Jimmy Failla

Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Don’t Tell Comedy Somewhere in Murray Hill donttellcomedy.com

COMEDY

MARCH 10

Comedy for a Cause Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

MARCH 13

LOL Comedy Showcase Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

MARCH 13 AND 15

Tom Segura St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

MARCH 14

Mike Birbiglia Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Blue Jay Comedy Night Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

MARCH 14-16

Hans Kim Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

MARCH 15-16

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Show (21+ only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

MARCH 16

Kountry Wayne Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Peter Antoniou

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 22

Tom Papa

Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Dusty Slay

Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

MARCH 22-23

Earthquake Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Show (21+ only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

MARCH 23

Steve Hofstetter Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Liz Miele

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 27

LOL Comedy Showcase Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

Brent Pella

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 28-30 Godfrey Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

MARCH 29-30

The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Show (21+ only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com

MARCH 31

Angelo Colina (en Español) Comedy Zone comedyzone.com

CHILDHOOD NOSTALGIA

Words by Jillian Lombardo

My bliss echoed in the laughter of after-school play dates with my uncle and the summer camp shenanigans with friends I still hold dear today. It echoed in the cross-state karaoke road trips with my mom, driving far too fast, and the backyard camping adventure with my grandmother. While I was never one for sports, I found activeness in the running of my mind, whether thoughts or creativity. Like many, I found joy in the toys passed down by my family, from the old McDonald’s gadgets to the extensive collection of Legos and the endless supply of exploration equipment from my grandparents.

I wish I remembered the first time I played with Barbie dolls. It is safe to say it was in the first two years of my life (it is also safe to say I do not remember that time). However, I recall the world they allowed me to create at a young age. The lives I cultivated for my Barbies were elaborate and aspirational. When Mattel first released the Barbie Dream House in 1962, it did not have a kitchen. Barbie’s creator, Ruth Handler, knew that only 0.1% of women were homeowners at this time and wanted to offer an alternate vision. It showed women a space of their own, something unattainable then. Mattel consistently battled stereotypes in the workforce, ie. Barbie went to space in 1965, 18 years before we would send women to space. It gave me the empowerment needed to dream about opportunities in male-dominated fields. My Barbie world was sacred—a personalized creation outside the craziness worldwide. My favorite moment was when I would take Hannah Montana’s advice and constantly change my Barbie’s hair and clothes. I processed the statement so literally that I damaged my mother’s straightener momentarily. Who knew the doll’s hair was plastic?

I have photo evidence of one of the first times I played with Hot Wheels. They were my uncle’s. I had a mohawk, and we played in the spare bedroom. We had an eight-year age gap, and cars became our initial bonding topic. Created as a variation of Hot Rods in 1967, Hot Wheels became Mattel’s next musthave item. The company opted for the radical, altered vehicles, comparative to the ones Handler used to see on California’s Highway. They designed a race track for the cars that included orange road sections and supercharged sections that, when assembled, resembled a NASCAR track. Combining the newest car craze with speed from using hard plastic tires over regular metal or plastic tires made the cars more successful than expected. Other than that, I would find myself in an office building once a month due to health issues.

My mom’s coworker had Hot Wheel versions of Tonka trucks in a whole collection. So once a month, when I wasn’t in school, and he was in the office, we would pretend to build parking lots. (Before finishing the article, I realized Tonka trucks are not large industrial trucks but a whole company of small industrial toy trucks. I am just a girl.)

At one grandparent’s house laid an expansive patio filled with possibilities. On the table was a garden of tomatoes in constant supply, and the corner rested a little red wagon, patiently waiting until the grandkids were together to accompany it. When the grandkids were together, that was the leading toy of choice. I gave each of my cousins their first childhood scar on that wagon. Around the patio, I always ran too fast before the bump, and, like clockwork, a victim found their way to the hospital with stitches and a beautiful chin scar. My other set of grandparents also had a red wagon. It was more extensive than the other but suitable for my grandmother to wheel me and the other grandkids around the neighborhood. She loved to take us to the pond around the block to feed the ducks, and we befriended many of them over the years. The Little Red Wagon started 1917 as America’s promise to at-risk youth. The wagon is said to hold the children’s dreams and burdens. It is said to be something pulled by us until the children can pull it for themselves and that we sould assist anytime the wagon gets too heavy. The idea was to pay it to the youth now in the hope they will pay it back one day. It gave youth the opportunity to dream and the tools needed to achieve.

I try to look back on my childhood fondly. It is easy to acknowledge the unsettling moments that leave a mark, but it is more rewarding to remember the bliss. My bliss was at my grandfather’s entomologist lab, looking at sand ants under the microscope and the tadpoles from the backyard. It was in the legacy of love and laughter passed down through memories and in trinkets. I have learned that my bliss is whenever I am with my people, whether exploring the world or their minds. Don’t forget to check in with your inner child to celebrate National Barbie Day on March 9, National Little Red Wagon Day on March 25 and National Hot Wheels Day on May 18!

SAVE A HORSE,

RIDE A …

Words & photos by Carmen Macri

Yee, and I cannot stress this enough, haw.

The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) made their way back to Jacksonville for the Unleash The Beast competition and boy, was it something special. Much like any other bull riding event, Veterans Memorial Arena was filled to the brim with a sold-out show — a sea of cowboy hats and Mic Ultras for as far as the eye could see.

As Saturday dawned, signaling the second and final day of Unleash the Beast, the riders were primed and ready to showcase their skills, aiming to outdo their performances from the previous night. The anticipation was palpable, with the crowd — myself included — on the edge of our seats, eagerly awaiting the start of the show.

Following a (not-so) swift introduction of all 37 riders and four rodeo clowns, the event kicked off with 26-year-old rider Jesse Petri taking on Boomerang for a full 8-second ride giving him 89.5 points. For some context — because I

needed it myself — how they rate a rider is based on a few things. The first is if the rider is able to stay atop the bull for the full 8 seconds without touching themselves or the bull with their free hand. The second part of the scoring system is divided into two categories, each worth 50 points. The first category evaluates the rider’s performance and their ability to maintain composure throughout the ride. The second category assesses the bull’s performance. If the bull fails to meet the judges’ expectations in terms of bucking, it may result in a lower score or the rider may be granted a re-ride opportunity. A bull’s ranking usually averages around 43.5 points per ride, so the rest is up to the cowboy.

Ok, now back to business.

No one prepared me for what it would be like to be kneeling at eye level with the bulls during this event. I had my fair share of would-be-heart attacks when a rider fell off and mud slung in my face from the bucking bulls. Nonetheless, it was incredible. As we went down the list of cowboys and their trusty steeds, the stakes only grew. I mean, these guys make it look so easy. During the first portion of the event, the Long-Go, it felt like nearly every rider was able to make it the full 8 seconds or damn near it.

HORSE,

All eyes were on a particular rider, John Crimber. This teenage sensation has electrified the bull-riding circuit, swiftly ascending the ranks to claim the coveted No. 3 spot in the world (which, as fate would have it, turned into No. 2 after this event). Friday night’s show had Crimber and two other riders, Dalton Kasel and Cody Jesus, tied for first with 87 points — so the heat was on.

The spotlight was squarely on Crimber and Kasel as they vied for the top positions of the evening, with Crimber securing first place during the Long-Go with an impressive 87.75 ride, closely followed by Kasel with 84.5. However, the excitement didn’t end there, as the top 12 riders from the Long-Go earned the chance to compete again during the Short-Go. (Clever names, I know).

During the brief intermission, I left my mud-side seats to go find my cowboy-enthusiast father who sat on the opposite side of the arena. I figured he could provide some valuable insights into what lay ahead in the next round. His prediction? “We’re in for some real badass cowboys on some mighty badass bulls.” And indeed, he wasn’t wrong.

In the Short-Go, the arena was electrified by the first 90-point ride of the night, courtesy of the seasoned 39-year-old, João Ricardo Viera.

It was nothing short of mesmerizing. With flawless control over his bull, Viera made it seem effortless, shooting him up the ranks to first place on the board and in my heart (I may hold some bias since this is my dad’s favorite cowboy). Sadly though, his time as number one was short-lived because as soon as Crimber entered the ring, it was game over with a 91-point ride. You cannot write a better script. No matter what Doze You Down threw at him, he was prepared. Not once did he falter or look remotely phased. I’ve never seen a cooler 18-year-old in my life.

To no one’s surprise or dismay, Crimber took first place. When he was asked about his win he said “I don’t belong in second place, plus it’s my sister’s birthday, I told her I would win it for her.” I mean, it doesn’t get cooler than that.

But hold onto your hat, because this isn’t your run-of-the-mill bull riding recap. I had the fortunate opportunity to catch up with Conner Halverson, who sits at the 19th spot in the world rankings. Before the event kicked off, he graciously shared the insider’s perspective on the life of a professional bull rider.

CARMEN: What initially drew you to the sport and how did you get started?

HALVERSON: When I was little, I grew up, you know, watching PBR on TV, and that’s all I ever wanted to do since I was a little kid. So I started when I was really young on sheep and little calves and stuff like that and just progressed every year after that.

CARMEN: How old would you say you were when you first started?

HALVERSON: When I was getting on sheep, I was probably 5 years old.

CARMEN: And your first bull?

HALVERSON : I was probably 13 or 14 when I got my first full-grown bull.

CARMEN: That’s terrifying … Can you describe the physical and mental preparation required to compete in bull riding at a professional level?

HALVERSON: You know, the physical part of it is you got to keep up with your body and make sure you know, you’re staying healthy so your body can take the wear and tear of every weekend. But the mental side of it, I think, is the biggest part of it. You got to have a strong mental game because this sport has a lot of ups and downs. You kind of just got to learn to shut out the bad times and keep yourself calm in the good times and just, you know, kind of equal everything out because a lot can go wrong in a very short amount of time for this sport.

CARMEN: What goes through your mind when you’re preparing to mount a bull in the chute?

HALVERSON: Nothing, really. You know, when I’m down on the bull in the chute, everything just kind of gets shut off and I just know what to do in there every week. I just do my job and then muscle memory just takes over.

CARMEN: What would you say is the most memorable experience you’ve had during your career?

HALVERSON: I would say it was when it when I was able to compete on the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, they had a bull riding on the ship — on the deck of the ship.

CARMEN: Was it just the fact that you were on a ship that made it so memorable or is there any one specific thing that had happened that kind of stuck out to you?

HALVERSON: No, it was just the fact that that, you know, you’re on this historic ship riding bulls. You don’t get to do stuff like that very often. So it was just a really cool experience.

CARMEN: It sounds like it. How do you maintain your focus and composure during the ride? I know you said it’s a little bit of muscle memory, but once you’re actually out there, how do you maintain that composure? Because it looks crazy.

HALVERSON: Yeah. Almost all of that is muscle memory. Like everything gets shut off, you know? You’re just reacting to the bull. You just have to have confidence in yourself that you’re going to stay on and everything else is just muscle memory. When you hear the final buzzer, outside of feeling accomplished, you feel really, really relieved.

CARMEN: What do you enjoy most about being a bull rider?

HALVERSON : I think it’s mainly being able to travel around and get to go to all these different places while doing something I love and getting paid for it and not really having a job. This is our job, but we don’t look at it like that. Our love for the sport is unmatched by anything else. Being able to be a part of everything that we get to be a part of every week is what we enjoy.

CARMEN: Outside of competing, what do you do to unwind and relax?

HALVERSON : I’ll go home and go fishing or go hunting or something like that and just to step back and relax.

CARMEN: Do you ride the same bull every time or is it different?

HALVERSON: No, we go out on a different bull each time. It’s a random draw.

CARMEN: So you don’t know who you’re riding this weekend? It is just kind of luck of the draw. You don’t have any say in it?

HALVERSON: They have already chosen, I believe. But no, I don’t know. I haven’t looked yet. There are times when you can get on the same bull, but it’s not every time. If you get to the very final round with the top 12 guys at the event, the, depending on how you place them in the previous rounds — say you’re leading it — you get to get your first pick of the bull you want.

CARMEN: Oh, OK. So it kind of gives you more of an incentive to rank higher so you can pick the bull you want.

HALVERSON: Yeah, something like that.

THE ART CENTER COOPERATIVE

“In the Style Of,” March 11-May 11 tacjacksonville.org

BEACHES MUSEUM beachesmuseum.org

BUTTERFIELD GARAGE ART GALLERY

• Works by Amy Hemphill Dove, Nancy Hamlin–Vogle, Sydney McKenna, Jan Miller, Debra Mixon Holliday, Paula Pascucci, Ron Vellucci and Cindy Wilson butterfieldgarage.com

THE CORNER GALLERY AT THE JESSIE

• Ya La’ford–”Embed: the approach,” through May 8

facebook.com/movingthemargins

CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS

• “Fake News & Lying Pictures,” through April 29

• “Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800-1960,” through May 16

• Works on Paper from the Cummer Museum’s Collection, through Sept. 30 cummermuseum.org

FEMART GALLERY 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

• “Painting St. Augustine: Selections from the Samuel H. and Roberta T. Vickers Collection,” ongoing

• “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

• Joe Segal: Clear Cut,” March 1-April 14

• “The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art,” through March 15

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

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

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

MAIN LIBRARY

• “New Beginnings,” through March 9 tacjacksonville.org

MOCA JACKSONVILLE

• “A Walk on the Wild Side,” through June 30

• Project Atrium: Frank Stella,” through July 21 mocajacksonville.unf.edu

PASTA FINE ART GALLERY

• Works by David Fain, Pam Geiger, Linda F. Hawkins, Tracy Lavely, Ginny LeJeune, Rafael Pasarell, Marlene Zullig and others pastagalleryart.com

RITZ THEATRE & MUSEUM

• “Marcus Williams: Dignity and Pride,” through May 3

• “Maya Matheison: Beaufifully Damaged,” through May 3

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

SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY

• Featuring works by Will Dickey, Koo Hon, Paul Karabinis, Pablo Rivera, Enzo Torcoletti, Pam Zambetti and more southlightgallery.com

ST. AUGUSTINE ART ASSOCIATION

• “Miniature Marvels,” March 1-30

• “17th Annual All County HIgh School Art Show,” March 1-30 staaa.org

STELLERS GALLERY

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

THRASHER-HORNE CENTER GALLERY

• Works by Thomas H. Nagata, Yamel Molerio and John Gerstner, ongoing thcenter.org

TOUCHÉ GALLERY

touchegallery.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

• “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 exhibi tion yellowhouseart.org

ONGOING

Art Walk: March 2

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 Vag abond 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: March. 9 and 23

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: March. 2, 9, 26, 23 and 30

Artists, artisans and makers display their original paintings, jewelry, photo graphs, 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: March 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: March 16

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

JME LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade,2022

TURNER VISION

Words by Shelton Hull

Tina Turner, who died May 24, 2023, was born Ida Mae Bullock in Brownsville, Tennessee, dying in a Swiss chalet some 83 years later. An entire world lay between those locations, and that world was greatly influenced by her career, which began when she met Ike Turner in St. Louis in 1956. She made her first record at 19, and their first as an act in 1960. That partnership lasted for 16 years, which, of course, was much longer than it should have.

The details of their relationship — and her subsequent rebirth as a solo artist — was the basis of “I, Tina”, a 1986 book with a fascinating butterfly effect: “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” the 1993 movie based on the book, helped launch the careers of stars Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne, while the book’s co-writer, Kurt Loder, was later tapped to develop what became MTV News. It also helped establish the musical biopic as a lucrative mainstream film genre, the ripple effects of which can be seen (literally) in cinemas right now. This second phase of her career, which lasted about triple the time of the first, is the period of time which most fans today will be most familiar with. After her passing, Tom Szaroleta of “The Florida Times-Union” did the yeoman work of combing through the digital record of Turner’s tours, noting 30 concerts between 1970 and 2008. Amazingly, Tina Turner herself never performed in Jacksonville, but local audiences are now being graced with the next-best possible thing: “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical,” showing March 5-10 at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.

The lead role is being split across the eight shows in this run with Ari Groover and Paris Lewis each playing the protagonist across every era of Turner’s long and lucrative career. Roz White plays her mom Zelma Bullock in a cast also featuring Wydetta Carter as Gran Georgeanna, Sarah Bockel as Rhonda, and Deon Releford-Lee as Ike Turner. The ensemble includes Daelyanna Kelly Benson, Antonio Beverly, Ben Bogen, Karen Burthwright, Aliyah Caldwell, Brianna Cameron, Max Falls, Zachary Freier-Harrison, Reyna Guerra, Gordia Hayes, Takia Hopson, Geoffrey Kidwell, Symphony King, Gigi Lewis, Natalia Nappo, Wildlin Pierrevil, Gerard M. Williams, Nia Nelson-Williams, Terance Reddick, Shari Washington Rhone, Eric Siegle, Kristopher Stanley Ward, Christine Suddeth and Jeff Sullivan.

Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, the musical debuted in London’s iconic West End in April 2018. Hall is also a past Tony Award nominee, as are director Phyllida Lloyd, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, costume designer Mark Thompson, lighting director Bruno Poet, sound director Nevin Steinberg, projection designer Jeff Sugg and orchestrator Ethan Popp. It has since been featured in Germany, Spain, Australia and the Netherlands, as well as the US, where it ran on Broadway (receiving 12 Tony nominations in November 2019), pausing after the pandemic brought the entire industry to a halt in 2020. It resumed in October 2021 before ultimately closing in August 2022, after some 509 performances. Many of the cast and crew of the production in Jacksonville were part of its original Broadway incarnation, so they know this material like it’s second nature.

These types of tribute shows, which the FSCJ Artist Series specializes in, are really well done with leading professionals on board in every position. In the post-pandemic era, touring productions like these can be very profitable, while giving the talent national exposure in between their various stints on and off Broadway. It’s practically become its own circuit, in a way, with new shows coming through almost weekly, and plenty of room for more.

Turner won 12 Grammy Awards in her career (with 25 nominations), and she’s been enshrined, inducted, ensconced in every hall of fame and walk of fame and critical “best of” list that one can think of. This production occurs with consent and cooperation with Turner’s estate, and she personally approved of its production during her lifetime. Its success certainly helps ensure that Tina Turner and her legacy will never be forgotten, but let’s be honest: There was never any chance that she will ever be forgotten.

NEW MUSIC RELEASES

Made For You By Amiyah Golden

“PARALLEL REALMS”

I was quite hesitant about sharing this gem of a band with the public, but I love all the talented beings that makeup Strfkr too much to gatekeep.

The Oregon band has completely derailed my musical experience (in the best way possible) since my discovery of them a couple of years back, and it was taken to an even greater height when I got to see them live in concert last year where I was transported to a realm of electronic bliss. The best way I can interpret their sound is that it makes you want to float away to places that only exist in dreams.

“Parallel Realms” is their latest album with the group blessing us with four early release singles: “Together Forever”, “Under Water/In Air”, “Always/Never” and “Amatron.” The songs feel like a nod to groove — while still encompassing their distinct electro sound, no doubt — but gravitate toward a sound that feels like a trippy embrace.

I’m so excited to hear the rest of the project with a 2024 tour accompanying the release. Although I’m upset that the band won’t be doing any Florida shows, I will be willing to travel far and wide to experience the delight I felt being in the presence of one of my favorite ensembles.

The Atlanta native who has made major strides in the world of indie love ballads has decided to share her most recent album, “Underdressed at the Symphony,” with us!

When whispers of a feature from rapper Lil Yachty were circling, excitement for the project grew twice over. With fans of the Georgia alternative-rapper deciding to check out Webster’s discography and vice versa, it has started discourse amongst artists branching out regarding genre.

Webster owns a voice that is soft and mellow, whilst conveying tales of her own experiences.

“Going to the symphony was almost like therapy for me. I was quite literally underdressed at the symphony because I would just decide at the last moment that that’s what I wanted to do. I got to leave what I felt like was kind of a shitty time in my life and be in this different world for a minute. I liked that I didn’t feel like I belonged.” Webster told Bandcamp.

SCHOOLBOY

Q

After five years, the noteworthy rapper has reemerged into the world of hip-hop with his recent brainchild, “Blue Lips.”

The TDE artist has given fans a 17-track album to make up for his departure. There hasn’t been confirmation of any features, but that doesn’t serve as a problem as it could solely highlight ScHoolboy Q’s unique sound!

Q has also shared the multi-faceted meaning behind the title of his project, Blue Lips, on behalf of his label:

“1. speechless, especially as the temporary result of shock or some strong emotion. 2. (of a person or mood) shocked, speechless, or embarrassed; the crowd gave me blue lips – n. 1. A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something. 2. Coon; they were coonin – v. 1. become fully aware of (something) as a fact; understand clearly.”

Accompanying his epic release, the artist also released a vlog series, “wHy not,” giving fans a peek into the process of his project.

“BLUE LIPS”

STRFKR

FAYE

Despite recent controversy, Ariana Grande has announced her latest LP, “Eternal Sunshine.”

This album comes after the release of her single, “yes, and?” which received much love through social media with the singer announcing a deluxe version of the song featuring Mariah Carey.

Grande took to her Instagram story in early February with a post that read: “I think this one may be your favorite. It is mine,” causing a stir amongst stans about what is to be expected from the popstar.

“ETERNAL SUNSHINE”

It’s been two years since the release of Musgraves’ latest project although her voice hasn’t been absent as she has had a recent feature on the cinematic EP, “Bob Marley: One Love,” with her own rendition of Marley’s song, “Three Little Birds.”

Now the country singer is giving us a personal project titled, “Deeper Well,” telling fans, “It’s a collection of songs I hold very dear to my heart. I hope it makes a home in all of your hearts, too.”

To partner her album, the singer has also released a zine; an 84-page book full of various photos, lyrics, a CD and Musgraves’ thoughts behind the making of her album. The zine is only available via her website, Barnes and Noble and indie record shops.

I sense that this project will encapsulate much of Musgraves’ personal and musical journey with the 14-track LP serving as a space to release.

“WORLD WIDE WHACK”

TIERRA WHACK

The Philadelphia rapper will be releasing her album, “World Wide Whack,” this March, and I can’t wait.

With an internal/external colorful aura and sound, Whack has decided to put her world into another project that we can be a part of.

“I was in a dark place for a long time and no one knew. I found my way out and made a choice to keep living. I wanna be completely transparent with my ‘whackos’ because I’m human just like you, and we all have rough days. The key is to keep going! Be kind … you never know what someone else is going through. For the longest time I felt like I didn’t belong, but now I know what I do and my hope is for other people to know that too,” Whack revealed via Instagram.

With stellar visuals to go along with her releases, Whack continues to excite fans with what is yet to come!

ARIANA GRANDE

“DEEPER WELL”

KASEY MUSGRAVES

CONCERTS

MARCH 1

Steve Hacket: Genesis Revisited Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Alice Wallace Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 2

The Beach Boys St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

Grupo Niche Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Kill Tactik Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

MARCH 3

The Sweet Lillies Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 4

Billy Doom Is Dead Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

The Pentagram String Band Underbelly underbellyjax.com

Marbin Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 5

Bryan Adams Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com

ZZ Top Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Stick Men Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 6

Pink Martini Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Photo by Carmen Macri

Dave Mason

Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Nick Shoulders and the Okay Crawdad Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 7

The Stews

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Deadphish Orchestra

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 8

Legends of the Billy Joel Band: The Lords of 52nd Street Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Chambers-Des Lauriers Band Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 8-9

Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org

MARCH 9

Zach Williams Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Starship ft. Mickey Thomas Thrasher-Horne Center, Orange Park thcenter.org

Suburban Clay

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

1K Phew

Murray Hill Theatre murrayhilltheatre.com

Mom Jeans

Underbelly underbellyjax.com

Sauce Boss

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 10

Extreme with Living Coloür Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Scott Stapp

Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Bikini Trill

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Albert Castiglia

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 11

Gino Vanelli Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Shawn Mullins w/Chelsea Saddler Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 12

Foreigner: The Farewell Tour St. Augustine Amphitheaatre theamp.com

Bob Dylan

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxevents.com

The Temptations & The Four Tops Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Greg Koch ft. The Kock Marshal Trio Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 13

Brad “Scarface” Jordan Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

The Green w/Mike Love Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 14

Tim McGraw

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com

Magnify String Quartet

Murray Hill Theatre murrayhilltheatre.com

Crown the Empire Underbelly underbellyjax.com

Wheatus

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 15

Get the LED Out Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Almost ABBA: Tribute to ABBA Thrasher-Horne Center thcenter.org

MARCH 15-16

“Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” in Concert

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.com

Surfer Girl

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 16

Fall Out Boy

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com

Colin Hay

Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Tedeschi & Trucks St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

The Rat Pack Thrasher-Horne Center, Orange Park thcenter.org

Anthony Anurca and Paul Hanson: Works for Bassoon and Electronics Friday Musicale fridaymusicale.com

Noah Gundersen

Bier Hall at Intuition Hall intuitionaleworks.com

Wishbone Ash

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Gouge Away

Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 17

The Weight Band Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Mr. Crowley: The Ozzy Osbourne Experience Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Jimmy Vivino

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 19

Jim Lauderdale

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 20

TimaLikesMusic

Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Turnover

Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 21

Emery & The Almost Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Taylor Roberts & Jonathan Dotson Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 22

Little River Band

Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Kelsey Karter & The Heroines Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Will Evans

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

Ordinary Boys: Tribute to The Smith & Morrisssey Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 22-23

Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration! Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org

MARCH 23

Lynne Arriale Trio Friday Musicale fridaymusicale.com

The Understudies Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 22-24

Widespread Panic St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com

MARCH 23

Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

MARCH 24

Indigenous

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 26

Joe Satriani & Steve Vai Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Joel Klein Friday Musicale fridaymusicale.com

Afroman w/Kelp

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 27

Legs. The Band Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

MARCH 28

Nell Diamond Celebration: I Am … He Said Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Rik Jam

Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

MARCH 29

Derek Gripper / Ballaké Sissoko Friday Musicale fridaymusicale.com

The Marones (Ramones tribute band) and Heart of Glass (Blondie tribute band) Underbelly underbellyjax.com

MARCH 30

Joey Fatone & AJ McLean: A Legendary Night Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com

Al Stewart Ponte Vedra Concert Hall pvconcerthall.com

Brent Cobb Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com

Caleb Caulde w/Van Plating Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine originalcafe11.com

Annabella suffered a meniscus tear but thanks to Injury Care Centers & our Biotarget Therapy she was back on the field in only 3 weeks.

SPRING EVENTS AND FESTIVALS COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU

Words by Briana Pereira

As the wonderful season of spring quickly approaches and the weather continues to grow warmer, I know I’m itching for some outdoor activities to occupy my free time. Here’s a list of some of the events I’m most looking forward to in the coming months.

CLAY COUNTY STRAWBERRY FEST

March 2-March 3

Held at the Clay County Fairgrounds, the eighth annual Clay County Strawberry Fest is one of this list’s more family-friendly events. In addition to delicious, fresh strawberries, participants can enjoy beer and wine, and other delicious food. The festival also has arts and crafts, pony rides with a free petting zoo, and live entertainment. Start the spring season off right with some fresh fruit and family fun.

claycountyfest.com

ST. AUGUSTINE CELTIC MUSIC & HERITAGE FESTIVAL

March 8 - March 10

Taking place in what is America’s Oldest City is the St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival. The festival showcases some of the best international and U.S. Celtic bands, highland games, a parade, whiskey tasting, Celtic food and much more.

celticstaugustine.com

RIVERWALK PARK SEAFOOD FEST

March 9

Spanning the Southern intracoastal in Daytona Beach is Riverwalk Park, site of the Riverwalk Park Seafood Fest. Entry to the event is free, and there are plenty of seafood (and non-seafood) items available for purchase from local vendors. The event is family friendly, and there is a playground and splash pad that kids can use during the day. eventbrite.com

SPRING BREAK REGGAE FEST

March 29-30

In the beautiful Ponce Inlet is Jerry’s Tiki Bar, which hosts its 13th Annual Spring Break Reggae Festival. The festival includes headliners such as BALLYHOO! and Alex Marley. On the 30th, the event will host a beach clean up starting at 11 a.m. There will be vendors and jams for everyone to enjoy. eventbrite.com

RIVER JAMS

April 4, 11, 18 and 25

Now, River Jams might just be the hottest event(s) of the season! With free shows happening in Downtown every Thursday of the month, River Jams not something you’re going to want to miss. In addition to national headliners and local openers, the events will have onsite food trucks and bars showcasing local craft beers and spirits.

April 4: Country singer Rodney Atkins headlines with Levon, Jackie Stranger and Rambler Kane opening

April 11: Alternative, electro-pop musician Bishop Briggs headlines with Future Joy, Kenzie’s Place, Kale That Raps and Coyboi opening

April 18: Hip-hop Duo EARTHGANG headlines with L.O.V.E. Culture ft. Ebonique, Wahid and Mr. Al Pete; Jeff Skigh ft. BayBro; Figga Da Kid, King Ca$hes and Twicee; and Full Plate Fam opening

April 25: Pop singer-songwriter, Andy Grammer headlines with Let’s Ride Brass Band, The Apostle Floyd Encounter and Madison Hughes opening

I am personally super excited for all of these artists (although ’tween me is shaking over Andy Grammer — IDK about you) and am definitely keeping them in my Spotify shuffle to make sure I’m set come April. DTJax on Spotify is so real for making a Jax River Jams 2024 playlist, so I don’t have to hunt for every single artist: All of their top hits are already in one place.

I know that my Folio besties, and I will definitely be spending our Thursday evenings at the River Jams enjoying the music and taking in the spring nights with a bev or two in hand. How about you?

dtjax.com/jax-river-jams

CLAY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL FAIR

April 4-14

Since 1987, the Clay County Agricultural Fair has provided Northeast Florida with an event that is both fun and educational for families. The event runs for 11 days and has live performers daily, rides, fair food favorites, vendors, contents and a petting zoo. There is plenty for everyone at the fair, and it’s the perfect event for any age, day or night.

claycountyfair.org

SPRINGING THE BLUES

April 5-7

The Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach is home to the 32nd Annual Springing in the Blues Festival. The festival is a free, outdoor blues music festival that celebrates one of America’s most popular indigenous musical forms and features national, regional and local blues artists on not just one, but two stages.

springingtheblues.com

JACKSONVILLE BRUNCH FESTIVAL

April 7

Now to say I’m excited for this would be the understatement of the year. As for myself, I am a certified mimosa lover. And for my friends who just can’t do the bubbles, don’t even worry about it, they got you covered with the bloody marys too. Everyone loves a Sunday brunch moment, and lucky for you (and me) April 7 just so happens to be, yeah you guessed it, a Sunday! So text your friends and get your tickets because it’s time to grub on some delicious brunch classics while enjoying live music. I heard they’re even going to have silent disco in the evening for my dancing queens (and kings).

jaxbrunchfest.com

FERNANDINA BEACH SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL

April 11-14

With over 17 songwriters performing at the 2024 Songwriters Festival over three days, this is guaranteed to be one of the hottest events of the weekend. The list of artists are available on their website, and they have tickets available for purchase for more intimate shows at local venues in addition to the free performances throughout the weekend. fernandinasongwriterfestival.com

DAYTONA BEACH ARTS FEST

April 13-14

Focused on presenting an art immersive experience to the public, the Daytona Beach Art Fest brings local art initiatives together with the community. The festival will feature exhibitions, local music, live painting competitions and more. It’s the perfect way to relax along the Riverfront. daytonabeachartsfest.com

RIVERWALK PARK FOOD TRUCK FEST

April 20

A little bit south of Daytona Beach, might be a little bit of a drive for some, but it’s definitely something that all of my foodies will want to be at. The event will have over 15 vendors cooking up both sweet and savory dishes, YUM! The park has a splash pad and playground perfect for the kiddos. The event will also have live music for everyone to enjoy. eventbrite.com

ISLE OF EIGHT FLAGS SHRIMP FEST FERNANDINA BEACH

May 3-5

If you love seafood, this weekend definitely has your name written all over it. In addition to the array of fresh shrimp and other seafood dishes at the event, the festival’s fine arts and crafts show highlights over 300 award-winning craftspeople and artists. There are also antiques and collectibles booths, live music, contests and an iconic festival parade for everyone to enjoy. shrimpfestival.com

DUVAL DE MAYO

May 5

This is for all of my Tacos & Tequila fest lovers (it’s me; I’m the Taco & Tequila Fest lover). But seriously, what better way can you think to spend Cinco de Drinko than at a new festival showcasing the tastiest tacos in town and authentic Mexican cuisine all from local vendors. There will also be craft cocktails (margs being the specialty, of course) and beer, live music, live muralists and a green area for people to lounge and enjoy the vibes of the festival. duvaldemayo.com

WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE

May 9-12

With five stages this year and 150 bands featured over the course of four days, Welcome to Rockville is not something you’re going to want to miss. If you are into the heavy metal and rock scene, I highly recommend you find your people and enjoy all that this festival, taking place in Daytona Beach, has to offer. In addition to the hundreds of performers, the festival also has amusement rides, a giant water slide, art, and of course delectable food and drink selections. welcometorockville.com

JACKSONVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL

May 23-26

This is one festival that will fill the streets of Jax with sweet sounds and much more. For over 40 years, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has united music enthusiasts for a weekend full of food, drinks, special events, jams and community.

jacksonvillejazzfest.com

SOFT is FOr LoverS

As sound continues to evolve around us, it continues to create a space for experimentation, radical storytelling, and liberated creativity that allow artists to elevate to new heights. It bridges gaps and continues to clear the way for the release of epic sonic waves that are shared, serving as an experience to unify souls.

While music has always been a space of profound freedom, when it comes to individual and collective expression, it doesn’t escape the confines of what artistry is often assumed to be— a stark box that often inhabits the pressures of assimilation and juxtaposition. As representation in the world of music begins to come around, it doesn’t minimize the relevance of highlighting Queer voices - especially in the Jacksonville community - and local music duo SOFT, does just that!

Composed of queer lovers Ary (she/they) and Simmy (she/they) the two have joined harmonies to create “bedroom dream pop,” a style of music often pulling notes from an indie sound with electronic instrumentation. Often feathered into the “lofi” realm, the emerging genre of ‘dream pop’ is quite infinite with so many artists possessing an individual sound, whilst still being rooted in the contemporary melodies that make up this sub-genre.

“We strive to create sound and energy that embodies love, tenderness, and whimsy.” resounded the couple.

And they have fulfilled their intentions with their first single, “Outside.” This song now serving as my personal anthem to further encourage my main-character-syndrome. Perfectly embodying the right amount of glee while still campaigning that “I’m that girl!”

As the pair continue to perform around the city, they proceed to break numerous molds. While charting the territories of performing in a novel genre as Black and Queer individuals, they continue to open the stage to the encouragement of alternative melodic exploration in the Black space.

“[Our] mission is to bring Black Queer voices to the Bedroom Pop Genre.”

While many Black artists often are perceived as monolithic; the idea that they all exist inside this rigid archetype, often trying to squeeze Black artistry into that stark white box we talked about in the beginning, it continues to be disproven as we unearth the immense diversity of talent within our city.

Our perception often limits the boundless echoes that stir amongst these artists.

Not only do the two continue to revise the soundscape of Jacksonville but they also illuminate what love looks like – fluid and unapologetic – evident in their gazes upon each other and their unwavering support for their collaborative craft.

I honor the ability to witness the Jacksonville art scene continue to expand as people begin to embrace their individuality, their identity, and their purpose. Reshaping the framework of what’s to be presumed.

“We ST rive t O creaT e SO und and energy T hat emb O dies l O ve, T endernes S , and W him S y.” resounded T he c O uple.

So, for all my musical explorers out there, I’m expecting you to give this rising duo a listen; and with the anticipation of new music dropping for the new year, I urge you to follow SOFT on their various platforms below, so you don’t miss out!

I don’t know about you but it’s definitely feeling like a “dream pop”/house-music type of summer…

Instagram: @musicbysoft

Apple Music: SOFT

BY BITE

BITE

Cliff’s Bar & Grill cliffsbarandgrill.com

Fancy Sushi & Grill Japanese Restaurant fancysushiandgrill.com

ARLINGTON

Fuji Sushi fujisushi-fl.com

The Good Place Nutrition facebook.com/thegoodplacenutrition

Grinders American Diner grindersamdiner.com

La Palmerita orderlapalmerita.com

ABBQ abbqmeatdrink.com

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

BEACHES/ Intracoastal West

Coop 303 coop303.com

Eleven South elevensouth.com

Engine 15 Brewing Company engine15.com

European Street Cafe europeanstreet.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

Rice + Noodles Korean Restaurant riceandnoodles.net

Seven Wonders Restaurant 7wondersbakery.com

Southern Coast Seafood southerncoastseafood.com

Tabouleh Cafe taboulehcafe.com

Thai & Lao Bistro thaiandlaobistro.com

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

Kamiya 86 kamiya86fl.com

Lone Wolf Co. lonewolfjax.com

Marker 32 marker32.com Mezzaluna mezzalunajax.com

Mojo Kitchen mojobbq.com/mojo-kitchen

Nona Blue Modern Tavern nonablue.com

North Beach Fish Camp thenorthbeachfishcamp.com

Oaxaca Club theoaxacaclub.com

O-Ku o-kusushi.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

Salumeria 104 Atlantic Beach salumeria104.com

DOWNTOWN

Singleton’s Seafood Shack singletonsseafood.com

Sliders Oyster Bar slidersoysterbar.com

Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com

TacoLu tacolu.com

Bellweather bellwetherjax.com

The Bread and Board thebreadandboard.com

The Brick Coffee House brickcoffeehouse.com

Burrito Gallery burritogallery.com

Cowford Chophouse cowfordchophouse.com

Casa Dora Italian Cafe facebook.com/casadorajax

De Real Ting Cafe facebook.com/derealtingcafe

Estrella Cocina estrellajax.com

The Happy Grilled Cheese thehappygrilledchees.wixsite.com/grilledcheese

Indochine indochinejax.com

Berndt Ends BBQ facebook.com/berndtendsbbq

Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro bluebamboojacksonville.com

ChopHouse Thirteen chophouse13.com

Enza’s Italian Restaurant enzas.net

ISO ISO Ramen isoisoramen.com

Julington Creek Fish Camp julingtoncreekfishcamp.com

Kazu Japanese Restaurant kazujapaneserestaurant.com

Le Petit Paris French Cafe lepetitparisjax.com

Two Dudes Seafood Restaurant twodudesrestaurant.com

Valley Smoke BBQ valleysmoke.com Vicious Biscuit viciousbiscuit.com

Juliette’s Bistro at Marriott Jacksonville Downtown marriott.com

Morton’s The Steakhouse mortons.com

Ocean Street Tacos oceanstreettacos.com

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

The River Club jaxriverclub.com

Spliff’s Gastropub spliffsgastropub.com

Super Food & Brew superfoodandbrew.com

Sweet Pete’s sweetpetescandy.com

Tavern at the Hyatt Regency hyatt.com

Mandola’s Italian Kitchen mandolas.com

Masala Indian Cuisine jaxmasala.com

One Night Taco Stand onenightjax.com

Picasso’s Pizzeria jaxpicassos.wixsite.com/jaxpicassos

Rosy’s Restaurant rosys-restaurant.business.site

Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe tazikis.com

Umami Japanese Curry & Ramen umamijax.com

Wicked Barley Brewing Company wickedbarley.com

MURRAY HILL NORTHSIDE RIVERSIDE & AVONDALE

Bold Birds Nashville Hot Chicken boldbirdshotchicken.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

Fuji Yama fujiyamajax.com

Green Papaya Pan Asian Cuisine greenpapayaus.com

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

The Jungle Bowl facebook.com/thejunglebowl

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

Masala Mantra masalamantrajax.com

13 Gypsies 13gypsies.com

904 Tacos facebook.com/904tacosfivepoints

Ale Pie House alepiehousefl.com

Arepa Please arepaplease.com

Bagel Love bagel-love.ueniweb.com

Biggie’s Pizza biggiespizzajax.com

Biscottis biscottis.net

The Blue Fish bluefishjax.com

Blue Buddha bluebuddhaspecialty.com

Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine blueorchidthai.com

Moon River Pizza moonriverpizza.net

Murray Hillbilly murrayhillbilly.com

Solazo Taqueria solazofl.business.site

The Stout Snug thestoutsnug.com

Vagabond Coffee Co. vagabondcoffee.com

The Walrus thewalrusjax.com

Nagasaki Japanese Restaurant nagasakisushirestaurant.com

New Berlin Fish House & Oyster Bar newberlinfishhouse.com

Ship 2 Shore Seafood & Steak ship2shoreseafood.com

Sushi Zen Jax sushizenfl.kwickmenu.com

Terry’s Grill facebook.com/terrysgrill

Bold Bean boldbeancoffee.com

Brew Five Points brewfivepoints.co

Carolina Jax carolinajax.com

Carmines Pie House carminespiehouse.com

Cool Moose Cafe coolmoosecafe.net

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

Josephine josephineavondale.com

Kickbacks Gastropub kickbacksgastropub.com

Kingmaker Brewing kingmakerbrewing.com

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

The Mossfire Grill mossfire.com

Nacho Taco nachotaco.net

Pattaya Thai Grill pattayathaijax.com

1937 1937sanmarco.com

Bar Molino barmolino.com

bb’s bbsrestaurant.com

The Bearded Pig thebeardedpigbbq.com

Bistro X Restaurant and Lounge bistrox.com

Chart House chart-house.com

European Street Cafe europeanstreet.com

Fla. Juice and Bowl flajuiceandbowl.com

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

Fuji Sushi jacksonvillefujisushi.com

The Local thelocaljax.com

Pizza Cave

facebook.com/pizzacave5pts Restaurant Orsay restaurantorsay.com

River & Post riverandpostjax.com

Sake House sakehousejax.com

Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com

S & R Dim Sum srdimsumjax.com

Sushi Cafe sushicafejax.com

Sweet Theory Baking Company sweettheorybakingco.com

Taqueria Cinco taqueria5points.com

Matthew’s Restaurant matthewsrestaurant.com

The Metro Diner metrodiner.com

The Olive Tree Mediterranean Grille theolivetreemediterraneangrille.com

Peterbrooke peterbrooke.com/pages/san-marco

Pink Salt Restaurant + Wine Bar pinksaltrestaurant.com

Rue Saint-Marc ruesaintmarc.com

Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com

Taverna taverna.restaurant

Town Hall townhalljax.com

V Pizza vpizza.com

SPRINGFIELD SOUTHSIDE

1748 Bakehouse 1748bakehouse.com

Caribbean Sunrise Bakery & Restaurant caribbeansunrisebakery.com

Crispy’s Springfield Gallery facebook.com/CrispysSpringfieldGallery

Flavva flavvajacksonville.com

Island Tropics Restaurant facebook.com/Island-Tropics-Restaurant-Lounge

Tha Soulfood Smagicians facebook.com/thasmagicians

The Dreamette dreametteicecream.com

III Forks 3forks.com/location/jacksonville

4 Rivers Smokehouse 4rsmokehouse.com

Amazing Thai Restaurant amazingthaijax.com

Bazille at Nordstrom nordstrom.com

Blaze Pizza blazepizza.com

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

Culhane’s Irish Pub culhanesirishpub.com

The French Pantry thefrenchpantryfl.com

Ahadu Ethiopian Restaurant ahadu-ethiopian-restaurant.business.site

Banana Leaf Asian Bistro facebook.com/bananaleafasianbistro

WESTSIDE

Cross Creek Steakhouse and Ribs crosscreeksteakhouse.com

Ellianos Coffee ellianos.com

The Juicy Crab thejuicycrabjax.com

La Perla Mexican Restaurant orderlaperlamexicanrestaurant.com

Lewey’s Seafood and Wings leweys-seafood-wings.business.site

The District thedistrictspr.com

Hola Mexican Restaurant holajax.com

Social Grounds Coffee Roasters social-grounds-coffee.myshopify.com

Strings Sport Brewery stringssportsbrewery.com

Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar meetatsilkies.com

Uptown Kitchen and Bar uptownkitchenjax.com

Waafa and Mike’s Cafe facebook.com/waafaandmikes

Galaxy Burger galaxyburgersjax.com

Mr. Potato Spread mrpotatospread.com

Midtown Table midtowntable.medurebrothers.com

Prati Italia pratiitalia.com

Seasons 52 seasons52.com

Taste of Thai tasteofthaijax.com

Texas de Brazil texasdebrazil.com Mesa mesajax.com

The Metro Diner metrodiner.com

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

Puerto Plata Restaurant puertoplatarestaurant.com

Sushi Bear sushibearjax.com

Trent’s Seafood jltrents.com

If I’m being completely honest with you, readers, this review was probably one of the toughest I’ve ever had to write. As someone who loves a good Taco Tuesday with friends, I’ve become quite the frequent chips and guacamole consumer. That being said, I’ve also definitely (and unfortunately) had some very mediocre guacs in my lifetime. But when I tell you, none of these places were that, I mean, damn did these places give one another a run for their money. Also apologies to our readers that are not avocado fans, we got you with the best queso in Jax here soon.

THE HUNT: FINDING THE BEST GUACAMOLE IN

Words by Briana Pereira

TAQUERIA CINCO 4.3/5

Taqueria Cinco, a spot very familiar for the faces of “Folio,” is located in the heart of Five Points. The location is a small hole in the wall with a unique interior and a very green-influenced outdoor space. With this quickly becoming one of my new favorite spots and its location hitting the Riverside neighborhoods of Jax, I knew it was the perfect place to include it in my hunt.

In the Street Food section on their menu is the guacamole and for $11 you get an order of their guac served with chips and topped with cilantro, onion and a lime wedge. The order is also served with sides of two different salsas. I personally really enjoyed the flavor profile of the salsa verde. As far as the guac, I really liked the texture and acidity level of it, but I personally enjoy my guac extra citrus-y. In addition to the traditional style, you can elevate your guac and make it “Chingon style” which is adding jalapeño, tomato and tajin to the traditional ingredients for a small upcharge. Portion wise it is definitely enough to either keep your mouth occupied while waiting for the rest of your food to come out or even as a small snack, but I don’t think there can ever be such a thing as too much guac.

4/5

FRESH-MEX & CO.

Fresh-Mex & Co. is a new spot for me , thanks to my intern buddy Jillian and our shared love for some good Tex-Mex. Located in the St. Johns Town Center, it’s in a pretty centralized spot for all of my Jax people. The interior is very clean and modern, and when the weather is nice, which it has been recently, the bar is open on both sides, with seats on their patio, as well, allowing lots of fresh air in.

You will find their guac and chips under the Starters portion of their menu for $8.90. The order comes with their guac made with avocado, diced tomato, fresh cilantro and lime, served with a heap of chips. I personally love tomatoes in my guac, the chunkier she is the better in my opinion. But the one thing their guac misses in my opinion is some onion. I love it with a little bite as well. Portion wise, I felt like the guac to chip ratio was a little bit on the weaker side. I’m definitely a heavy scooper, but I felt like I had to ration out my scoops in order to make sure I didn’t go through it too quickly. Overall, still a super tasty guac and I will definitely be getting it again.

ATMOSPHERE: 4.5/5

GUACAMOLE: 4.5/5

PRICE: $11

PORTION VS. PRICE: 4/5

OVERALL: 4.3/5

ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

GUACAMOLE: 4.5/5

PRICE: $8.90

PORTION VS. PRICE: 3.5/5

OVERALL: 4/5

FLYING IGUANA 4.5/5

Situated in the hub of Neptune Beach you’ll find this fan favorite. With a dim interior and lots of tables, it’s perfect for both date night or a night out with friends. They also have a great patio space for the summer time as well, it’s definitely somewhere I’ll be frequenting post-beach days this summer!

Under their Antojitos or Starters menu section you’ll find their chips and guac. The item is described to be made with jalapeño, tomato, red onion, cilantro and lime, prepared table side — how fun!? I personally love this. Not only is it interactive and fun, but you get to control what ingredients go into it, though, this recipe already seems to have what makes up my “perfect” guac.

TACO LU 4.3/5

Taco Lu was the first Mexican inspired spot I visited when I first moved to Jacksonville back in August 2020. Since then, I have enjoyed many orders of chips and guac while sipping margs and with my friends; it’s easily been one of my favorite spots. Located right over the Intracoastal on Beach Boulevard is where you’ll find this gem. The decor of this spot is everything. Both inside and outside the location is decorated uniquely with empty bottles, crosses, and bright colors, something everyone has to experience at least once. I can’t say I’ve ever been to the Lu, and it hasn’t been packed, that is any day but Monday, because everyone knows on Monday’s it’s “No Taco For You.” Despite being busy they always seem to have a spot for everyone, even offering complimentary valet parking to make sure they can accommodate the masses.

Their guac is found under their Let’s Get Started section on their menu and goes for $9.99. It comes prepared with fresh avocados, roasted garlic, cilantro and lime, paired with chips and topped with roasted pepitas to add some crunch. I personally think the pepitas are the highlight of the dish, but as I said before, I like some texture and different flavor profiles. Taco Lu’s is great, just a little bit on the smoother side for my liking. Portions wise, their chip to dip ratio is good and overall fair for what you’re paying for.

ATMOSPHERE: 4/5

GUACAMOLE: 5/5

PRICE: $14

PORTION VS. PRICE: 4.5/5

OVERALL: 4.5/5

ATMOSPHERE: 5/5

GUACAMOLE: 4/5

PRICE: $9.99

PORTION VS. PRICE: 4/5

OVERALL: 4.3/5

As I said in my intro spiel, all of these guacs gave one another a run for their money and most of my critiques came down to pe rsonal preferences. Flying Iguana had to take the lead not only because of the delicious flavors within their guac, but the experience that comes with getting guac there. Something about that tableside service just makes it feel 10 times more authentic. So if you’re in the mood for a good chips and guac moment, I highly recommend hitting up any of these places and seeing which hits the spot best for you.

SEEING YOUR WAY AROUND NORTHEAST FLORIDA, ONE IRISH PUB AT A TIME

Words by Briana Pereira

March 17, a day famous for drinking your day away decked out in green apparel while toasting leprechauns. St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect occasion for a bar crawl.

A little history behind the holiday and all of its glory before moving on to the fun stuff. St. Patrick’s Day honors the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick (in case it wasn’t clear yet). The holiday first took place in 1631, 12 centuries after St. Patrick died, when the church started a Feast Day to honor him. There is little known about the life of St. Patrick, but here’s what we do know, according to Marion Casey, a clinical assistant professor of Irish Studies at NYU. He was born around 386 AD as a Roman-British citizen (because Britain was Roman at the time). Casey said he was enslaved and taken to Ireland, where he either escaped or was released, then went on to become a priest and returned to Ireland, “where he had a lot of luck converting the Druid culture into Christians.” His luck is said to be the root of all of the modern day celebrations that come with St. Patrick’s Day today. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was organized by Irish soldiers in America and today the holiday is still marked by lively parades and pub celebrations. While the historical accuracy of St. Patrick’s deeds may vary, the festivities focus on camaraderie, beer and traditional Irish fare like corned beef and cabbage.

WHERE TO CELEBRATE:

ANN O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB & DELI, ST. AUGUSTINE

Called “The Local’s Local,” Ann O’Malley’s is where you go to be treated like one of their own. It’s the perfect place for a pint, a delicious sandwich or to watch a game. They have pub quiz nights, live music, daily specials and open mic night — something for everyone.

DONOVAN’S IRISH PUB, ST. AUGUSTINE

Donovan’s take’s pride in their food and cocktails. With live music every Saturday night, trivia on Monday nights, and AYCE fish and chips on Wednesdays, they really are a fun time every night of the week.

EMERALD GOAT, YULEE

All right, my Yulee babies, I tried for y’all and here’s what I was able to come across. The Emerald Goat has a ton to it. It’s the perfect place to kick back with some friends, listen to live music, play pool and enjoy a pint. They have over 90 beers and 70 whiskeys in house and take pride in being a true Irish pub.

LYNCH’S IRISH PUB, JACKSONVILLE BEACH

A favorite with Jax beach bar fanatics, this is absolutely where you will catch me without a doubt almost every Friday and Saturday right around 1:30 a.m. The decor and vibes are everything, and not just at night. With live music, trivia, bingo, happy hour, over 40 beers on tap, food, and a weekend brunch there’s really nothing this place misses on. As an English Premier League fan, I certainly appreciate the pub showing games, which always brings a good atmosphere if you like the crowd.

MEEHAN’S IRISH PUB & SEAFOOD HOUSE, ST. AUGUSTINE

Their saying is “Eat, Drink, & Be Irish!” So if that doesn’t tell you what you need to know about this pub I don’t know what will. Meehan’s is really three restaurants in one, but for this crawl we obviously want to focus on its Irish element. It’s the perfect place to have a pint and enjoy some grub, where they have traditional Irish dishes such as corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and more. If your day of fun has worked yourself up an appetite or you anticipate needing to eat prior to a day of drinks, I suggest popping in.

CULHANE’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT, JACKSONVILLE BEACH AND SOUTHSIDE

With two Culhane’s here in Jax, they are definitely a favorite with the locals. Founded by four sisters straight from beautiful Limerick, Ireland back in 2005, it just can’t miss. Their recipes strive to capture their family heritage through unique flavor profiles. They are a lively sports styled pub that shows the English Premier League, rugby and, on occasion, karaoke!

FIONN MACCOOL’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT, PONTE VEDRA BEACH

The pub’s authentic Irish atmosphere will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Emerald Isle. With live entertainment, happy hour, 36 beers on tap, and world class whiskey and scotch selections, Fionn MacCool’s gives you that genuine Irish pub feel.

MICKIE’S IRISH PUB, RIVERSIDE

This quaint little spot in the heart of the King Street District features an Irish food menu accompanied by a full liquor bar, games, an open patio and DJs on certain nights.

THE STOUT SNUG, MURRAY HILL

Located on Edgewood Avenue, the Stout Snug is probably as Irish as it gets, or one of the closest to it here in Jax. In addition to live music, they have delicious food, trivia and a full bar.

TJ’S IRISH PUB, ARLINGTON

A more lowkey pub, with two pool tables, dart boards, shuffleboard, and plenty of beer to go around. If games are your vibe, it’s a great spot for you to swing by for your crawl.

BARLEY REPUBLIC &COCKTAIL BAR, ST. AUGUSTINE

An Irish gastropub located in the heart of historic Downtown St. Augustine, Barley Republic serves a spin on traditional Irish favorites. They also have live music throughout the week and specials to make every night one to enjoy.

“Focus”

Photo submitted by Janice Martin

ARLINGTON

Cliff’s Bar and Grill cliffsbarandgrill.com

Club Heaven clubheavenjax.com

BEACHES/PONTE VEDRA

Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com

The Brix Taphouse jacksonvillebeachbar.com

Casa Marina casamarinahotel.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

NIGHTLIFE

Hoptinger Bier Garden + Sausage House hoptinger.com

Ink Factory Brewing inkfactorybrewing.com

Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com

Jekyll Brewing jekyllbrewing.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

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

The Bier Hall at Intuition Ale Works intuitionaleworks.com/bierhall

Bold City Brewery boldcitybrewery.com

Dos Gatos dosgatosjax.com

Element Bistro Bar & Lounge elementjax.com

Hardwicks hardwicksbarjax.com

Intuition Aleworks intuitionaleworks.com

Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com

Justice Pub facebook.com/thejusticepub

The Lark thelarkjax.com

Live Bar

facebook.com/livebarclubjax

Manifest Distilling Manifestdistilling.com

The RL Lounge therlloungejax.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

The Boot Rack Saloon boot-rack-saloon.business.site

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

6PM

coppertopbarandrestaurant.com

MARCH

FOUR TOPS

13 THE BRAD “SCARFACE” JORDAN BEHIND THE DESK EXPERIENCE

14 MIKE BIRBIGLIA

15 GET THE LED OUT

16 KOUNTRY WAYNE

17 THE CANCELLED PODCAST TOUR WITH TANA MONGEAU AND BROOKE SCHOFIELD

21 AIR SUPPLY

22 TOM PAPA PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL

22 LITTLE RIVER BAND WITH THE JACKSONVILLE ROCK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

23 HOTEL CALIFORNIA: A SALUTE TO THE EAGLES

24 DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD LIVE

APRIL

2 THE JUNGLE BOOK FOR SCHOOLS

3 ASHLEY MCBRYDE - WITH SPECIAL GUEST MEG MCREE

4 SWAN LAKE

5 SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX

6 ORCHESTRA NOIR

7 THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW

11 THE GUESS WHO

12 ETTA MAY AND THE SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKS

13 THERESA CAPUTO

15 ROSIE REVERE, ENGINEER & FRIENDS FOR SCHOOLS

16 BRIT FLOYD

17 RODRIGO Y GABRIELA

18 DON FELDER FORMERLY OF THE EAGLES WITH SPECIAL GUEST PABLO CRUISE & FIREFALL

19 JEREMY CAMP

20 THE FLAMING LIPS

21 AMY GRANT

22 LEONID & FRIENDS

24 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SERIAL KILLERS

25 HANNAH BERNER

27 YELLOW BRICK ROAD – A TRIBUTE TO ELTON JOHN

MAY

JUNE

4 CELTIC THRONE

6 HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR 2024

7 ALI SIDDIQ

22 NATE JACKSON

11 UNTOLD STORIES JULY

AUGUST

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

Incahoots incahootsnightclub.com

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

Riverside Liquors riversideliquors.biz

Rogue Bar facebook.com/rogue.bar.1

Root Down facebook.com/rootdownjax

Shores Liquor and Bar instagram.com/shoresliquoravondale

Wildcrafters facebook.com/wildcraftersjax

SAN MARCO/ST. NICHOLAS 1937 Spirits & Eatery 1937sanmarco.com

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

SOUTHSIDE/ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER

Austin Karaoke facebook.com/austinkaraoke

Bottlenose Brewing bottlenosebrewing.com

Culhane’s culhanesirishpub.com

Dior Restaurant and Lounge instagram.com/diorrestaurantlounge.jax

Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com

Jax Craft Beer jaxcraftbeer.com

Medusa Restaurant and Hookah Lounge facebook.com/medusa-loungejacksonville

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

The District thedistrictspr.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

Your unique life, planned.

Understanding what people are passionate about is how we help them plan for what’s most important. Backed by sophisticated resources, a Raymond James financial advisor gets to know you and everything that makes your life uniquely complex. That’s Life Well Planned.

Will Shepard, MIB, AIF®, AAMS® Financial Advisor 245 Riverside Ave, Suite 500 Jacksonville, FL 32202 D 904.248.5438 O 04.858.4100 will.shepard@raymondjames.com raymondjames.com/shepardandshepard

© 2024 Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. 24-BDMKT-6351 KS 2/24

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