FOLIO STAFF:
ANGELA PHILLIPS Publisher
TERESA SPENCER General Manager
JOHN PHILLIPS Vice President
KERRY SPECKMAN Copy Editor/ Writer
AMBAR RAMIREZ Creative Director
CARMEN MACRI Multi-media Creative/ Social Media Manager/ Lead Writer
SHELTON HULL Writer
AMIYAH GOLDEN Writer/Photographer
KARA CARTER Writer
HARRY MOORE Writer
LORELEI BELANGER Writer
KA’DESH EDWARDS Sports Writer
SAM KAPLAN Photographer/contributor
“We should have listened to Tracy”
Please bare with me as I explain my quoted title above with some background information about myself and my reason for that title.
I have been a music lover my whole life. I have often found myself totally lost in the ‘story’ of a song and personally moved by a songwriter’s lyrics. Time and history has taught me, I am not alone being personally and emotionally moved by song. This brings me to my point.
We all should have listened to Tracy Chapman.
Thirty-two years ago in 1992, this brilliant songwriter crafted a song about gun violence and poverty, titled “Bang, Bang, Bang”. I encourage readers to explore this song for it’s content along with it’s relevance today. Although this song has been analyzed previously due to it’s strong commentary about poverty, drugs, and gun violence, one key takeaway should be the song’s continued relevance today, THIRTY-TWO years after the song’s release.
The facts are almost undisputed, gun violence IS an UNITED STATES OF AMERICA problem...
Very respectfully, Robert Schaeppi (a retired Navy veteran)
Click here to read the rest of the mail.
T H E
BOUQS & BRICKS
BOUQUETS
To the Friends of Talbot Islands State Parks. This non-profit serves as the community service organization for Amelia Island State Park, Big and Little Talbot Islands State Parks, Fort George Cultural State Park, Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park, Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park and George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park. They have provided funding for a variety of equipment and projects that might not otherwise have been possible, such as an ATV and pickup truck, interpretive signs and kiosks, distribution of riptide educational brochures and lifesaving equipment, support for the turtle and shorebird nesting programs, training of park staff and other projects that enhance park operations. For more information or to contribute, visit www.talbotislands.com or follow @friendsoftalbot.
BOUQUETS
To Jacyln Roge the mother of stabbing victim Madison Schemitz, and Good Samaritan, Kennedy Armstrong who both intervened to rescue the Ponte Vedra High School teen from her ex-boyfriend and stalker/attacker, all suffering stab wounds, have been awarded Carnegie Medals. The medal is considered North America’s highest civilian honor for heroism and is presented by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission to people who risk their lives for the lives of others.
BRICKBATS
To Hurricane Helene. Shame on you mother nature. And while we are dishing out bricks, take one for Tropical Storm Issac and Tropical Storm Joyce too!
HOROSCOPES
Your
Halloween costume based on your sign
Words by Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
Mars, your ruling planet, will encourage you to take action, but it’s essential to balance assertiveness with diplomacy, especially around the 14th when the solar eclipse in Libra could bring a shake-up to your relationships. It’s a good time to clarify what you want from others and set healthy boundaries.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz
Success awaits you this month, Taurus. It’s time to get out of your shell and what better way to step back into society than with a costume that exudes your strong-willed energy. While you do have a strong connection to nature and may find yourself leaning towards more earth-related costumes like a fairy, why not tap more into your ruling planet Venus with luxury and glamour. Think glitzy disco, “Saturday Night Fever,” Cher. Catch our drift?
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Cher or John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever”
ARIES TAURUS GEMINI
Maybe the stars don’t always have an answer for you, Gemini. Sometimes you need to make a decision on your own without galactic interference. That being said, the fall equinox falls in your fifth house of creativity and joy, meaning ’tis the season for self-expression and embracement!
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: A clown
CANCER
You’re experiencing a dramatic shift in the way you view life, Cancer. Everything you thought to be true is turning out to be a lie. Black is white and white is black. The beautiful thing about life though is that you are the maker of your own reality. Not everything has to be black or white; it can be pink. Which is why for Halloween we couldn’t think of a better costume than the queen of reality shifts herself, Barbie. Or Ken for all you real-life Kens out there.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Barbie or Ken
The solar eclipse on Oct. 14 in Libra might bring sudden changes to your daily routine or spark new ideas. This could be a time to embrace learning or start a new project, as your curiosity will be at its peak. Mars will push you to be more assertive in your home life, so don’t be surprised if you feel the urge to tackle domestic projects or resolve family issues. The eclipse energy could stir things up, but it’s also a chance to find balance in your home and work life.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: The Statue of Liberty
LEO VIRGO
You’re a practical and well-organized individual, Virgo. And with your ruling planet Mercury highlighting your 2nd house of money and work this month, you’ll be on your own personal cloud 9. That said, people commonly get blinded by love while you get blinded by money. Try and find new ways to enrich your life that don’t involve filling your wallet.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Miss Piggy or Kermit the Frog
Happy solar return, Libra! With a solar eclipse falling in your sign on Oct. 2, expect a huge shift in your personal life this season. It’s a time of endings and new beginnings. And while this change could be as simple as a change in your daily routine, it wouldn’t be a true Libra season without some romance … or heartache.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Vampire
As Mars, your ruling planet, enters Scorpio later in the month, you’ll feel an energy boost, becoming more confident and driven. This shift will empower you to take decisive action in both personal and professional matters. You’ll likely feel more in control and ready to make significant moves, especially around Oct. 28, when a lunar eclipse in Taurus affects your partnership sector.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Cupid
Libra Scorpio Sagittarius
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade … at least that’s how the saying usually goes, but for you Sagittarius, when life gives you lemons you keep some for yourself and plant the seeds for a lemon tree. This month you will reach new heights within your personal life and relationships. With your ruling planet Jupiter going retrograde on Oct. 9, expect a whole lot of thinking and journaling.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Pirate
Capricorn
Mars will be pushing you to step up in your social circles or within a group setting. You may feel more motivated to lead or collaborate, especially on projects that align with your long-term visions. However, be mindful of balancing assertiveness with cooperation, as tensions could arise if you push too hard.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Frankenstein or the Bride of Frankenstein
Aquarius
You’re a sponge, Aquarius, absorbing and learning from everything around you. With some major lunar events this month, including a solar eclipse, a blank piece of paper could inspire you. Just know that creative energy is still energy, so make sure you create in moderation or another burnout will be in your future.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Pisces
It’s a powerful time for letting go of old habits, fears, or even toxic dynamics. Toward the end of the month, Venus in Virgo will enhance your relationships, especially romantic or close partnerships. You may experience deeper emotional bonds or find new ways to collaborate harmoniously with others. Venus will also help smooth over any tensions, making this a great time to strengthen connections or settle disputes.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Mr. and Mrs. Smith
POP CULTURE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
Words by Amiyah Golden
As the ultimate self-proclaimed Halloween fanatic, I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming holiday season. It fills my heart wit h much thrill as I look forward to the fun frights, abundance of candy and ghoulish delights that I can share with friends as we parade around in our Scar iest Best.
Halloween is the one night a year where it’s socially acceptable to wear your costumes amongst the living — and while I personally stretch the veil of acceptability by dedicating an entire week to a wardrobe of thoughtfully curated alter egos — the tradition of dressing up as your favorite character, celebrity or personifying a meme is always a gratifying way to let your inner creative shine.
While I can’t spill the beans on my 2024 costume plans, I can give you some fun ensembles that are inspired by influential artists, media and social phenomenas from pop culture this year!
All outfits below are my own takes on accessible, cute, and inspired imagery that can be found directly on Amazon!
1 Cowboy Carter
The release of her album “Cowboy Carter” had the Beyhive and the internet in a frenzy. Accompanying the popular songs were stellar outfits that put a glamorous spin on Western wear!
2 SADNESS: “INSIDE OUT”
“Inside Out” will always remain as one of my favorite movies ever (yes, even as an adult) and the sequel, “Inside Out 2” released this year captured even more hearts.
While there is a plethora of emotions to choose from I decided to highlight the infamous “sadness’” character who (depending on who you ask) is either adored or deplored — but that doesn’t take away from the absolute comeliness of the animated character.
4 Cowboy
5 ANGER
6 Beetlejuice
The 1988 classic has received new life with the recent release of “Bettlejuice Bettlejuice,” a follow up to the well-loved movie from director, Tim Burton.
The excitement for the film bridged many generation gaps as the audience was filled with forever fans and new onlookers alike.
7 Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader
The Netflix show, ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” was a huge success with many people seeing the Pom-Pom holders in a new light as it followed the lives of those on the sideline.
The series allowed for the ‘Thunderstruck’ challenge to surface as many users on Tik Tok attempted their legendary dance to the song by AC/DC, with former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders creating videos as well.
8 SIMONE BILES
Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history … who wouldn’t want to be her for Halloween?
Her performance this summer at the 2024 Paris Olympics was nothing short of phenomenal and you’ll be sure to stir up conversation as the cherished gold medalist.
9 Beetlejuice
10 Dallas Cowboy Football Player
11STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK
12 Chappell Roan
It’s been the year for Chappell Roan as her skyrocketing success has led to the pop-singer headlining music festivals, being invited to perform at NPR’s Tiny Desk, cultivating a very strong fan-base, and more.
Roan’s iconic looks — which she has attributed to her love for drag-queens and queer culture — has aided in drawing listeners in alongside her acclaimed music.
— tiny desk performance
13
Raygun (aka Rachael Gunn): Australian Olympic breakdancer
Speaking of the 2024 Paris Olympics, another head-turner this year was Australia’s representative, Raygun, for the breakdancing competition that was newly introduced to the summer games.
Raygun’s unique style of “breaking” broke the internet and alongside a great costume, you can also break out some cool flips and turns (at your own risk of course.)
14 david bowie
15 QUEEN RHAENYRA TARGARYEN: “HOUSE OF THE DRAGON”
After two long years, the return of “House of Dragon” had watchers continue to unfold.
While, there’s no limit to the characters you could portray this Halloween as the show follows many families - the two main, Rhaenrya and Alicent could serve as an iconic duo costume with your best friend (or frenemy if you’re into method acting.)
16
“Challengers”
The movie Challengers featuring actors Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor was a hit amongst Gen-Z with the movie stirring up many memes and TikTok videos about the main characters.
While Zendaya’s character, Tashi Donaldson, doesn’t require much more than a simple tennis skirt, the incorporation of two other friends playing Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig could make this trio effort a big hit.
Sabrina Carpenter has established a look that’s so true to her and has become so distinguishable when you see it!
Just like Chappel Roan, Carpenter has taken over the pop scene with her hit singles and latest album, “Short n’ Sweet.”
Sabrina Carpenter: pop singer
DAMON TARGARYEN
“Challengers”
20 post malone
JACKSONVILLE GHOSTS BOOS AND BOOZE HAUNTED PUB CRAWL
Review by Teresa Spencer
This fun spooky pub crawl tour was just what my friend and I needed to change things up at a few of our favorite watering holes at the beach, especially while enjoying some liquid courage so we weren’t terrified when hearing all about the most historic haunts and ghostly hotspots.
The tour kicks off at the Seawalk Pavilion where you learn about the mysterious lady in red. Then you hit Hoptinger Bier Garden for a drink pit stop. Next is a stop at Jacksonville Pier which is known to be extremely haunted by a man who was murdered there. Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant is the next walk and stop. There’s a lot of ghost stories to tell about that place. (I once stayed there for a few days, and they weren’t kidding about it being seriously haunted. Furniture moved during my experience and some scary voices were in play too.) I loved the stories I learned about the place as they don’t talk about it much at the front desk when you are a guest, of course.
Then the tour takes you to the Ritz Longe for a nice little drink and wiggle if you prefer followed by a stop at Latham Plaza. I don’t want to share all of the stories as it would take away from this fun little adventure that will certainly give you a few thrills and definitely some chills.
OCTOBER SPECIAL EVENTS
THROUGH NOV. 9
13th Floor Haunted House
13th Floor Haunted House 13thfloorjacksonville.com
OCT. 2
Bold City Ball Old St. Andrew’s sparcouncil.org
OCT. 3
Unidos Jax Dinner Deerwood Castle specialevents.coj.net
OCT. 3-6
Fall RV Show
Jacksonville Equestrian Center jaxequestriancenter.com/events
OCT. 4
Cultural Council Arts Awards
Florida Blue culturalcouncil.org
OCTOBER 4-31
Spooktacular
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens jacksonvillezoo.org/spooktacular
OCT. 5
River City Pride Festival and Cabaret Riverside Park jaxrcpride.org
Brew & BBQ
James Weldon Johnson Park jamesweldonjohnsonpark.org
Light Inside: Ukrainian Festival Tommy Hazouri Sr. Park eventbrite.com
Island Hop Craft Beer Fest Main Street, Fernandina Beach islandhopcraftbeerfest.com
OCT. 5-27
Crop Maze
Sykes Family Farms, Elkton sycofarms.com
OCT. 11
Annual Coming Out Day Breakfast
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront jasmyn.org
USS Orleck Shipyard Cabaret
USS Orleck/Navy Pier eventbrite.com
OCT. 11-12
Beaches Oktoberfest
Sea Walk Pavilion beachesoktoberfest.com
St. Augustine Greek Festival
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church staugustinegreekfestival.com
OCT. 11-13
Wasabi Con 2024
Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center jax.wasabicon.com
OCT. 12
Viva La Fiesta
James Weldon Johnson Park jamesweldonjohnsonpark.org
OCT. 13
Caring Chefs
The Glass Factory chsfl.org
OCT. 15
Halloween Dance Party With Bold City Classics
Casa Marina Hotel boldcityclassics.com
OCT. 17
Sip and Stroll Southbank Riverwalk dtjax.com/sipandstroll
OCT. 18-19
An Evening With David Sedaris Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts fscjartistseries.org
OCT. 18-20
Jacksonville Tattoo Festival
Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center jacksonvilletattoofestival.com
Creatures of the Night
St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park alligatorfarm.com
Dinner Detective
OCT. 19
Ship Fest Halloween
USS Orleck/Navy Pier eventbrite.com
Marriott Jacksonville Downtown thedinnerdetective.com
Clay Humane’s Howl at the Moon River House, Orange Park clayhumane.org
OCT. 20
Crescendo Amelia Island Masquerade
Sadler Ranch, Fernandina Beach eventbrite.com
OCT. 24
The Underground Freak Show and Oddities Fair Intuition Ale Works eventbrite.com
OCT. 25
Dinner With Bill & Friends
The Arc Jacksonville Village arcjacksonville.org
Haunted Halloween at the HIlltop
The Hilltop, Orange Park eventbrite.com
OCT. 26
Halloween Doors & More
Jacksonville Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall communityhospice.com
Skyway Social JTA Skyway Stations dtjax.com/disco-dreamland
Halloween Festival
The Glass Factory eventbrite.com
Fall Festival
121 Financial Ballpark melanincollaborativegroup.org
OCT. 27
Spooky Silent Disco!
The Glass Factory theglassfactory.com
Florida Bridal & Wedding Expo Fall 2024
Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center flbridalshows-pf.com
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT “KIDS FREE NOVEMBER”!
Words by Teresa Spencer
Celebrating 10 Years, Visit Jacksonville, has this wonderful opportunity for area families to discover a variety of fun our great city has to offer. Our favorite part of this promotion is that all of it is either free or offers deeply discounted admissions. The catch is that the free entry or discounts only apply to kids under the age of 12 with general adult admission at participating locations but it‘s still a great deal.
Katie Mitura, chief marketing officer of Visit Jacksonville said, “It’s the perfect opportunity for Jacksonville residents to invite family and friends to visit to discover what makes Jacksonville so great while exploring some of the best attractions with free or discounted admission.”
Specific details for this special month-long promotion vary by location at more than a dozen local attractions:
1. Adventure Kayak
2. Adventure Landing
3. Beach Life Rentals
4. Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary
5. Community First Igloo
6. Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
7. Dave & Buster’s
8. iFLY Jacksonville
9. Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens
10. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
11. King Pins Bowling Center
12. Main Event
13. Mini Bar Donuts
14. Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
15. Museum of Science & History (MOSH)
16. Sweet Pete’s
For more information on the Kids Free November, visit visitjacksonville.com/ kids-free-november.
In addition to being Kids Free November, there will be special events free open to the public on select dates. Those include:
1. Nov. 11: Veterans Day Parade on November 11
2. Nov. 27-Jan, 1, 2025: Deck the Chairs
3. Nov. 30 Light Boat Parade
Photo by Carmen Macri
JAGUARS TRAMPLED BY BILLS 47-10
Words by Ka’Desh Edwards
With the season starting out not so well for the Jacksonville Jaguars, most people would expect a better outcome on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. Instead, that was not the outcome … at all.
The Jaguars offense struggled in the first quarter, having to punt the football every possession in the first quarter, only gathering 19 yards of offense in that same quarter. The first score for Jacksonville was a field goal with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, leaving the offense with no touchdowns. The first half of the game was a frustrating time, only getting five first downs in the first half (vs. Buffalo’s 19), dropped passes and an interception from QB Trevor Lawrence that was turned into a touchdown by the Bills offense making the halftime score 34-3.
The second half showed little progress on either side of the ball for Jacksonville. Lawrence delivered a pass to TE Brenton Strange for the only touchdown of the game, coming in the third quarter. The running backs only rushed for only 92 yards for the entire game, causing problems for the passing plays to be effective.
In the fourth quarter with eight minutes left in the game, Lawrence was done for the night and QB Mac Jones took over for the rest of the quarter. Jones’ first possession at quarterback he fumbled the ball and Buffalo took over.
Although there was a slow and confusing start to the game, fans were still optimistic about the Jags getting things going on offense with the defense giving them a couple of chances to get the ball and put some touchdowns on the scoreboard. But the defense struggled in the first quarter stopping the dominant running game of the Bills offense and letting the Bills score during their first and second possessions. In the second quarter, the Bills passed the ball a lot more and the secondary for the Jaguars could not find any answers on how to make consistent stops, allowing three more touchdowns for Buffalo before halftime. (The defense did a better job of holding the Bills to only scoring 13 points in the second half.) Surprisingly, with the defense playing most of the time in the first half they were able to make an impact for the offense to have a chance at scoring in the third and fourth quarter, but the offense could not get things fully going. Overall things were not going well for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the press conference, Lawrence commented on his performance, “The quarterback has to play well every week to give yourself a shot to win, and I don’t feel like I’ve done that consistently enough.”
Although Lawrence says this, football is a team sport. While watching the game you can see that there needs to be more work at multiple positions other than just at quarterback.
Head Coach Doug Pederson feels that a few things need to be evaluated and possibly changed when it comes to plays being called and players’ playtime. He said in the press conference, “Tonight we had some guys injured. Could be moved that way. Could be performance. It’s all things we have to evaluate as we move forward.”
“This is who we are right now and it’s not very good,” he added. “We have to be honest with ourselves, and I’ve got to be honest with myself and just keep plugging away.”
Even after the big loss, the team still had more issues to deal with. Their team plane was having mechanical issues, keeping them from leaving Buffalo until after 1 a.m. EST.
Expect the Jacksonville Jaguars to go into next week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with high expectations and a strong determination to turn their season around and get their first win. There is still a lot of football left to play this season.
OCT. 12
Donna 5K
Timuquana Country Club constellationfurykandfriends.com
OCT. 6
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts
EverBank Stadium jaguars.com
OCT. 7
Pars Fore Paws Golf Tournament
Eagle Landing Golf Club, Orange Park clayhumane.org
OCT. 10
Corporate 5K
Ford on Bay West 1stplacesports.com
Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass thedonnafoundation.org
Jax Women’s Rugby vs. FSU Women’s Rugby Club
Bob Hayes Sports Complex jaxwomensrugby.com
OCT. 19
Oktoberfest Beer and Brats 5K
San Marco Square 1stplacesports.com
Jail Break 5K
The Old Jail. St. Augustine runsignup.com
OCT. 20
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New England Patriots
EverBank Stadium jaguars.com
OCT. 26
Combat Night Pro Jacksonville Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center jaxevents.com
OCT. 27
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Green Bay Packers
EverBank Stadium jaguars.com
Evergreen Pumpkin Run
Evergreen Cemetery 1stplacesports.com
Photo by Carmen Macri
Tackling, talking and teamwork
Words & photos by Lorelei Belanger
A team of women, supporting each other, doing something they love AND supporting their community? That’s exactly what the Jacksonville Women’s Rugby team does and has been doing since 2006. The team of women, called The Sinners, meet to practice twice a week throughout their season, which runs September through April. The team encourages new players to join at any point in the season. Playing as a competitive wome n’s rugby football club, they compete against women’s and collegiate rugby clubs across the Southeast.
Mothers, students and working professionals all come together to forget the stresses of everyday life and bond over a sport the y love. I spoke with some players to find out more about the women behind the mouthguards and asked what they do off the field.
Anaya Smith (team member for four years): “I am a musician, but full time, I actually work at the library to promote literacy in Jacksonville youth. I go to VPKs, and I read to them, and we have story times or after school programs as well.”
Christina Sloan (joined two weeks ago): “A lot of CrossFit, also surfing. I manage a CrossFit gym, CrossFit Jax.”
Lennon Hoekstra (second year on the team): “I play roller derby on Jacksonville Roller Derby, and I am a hairstylist at Cultivate Hair Salon in San Marco.”
Erin Duggan (a 7-year veteran): “I work at UNF. I go to the gym, hang out with my dog.”
Taylor Hollifield (a 4-year veteran): “Aside from rugby, I am either at work or I’m spending time with my family. I have a little boy; he’s 2 years old.”
The players have such unique, individual lives, but they all share one passion: rugby. With work, families, dogs and other sports, it can be hard to balance everything and find time for it all. I asked how they are able to do it all.
Smith: “It’s tough, but I’m going to be honest, I’m a little obsessed with the sport, so whenever I can, I come out here. This is my outlet, so like, the 9 to 5 is fun, it does bring me joy. But this is kind of what I hop out of bed in the morning for because I know that it’s like my little treat at the end of the day. I get to hang out with my friends, I get to run around, I get to play a sport that I really love. It takes a concerted effort to show up. I committed to something, so there’s no ifs, ands or buts, I have to be here.”
Sloan: “So it just came down to making a commitment, saying I want to do this. I want to be a part of this awesome team.It took some front-end planning to make sure that I am here every Tuesday and Thursday.”
Hoekstra: “I’m very lucky that I have a job that allows me to kind of build my own schedule. But mainly just making the time for the things that I enjoy.”
Duggan: “So I go to work, it’s like, oh, dang, I want this day to be over. But then once the day is over, I know I get to go to rugby. If we have a game that
weekend or if we’re doing something that weekend, at least I get to go do that.”
Hollifield: “Well, don’t tell anybody, but rugby does take number one in my heart. But aside from that, it is just knowing that once I step on this field, once I commit to coming to practice, I did make a commitment to this team, to my teammates. So, if it’s not my number one, it is high on the priority list, just because I have so many teammates. I made that commitment to be here at practice and to give it my all. Even when I’m not at rugby, all I want to do is talk about rugby.”
All of the players seemed to agree that the team is very welcoming, supportive and encouraging.
Smith: “Some of us showed up to that so we do try to support each other if there are opportunities outside of practice and then we try to hang out.”
Sloan: “It is a really cool atmosphere to come in with girls who were just like, hey, no matter what your level is, we’re here to welcome you. We’re going to have a good time. We’re going to learn some stuff.”
Hoekstra: “They’re the best people ever. I love everybody, and I have never regretted coming to practice. It’s the most welcoming group of people ever.”
Duggan: “I feel like we’re a very friendly team. I might be a little bit biased, but I think we’re a lot of fun and very welcoming”
Hollifield: “I know if I ever need anything outside of this fence in the game that I know I can contact any of these people and I know they’ll come and help.”
After speaking with some of the players, spending time at one of the practice’s and seeing the team dynamic, I can confidently agree with the players, who said anyone who is even slightly curious or interested about the team should go to a practice or a game and check it out.
For more information on Jacksonville Women’s Rugby, visit jaxwomensrugby. com.
AV IIRTMONDAYS
• St. Augustine Fish Company & Oyster House, 6 p.m
• V Pizza–Mandarin (music bingo), 6 p.m.
• Iguana on Park (cashpot bingo), 6:30 p.m.
• 9 Ball Heaven Sports Grill & Billiards, 7 p.m.
• Amici (music bingo), 7 p.m.
• Donovan’s Irish Pub, St. Augustine, 7 p.m.
• Mellow Mushroom–Durbin Park, 7 p.m.
• Mellow Mushroom–Fleming Island, 7 p.m.
• Mellow Mushroom–River City/ Northside, 7 p.m.
• Mellow Mushroom–Tinseltown, 7:30 p.m.
• Rain Dogs, 8 p.m.
• Treylor Park (pop culture), 9 p.m.
TUESDAYS
• St. Mary’s Seafood (music bingo) 6 p.m.
• Mr. Chubby’s Wings–Fleming Island (music bingo), 6:30 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings–St. Aug, 6:30 p.m.
• V Pizza– St. Augustine, 6:30 p.m.
• The Back 40, 7 p.m.
• Bottlenose Brewing, 7 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings–Nocatee, 7 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings–San Pablo, 7 p.m.
• Gator’s Dockside–Oakleaf, (music bingo), 7 p.m.
• Harps American Grill, 7 p.m.
• Hurricane Grill & Wings–Atlantic Boulevard, 7 p.m.
• Island Wing Company–Bartram, 7 p.m.
• Jax Craft Beer, 7 p.m.
• Jerry’s Sports Grille, 7 p.m.
• Miller’s Ale House–Deerwood, 7 p.m.
• My Tap Room (pop culture), 7 p.m.
• Players Grille, 7 p.m.
• Southern Grill, 7 p.m.
• VooSwar, 7 p.m.
• Surfside Kitchen, St. Augustine, 7 p.m.
• V Pizza–Fernandina (music bingo), 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.
• Monkey’s Uncle Tavern, 7:30 p.m.
• Time Out Sports Bar, 7:30 p.m.
• Tepeyolot Cerveceria, 7:30 p.m.
• Casbah Cafe, 8 p.m.
• Sahara Cafe, 8 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, 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–Nocatee, 7 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings–Mandarin, 7 p.m.
• Firefly Bay, 7 p.m.
• Ink Factory Brewing, 7 p.m.
• Island Wing–Bartram (music bingo) 7 p.m.
• Island Wing–Southside, 7 p.m.
• Mellow Mushroom–Avondale, 7 p.m.
• Miller’s Ale House–Hodges, 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, 7 p.m.
• V Pizza–Fernandina, 7 p.m.
• V Pizza–Palm Valley, 7 p.m.
• Veterans United Craft Brewery, 7 p.m.
• Burrito Gallery–Town Center (pop culture), 7:30 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.
• Hoptinger–Jacksonville Beach, 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
• Wicked Barley Brewing, 7:30 p.m.
• The Brix Taphouse (pop culture trivia), 8 p.m.
• Hamburger Mary’s (drag bingo, 21+), 8 p.m.
THURSDAYS
• Ann O’Malley’s Irish Pub, 7 p.m.
• Bold City Brewery, 7 p.m.
• Bottlenose Brewing, 7 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings–Atlantic Boulevard, 7 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings– Nocatee (name that tune), 7 p.m.
• Justice Pub (music bingo), 7 p.m.
• Island Wing Company–Southside (music bingo), 7 p.m.
• Kava and Company–San Marco (every other Thursday), 7 p.m.
• Miller’s Ale House–Avenues, 7 p.m.
• Mr. Chubby’s Wings–Ponte Vedra, 7 p.m.
• The Stout Snug, 7 p.m.
• V Pizza– Fernandina (what’s that song), 7 p.m.
• Burrito Gallery–Brooklyn (’80s, ’90s & 2000s), 7:30 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings– St. Aug, 7:30 p.m.
• Flask & Cannon / V Pizza, 7:30 p.m.
• V Pizza–San Marco, 7:30 p.m.
• Hoptinger–Jax Beach (music bingo), 8 p.m.
FRIDAYS
• Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 6 p.m.
• Time Out Sports Grill, 6:30 p.m.
• Engine 15 Brewing, 7 p.m.
• MVP’s Sports Grille, 7 p.m.
• Tepeyolot Cerveceria, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAYS
• Hamburger Mary’s (HamBingo), 2 p.m.
• VooSwar, 7 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings–Atlantic Boulevard, 7 p.m.
• Dick’s Wings–San Pablo (pop culture), 7p.m.
• Ink Factory Brewing (name that tune), 7 p.m.
• Bottlenose Brewing (name that tune), 7:30 p.m.
ROMANTICIZING TRUE CRIME
The light from the dim candles on my mantle cast shadows on the wall adjacent to the television used to stream my content of choice for the night. The one-degree difference in the weather and the voices urging me to decorate for the impending Halloween season is just another excuse for me to turn on something that will send shivers down my spine.
I pass the recommendations of “Hocus Pocus” and “Halloween Town 2” to indulge in the latest video from YouTuber Bailey Sarian with her segment, “Makeup, Mystery, Monday” where she recalls the tales of true crime stories while doing her makeup. Her videos that often start with a “theme song” and her embrace of dark humor has become a beacon for viewers who relish in Sarian’s approach to ingeminate real-life horrors in a way that’s considered entertaining.
It was a weekly routine that I formerly used to religiously devote my time to — justifying the lackadaisical approach as an alternate form of narration. However, I often felt slight guilt for looking forward to hearing stories about death and dismay.
My own penitence was actualized as I started to consume more YouTubers and podcasters who were divergent — and some congruent — with Sarian’s commentary such as Kendall Rae.
Kendall Rae’s way of covering similar topics surrounding crime has been presented in a format that focuses more on giving a voice to the voiceless rather than inciting shock value. With her platform being used to raise awareness and money for victims and their families, it forced me to look inward and reevaluate what I was so engrossed in. This isn’t an advertisement to watch Rae’s videos, but she was the igniter at the beginning of my own step back from my overconsumption of true crime, especially from those whose sole motive was based on acquisition. This isn’t declaring the demonization of monetary gain from creating content, but it is prompting scrutiny surrounding where the funds obtained from sharing gruesome tales of victims are allocated. Most of the time the families or any official organizations tied to the victim don’t receive any money, let alone a notice.
TIkTok user Charlie of @shunickmissingpersons shared her disdain with popular true crime podcast “Crime Junkie” in March of this year. This isn’t the first time that the hosts, Brit Prawat and Ashley Flowers, have been at the center of a controversy surrounding their platform.
Charlie’s sister was murdered over a decade ago and her story has been told numerous times without the consent of the family.
“My mental health could not possibly handle seeing the thousands and thousands of videos that people have created without our permission,” Charlie communicated via her nine-minute-long video.
“Why is her solved case from nearly 12 years ago continuing to be told over and over again? What was the point of this?” she added. “And if these groups have so much time to research why don’t they have time to reach out to the family remembers and ask and see if they can do it.”
The lack of approbation when it comes to the family is a big point of contention for many who argue about the propriety in generating regurgitated content for views and money.
Yes, spreading awareness is cardinal for many unsolved cases that don’t get the adequate amount of media attention or have gone cold, but what about the cases that have been solved like Charlie mentions. She is forced to constantly re-experience the devastating trauma of losing a sister to homicide.
We have seen the positive consequence of sharing cases that have gone cold with someone in the audience potentially being a witness, harnessing crucial information, or bringing a fresh perspective that could be of aid. There has also been attestation of missing people being found decades later due to word spreading through the grapevine and on different media platforms; so there isn’t a dismissal of the potential benefits that come from spreading knowledge but the how and why behind the intent is important to question.
“I’m so tired of murder victims being used as cash cows,” continued Charlie. “When we’re using a closed case and putting these things with advertisements, revenue, monetizing it and putting it behind paywalls for private subscribers … that is to make money.”
According to the businessjournalism.org, by 2019, 28% of the U.S. podcast listeners reported seeking out true crime as a favorite genre. In 2021, 20% of the top-searched shows on Apple podcasts and curated recommendation lists, in the U.S. were true crime shows.
And that number continues to rise and with much public desire comes capitalistic earnings and motivation often sparked by greed.
Present-day algorithms work hard to push out content that is controversial and will create buzz. TikTok creators can only gross revenue from the creator fund if their video is viewed directly from the ‘For You Page’ (FYP) incentivizing creators to come up with conspicuous titles — even if that means degrading the victims to catch the attention of users.
This is not only insolent but instills a culture of desensitization.
Professor Whitney Phillips of the University of Oregon is known for her research and writing regarding “the ethical implications of popular culture subjects such as the true crime genre.” Phillips also teaches the ways true crime can be potentially harmful and unethical, also finding, “the idea of commoditizing true crime troubling.”
The article, ‘The true crime genre is popular but is it ethical?’ by University of Oregon student Jillian Gray highlights “podcasts like “My Favorite Murder” or “Murder With My Husband” create catchphrases and sell merchandise inspired by their shows and real-life cases. In doing this, they are reducing victims’ lives and tragedies to marketable content. This branding of real violence and victims dehumanizes them by turning them into merchandise and memes.”
This concern isn’t based upon unfounded speculation, as a brief search will lead you down a deep rabbit hole of creators trying to one-up each other with tactless titles and anecdotes.
The idolization of murderers by the public has been an ongoing phenomenon with killers such as Ted Bundy, Charles Manson and Jeffrey Dahmer being endorsed by soulless individuals due to their own twisted attractions. Due to the internet, the desire to garner likes and interactions for rallying behind pure evil has outweighed the former fear of the permanence of social media. Many TikTok accounts have devoted their entire social platform to making “thirst” edits of serial killers by gathering footage from their trials and compiling clips together to eulogize degenerates — and the worst thing about it all is some of these videos are getting over 50,000 likes.
Because we have curated a culture comfortable with apathy, we have lost the will of empathy. Human life and feelings pale in comparison to clout… and that is always one hell of a drug.
We have begun to romanticize and normalize the intake of nefarious accounts of a terrible reality — and while we can’t hide from the wretched truth — we can re-evaluate our own internal purpose of why we stream hours of horror, pay for Patreon subscriptions that only benefit the creator and absorb these abhorrent crimes for personal gratification.
FILM REVIEWS
Words by Harry Moore
© 2024 WARNER BROS. ENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Reboot-obsessed Hollywood finally gets its hands on one of the last untouched ’80s classics with the release of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s classic supernatural comedy. Having spent decades in development, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is saddled with years of expectation and a multitude of various screenplay drafts, causing the film to be unfocussed and overstuffed with too many plot threads that are not given enough time or attention to breathe or satisfyingly resolve; it is perhaps the film’s fatal flaw as the cast are all winning and Burton directs with more vigor than he’s shown in many years. The returning cast members all step back into their roles with ease; Winona Ryder manages to believably age Lydia from the teenager we saw in the previous movie into her middle age and Catherine O’Hara shows off her inimitable comic sensibilities as the delightfully self-absorbed Delia. Then there is Michael Keaton as the eponymous, iconic Beetlejuice who effortlessly steals the show once again. Keaton’s return to the role is reason enough to seek “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” out. As for Burton, this marks something of a return to form after spending the better part of two decades in the creative wilderness. In fairness, it was always going to be difficult for Burton to maintain the streak of success he had going in the early part of his career. If someone wanted to learn about what auteur theory is, I’d point them in the direction of Burton’s filmography between the ’80s and ’90s. Burton proudly wore his influences on his sleeve and exhibited so much unique style in his films that they couldn’t be made by anyone but him. But at a certain point, he became iterative of himself and his films lost that spark that feels like it has been somewhat reignited with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which is a fun film overall that lands at the higher end of the glut of legacy sequels.
SPEAK NO EVIL
A family from London embarks on the weekend from hell after agreeing to visit the home of some newly made, countryside-dwelling friends in this remake of the unsettling, Danish horror movie of the same name. The film stars Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy as Louise and Ben, a struggling married couple who meet Paddy and Ciara, played by James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi, an outgoing younger couple while on vacation. Paddy soon invites the married couple out to his farmhouse to stay the weekend, but things are not quite what they seem. “Speak No Evil” is at its most effective with little known about it, with its suspense hinging on the unknown nature of the eccentric young couple. The film revolves around McAvoy’s explosive performance as he straddles the line between friendly and menacing, keeping both the audience and characters on their toes until all is revealed. “Speak No Evil” is an effective horror film that manages to distinguish itself from the original by leaning toward haunted house thrills as opposed to the psychological horror that the Danish film inflicts.
BLINK TWICE
With her directorial debut, Zoë Kravitz takes a swing at turning the all too relevant behind-closed-doors exploits of rich and powerful men into a psychological thriller with “Blink Twice,” formally, and more aptly, titled “Pussy Island.” The film follows two friends, Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat), who are whisked away on a dream vacation on a private island after being invited by a mysterious but charming tech billionaire Slater (Channing Tatum). After seemingly endless days of lounging by the pool, partying with Slater’s other guests and taking exotic drugs things take a strange turn and an ominous specter begins to loom over the proceedings.
The ensemble cast is eclectic and well chosen, Ackie anchors the film well through its purposefully disorienting story, while Tatum weaponizes his usual charming screen persona to a menacing effect, and in supporting roles, Shawkat and Adria Arjona both give strong turns, as Haley Joel Osment, Christian Slater and Simon Rex each bring an interesting take as members of Slater’s entourage of hangers-on. Kravitz shows some intuitive talent as a filmmaker; “Blink Twice” is shot well with a strong handle on its precise tone, but there is a sense of waiting for a second shoe to drop after an intriguing setup. Kravitz takes aim at evoking the crimes of Jeffery Epstein, the financier, and his cabal of rich and powerful men, but there is a missing element that would make the film into the cutting social commentary that the director is striving for. It may not be an entirely fair comparison to make, but Kravitz and her writing partner E.T. Feigenbaum were visibly influenced by Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” in both its narrative structure and how it turned a hot-button social issue into a pop thriller. One of the reasons “Get Out” is as successful of a film as it is, is that it lulls the audience into expecting a sinister revelation of slavery via hypnotism to then upend those expectations by revealing that the family are actually transplanting the brains of rich old white people into the younger bodies of the Black people they were kidnapping. There is no brain transplant rug pull with “Blink Twice.” The Epstein-coded men are doing exactly what one would assume they were doing from the opening scene. It is the lack of bold final act swings that is the missing piece stopping “Blink Twice” from being something truly transgressive and memorable, rather than just a thriller that dabbles with a contentious subject of current discourse. “Blink Twice” is an entertaining enough film, but it so clearly has aspirations to say more than it can ever truly muster that it is hard to not question what point they were trying to make. One thing is for certain though — I wouldn’t vote for anyone who associates with these types of people for any office.
THE BEST HORROR MOVIES 2024
With Halloween just around the corner, it is the perfect time of year to catch up on the best horror offerings to come out recently.
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
This low-budget/high-concept demonic horror takes place during a ’70s latenight talk show in which a desperate host has an exorcist as his headlining guest for the evening. As can be expected, things start to go horribly wrong in this atmospheric thriller that was made with great care and attention to detail.
MAXXXINE
Ti West concludes his X-rated horror trilogy with MaXXXine, in which the eponymous survivor of the Texas-based massacre takes on Los Angeles in the hopes of being a star only to find that a killer is hot on her tail and a grand conspiracy may be afoot. Mia Goth stars in this bloody horror that takes its cues from the slasher films of the ’80s.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE
Another take on the classic slasher movie, this film plays out like “Friday the 13th” told from the point of view of Jason with plenty of scenes of lumbering strolls through the wood included. Featuring grotesque violence that can be hard to stomach, director Chris Nash manages to keep what could be a slight premise into a unique experience.
LONGLEGS
Part “Silence of the Lambs” and part “Rosemary’s Baby,” Oz Perkins’ procedural horror was the sleeper hit of the year, thanks to its gripping story and compelling performances from Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage.
THE FIRST OMEN
This prequel to the satanic horror classic follows a young American nun who moves to Italy only to find a demonic presence in her new church and city. With her feature debut, director Arkasha Stevenson shows a strong sense for building tension and conjuring horrific imagery with this unsettling film.
THEATER/DANCE
OCT. 1
“The Year Earth Changed” (film) St. Augustine Yacht Club staugustinefilmsociety.com
OCT. 1-6
“Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts fscjartistseries.org
OCT. 3-6
“Noises Off” Flagler College–Lewis Auditorium flagler.edu
OCT. 3-NOV. 10
“The Wedding Singer” Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com
OCT. 4-5
“Carousel” à la Carte St. Anastasia Catholic Church, St. Augustine firstcoastopera.com
OCT. 4-13
“Bakersfield Mist” St. Augustine Waterworks aclassictheatre.org
OCT. 4-20
“If the Shoe Fits” Orange Park Community THeatre opct.info
OCT. 5
“Shrek The Musical” Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts fscjartistseries.org
OCT. 6
“Avatar–The Last Airbender” Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts fscjartistseries.org
“Shakesbeer: A Brewery Tour” Bold City Brewery lumenrep.org
OCT. 10-20
“Into the Breeches” Amelia Community Theatre ameliacommunitytheatre.org
OCT. 15
The Florida Ballet: “Dracula” Florida Theatre floridatheeatre.com
OCT. 17
Celtic Thunder Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
OCT. 18
“The Life and Music of George Michael” Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
OCT. 18-NOV. 2
“Cadillac Crew” San Marco Church lumenrep.org
OCT. 18-20
“Little Shop of Horrors” Jacksonville University–Swisher Theater ju.edu
OCT. 18-27
“Dracula” The Island Theater, Fleming Island theislandtheater.com
OCT. 18-NOV. 3
“Rocky Horror Show” Live! Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com
“Jekyll and Hyde” Players by the Sea playersbythesea.org
OCT. 21
National Ballet of Ukraine Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxevents.com
JAX 48 Hour Film Project Best of Screening and Award Show
WJCT Studios 48hourfilm.com/jacksonville
OCT. 24
“Jim Henson’s Labyrinth”: In Concert Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
OCT. 25
“Bluebeard’s Castle” Riverside Church boldcityopera.org
OCT. 26
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (film) Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
Sex N’ The City: A (Super Unauthorized) Musical Parody Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxevents.com
OCT. 29
“Bing!” Players by the Sea Theatre abetjax.com
OCT. 31
“Nosferatu”: A Symphony of Terror Jacksonville University–Terry Concert Hall ju.edu
OCT. 31-NOV. 16
“LIzzie: The Musical” The 5 & Dime Theatre the5anddime.org
Southern Charm or Snub?
Words by Carmen Macri
Jacksonville's Surprising #12 Spot on the Rudest Cities List
Is it really surprising that Jacksonville not only makes this list but ranks so high? How about the fact that in 2024, New York City isn’t even in the top 20 – The city infamous for its less-than-friendly locals?
As a matter of fact, Florida boasts three cities in the top 12 rudest in the country. Can you guess which ones? Shouldn’t be too hard – Miami snags the crown at number one with a rudeness score of 9.88. Tampa slides in at third with an 8.88, and naturally, Jacksonville has earned its place as the #12 rudest city in the U.S. with an 8.05—a title proudly reported by its own residents. Surprisingly, this ranking hasn’t budged from its spot at #12 since 2022. According to Preply, 53% of Jacksonville locals believe the natives are ruder than the transplants, while 63% think the upcoming election is fueling even worse behavior (shocker!).
What happened to that southern charm we’ve all heard about? Well, I hate to break it to ya, but usually, when it comes to “the south”, Florida is very rarely ever considered, though geographically, we ARE the south. According to a survey done by Twiddy, Florida ranks 10th out of 15 for states with the most “southern hospitality” polling at a whopping 3%
Now back to us being rude –Among the most common offenses reported are blaring noise in shared spaces, leaving shopping carts in parking spots like they’re personal furniture and standing in the middle of aisles as if they’re the only ones who matter. And don’t forget the classic move—being so glued to their phones that they might as well be invisible to everyone else. But that happens everywhere.
To determine the rankings, Preply surveyed residents about social behaviors they noticed in their city and calculated a city rudeness score based on the answers. According to Preply, lack of awareness in public, loudness in shared places, rudeness to service staff members, lack of care for others and closedoff body language are just some of the behaviors recorded by these cities.
Something interesting to note is in the 2022 study, Miami and Tampa were not even ranked on the list, so, that leaves the question: What could have possibly happened within 2023 to push these two contenders to the top? Was it simply a tough year for the cities, or was the frustration fueled by outof-towners flooding in and driving up prices? I mean, I can’t count the times I’ve ran into someone who moved here from New York and had to physically restrain my eye roll, but hey, I’m from Jax.
So, now that we know the rudest cities, let’s take a look at some of the nicest cities. Before we get started do you want to take any guesses? I’ll give you a hint: Irrelevant (kidding, kidding… kind of)
When dealing with the rudeness of others, the same Preply study shows that 88.43% of Americans surveyed simply choose to ignore the bad behavior while 50.77% of those surveyed leave the area and only 11.49% chose confrontation. It turns out that the length of time someone has lived in a city can shape how their rudeness is perceived. Whether you’ve been a lifelong local or just recently moved in, some neighbors might already have opinions on your potential for rudeness. The older an American gets, the more likely they are to view new arrivals as ruder than longtime residents. Interestingly, even transplants themselves are often seen as more rude, not just by natives, but by fellow newcomers too. According to the survey, 3 out of 4 Americans believe city dwellers are ruder than those living in rural areas. Age also plays a role in these perceptions, as 1 in 4 Americans think the kids in their city are ruder than the adults.
Here are the top 12 on Santa’s Naughty and Nice list:
Naughty:
Miami, FL 9.88
Philadelphia, PA 9.12
Tampa, FL 8.88
The friendliest city in the U.S.? None other than Omaha, Nebraska, with a sweetness score of 6.24. Minneapolis, Minnesota, isn’t too far behind, holding strong with a 6.35. Then San Diego, Columbus, and Kansas City followed suit. Now, there are two cities on this list that genuinely surprise me: San Diego and Kansas City. I mean, San Diego? Really? Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always assumed everyone in California is a jerk – though that might be my own bias talking. And Kansas City… The only time I deal with folks from there is during football season, and let’s be honest, their fan base is one of the most obnoxious. Well, besides Eagles fans, but let’s not go there right now.
Nice:
San Jose, CA 6.96
Kansas City, MO 6.78
Columbus, OH 6.70
San Diego, CA 6.68
Minneapolis, MN 6.35
Omaha, NE 6.24
COMEDY
OCT. 2
River City Comedy Showcase Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
OCT. 4
Stand Up Comedy Night
Third Space Improv, St. Augustine 3rdspaceimprov.com
OCT. 4-5
Mojo Brookzz Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
First Coast Comedy
The Main Event, 7:30 p.m. Adult Show (21+ only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com
OCT. 5
85 South VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com
Piff The Magic Dragon Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
First Coast Comedy Presents: Improv Comedy Night Murray Hill Theatre murrayhilltheatre.com
The Mullet Comedy Show
Third Space Improv, St. Augustine 3rdspaceimprov.com
OCT. 6
Uncle Lazer
Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
OCT. 10
Blue Jay Comedy Night
Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com
OCT. 10-12
Greg Morton Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
The First Coast Comedy Festival First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com
OCT. 11
Don’t Tell Comedy Somewhere in Riverside (don’t ask us where) donttellcomedy.com
OCT. 12
Sarah Hester Ross
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
The Mullet Comedy Show
Third Space Improv, St. Augustine 3rdspaceimprov.com
OCT. 13
Pinky Patel Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
OCT. 17-19
Adele Givens Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
OCT. 18-19
First Coast Comedy
The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.
Adult Show (21+ only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com
Casey Rocket Underbelly underbellyjax.com
OCT. 19
The Mullet Comedy Show
Third Space Improv, St. Augustine 3rdspaceimprov.com
Casey Rocket Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 20 Ryan Goodcase Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
OCT. 23
Cousin Tiera Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
OCT. 24
The Christi Show Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
OCT. 25
Steve Solomon’s “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, & I’m in Therapy” Thrasher-Horne Center, Orange Park thcenter-org
OCT. 25-26
First Coast Comedy
The Main Event, 7:30 p.m.
Adult Show (21+ only), 10 p.m. First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com
OCT. 26
The Mullet Comedy Show
Third Space Improv, St. Augustine 3rdspaceimprov.com
OCT. 27
Comedic Cody Comedy Zone comedyzone.com
Don’t Tell Comedy
Somewhere in Murray Hill (don’t ask us where) donttellcomedy.com
OCT. 31
Night of the Laughing Dead
First Coast Comedy firstcoastcomedy.com
THE RISE AND SLOW DESCEND OF THE PILLOWFACE
Words by Kara Carter
What began as a subtle, noninvasive beauty treatment to combat aging, turned to a cultural shift within the beauty community. Suddenly overly plumped lips, full cheeks, a smooth forehead, sharp chin and exaggerated jawline became the new norm. How did this aesthetic become irresistible, and what led to its eventual downfall?
So what is a ‘pillowface’?
This term was coined in the early 2010s when celebrities in Hollywood started to appear a little bit different due to cosmetic treatments. The term “pillow face” refers to a person who has an excessive amount of filler and/or botox in their face to where it makes it look like their face is too big and stiff, like a pillow.
The “pillow face epidemic” rose from the combination of celebrity culture, social media influences and the increased accessibility to these cosmetic procedures. But within the past few years, there has been a significant societal pushback to the aesthetic. Some celebrities openly talk about dissolving filler and getting other treatments to look more “natural.”
Silicone injections increased in popularity in the 1960s. Silicone is an oily, clear and paraffin like substance that could be injected into the body to produce volume. Silicone was first used in Japan in the 1940s for breast augmentation, and the substance became a hit. The use of silicone spread to the states starting in Las Vegas in the ’60s to treat Vegas showgirls. Within the next few years, it was discovered that silicone can migrate and cause some adverse effects to the body. In 1964, the FDA regulated the use of injectable silicone as a drug, and later in 1976, restricted it as a device. Thus, making it illegal to inject silicone into the face and other areas.
After discovering the disasters of injectable silicone, bovine collagen filler was developed. Yes, bovine, like a cow. This made its debut in the 1970s. Unfortunately the Bovine filler had some undesirable side effects like swelling, redness and did not have any long lasting results. Then hyaluronic acid fillers became the industry staple for many years after. It gave long lasting results and did minimal harm to the patient, but there are some side effects.
The obsession with celebrity culture began when old Hollywood was at its peak. Many Hollywood starlets would get various cosmetic procedures done that made it almost impossible for the average person to achieve the same look.
One Swiss-American socialite became famous for her cosmetic looks. Jocelyn Wildenstein, was known in the early 2000’s as the “cat-woman.” Not for her comic obsession, but for her extensive use of plastic surgery and fillers that made her resemble a cat. Looking at her picture from 2003 with 2024 vision, she looks like an average real housewife or an ordinary woman. But since cosmetic surgery wasn’t as accessible as it is now, over two decades, they coined her that name.
As digital media became more popular like Instagram, the pressure for young women to look like a filter with smooth skin, big lips, and overall flawless appearance became more apparent. It became not only desired, but expected.
Instagram took the world by storm and perpetuated unrealistic beauty standards for women. The platform made it possible to constantly keep up with your favorite celebrity and look at their pictures in awe and envy.
The pillowface trend became popular when celebrities like Kylie Jenner flaunted her plump cheeks and lips on Instagram. Her super plumped lips began a social phenomenon by people wanting “Kylie Jenner lips.” Her audience at the time was mainly young people and somewhat easy to influence. The Kylie Jenner look was something aspirational for young women to want to achieve because it signaled wealth and beauty, especially on an online space because it could give the creator similar success to Kylie Jenner.
With the increase of celebrities and famous influencers getting these procedures done, the general public sees that as something to obtain as well. When you see overly plump lips with full cheeks, the mind could associate that with someone with wealth, power and success. This could also be a way of signaling to other people that you are a part of this exclusive group within society, by altering your face. You are like Kylie Jenner and other celebrities because you have the same look. This could be the same way that someone wears a designer bag or football team logo. It signals to other people that are “in the know” and you are a part of a certain group and therefore should be perceived and treated as such.
In the last decade, hundreds of medspas have opened across the country to be able to give the people the look they desire. Just in Jacksonville, you can find medspas next to a smoke shop, inside the mall, beckoning passerbyers to come in and get work done. They’re virtually everywhere now. This has given the public more access to things like filler and botox, which means more people having the chance to develop pillowface.
With these medspas making landfall in Jacksonville, the marketing for them has followed. If you get on the right (or wrong) algorithm on Instagram, you can find one of your local medspas advertising a BOGO deal on filler like a struggling fast food chain trying to get anybody through their doors. You can also find your local Instagram microinfluencer giving a discount code for their favorite lip and cheek filler to a medspa in the area. The advertising is strange to say the least. A discount code will get people through their doors to inject some things into their face… odd.
You can go on any college campus and see the young women that have gotten various procedures done. Many are open about having lip filler and “baby botox.” This is another procedure where these medspas will say that getting the “baby botox” in the early 20s, where there are virtually no wrinkles to combat, will prevent them from even forming. Instead, they are left with smooth shiny foreheads that are almost incapable of showing expression.
Looking at nearly any reality TV show like “Love Island” or “The Bachelor,” most of the women in their mid 20s look significantly older. Some women who have had injections have significantly damaged themselves in the process. A woman in her mid 20s usually doesn’t have deep forehead lines, but because of societal pressure, she has opted for a smooth, shiny, Botox infused forehead. This gives the appearance of someone that is in their later 30s or early 40s. There was also a recent season of “Love Island UK” that went viral just because the women looked significantly older than their real age because they were overfilled and frozen with Botox.
There is no uniqueness to a face anymore. There is an ideal for the standard of beauty, people can achieve it, and now it is boring and unattractive. Many people look the same. They have the same plump lips, full cheeks and sharp filler filled chin. A unique look is almost obsolete in today’s Instagram reality. Because of this, celebrities are striving to not look like that anymore. They want to look more unique, but still uphold those beauty standards.
In recent years, celebrities and influencers alike have received various backlash from their frozen pillow faces. At the 2023 Spring Paris fashion week, Kylie Jenner received huge amounts of backlash online for her candid photos from the Schiaparelli show. Her face looks inflated, uncomfortable and somewhat frozen. In 2023 Alix Earle, a TikTok influencer, showed her audience an old driver’s license photo of herself with the inclination that she had “glowed up” since, but her comments were flooded with comments insinuating that it was only possible with the use of cosmetic procedures.
Since that Paris fashion week, Kylie Jenner has been open saying that she saw her pictures and did not recognize herself. She has taken the time to get some fillers dissolved from her cheeks and lips because she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up in a world where she thinks that it is a beauty expectation for her. Other celebrities like Chrissy Teigan have talked about the process and choice for her to get her cheek fillers dissolved as well and wanting to be more natural looking.
In this day and age, people are more open and vulnerable online with their life experiences. Many content creators take their audience behind the scenes of what it is like to get these treatments. People are more aware of the dangers and consequences of these cosmetic procedures. Shows like “Botched” showcase different people that have had cosmetic procedures happen that they need fixed. Things like filler migration and irreversible damage can steer potential customers away from these medspas.
With celebrities trying to reverse the damage that filler and/or Botox has caused them, now what?
We are approaching the age of the “undetectables”
This is where someone could get anti aging procedures done that are not obvious and somewhat alluring and mysterious. Celebrities like Christina Aguilera have gone through the process of dissolving filler and getting an “undetectable” procedure done. She has gone from looking like an overfilled pillow, to a 20 something. Other celebrities like Anne Hathaway and Reese Witherspoon have also talked about getting different procedures done that are not as invasive as filler, but still give a natural and more elegant look.
The pillow face will come to a decline, and the era of undetectable procedures will dominate in the near future. Maybe there will no longer be any more facial signaling to be a part of a group within society, other things will come about instead to display wealth, power and desirability.
INSIDE THE MIND BEHIND
FASHION EXPERIENCE
THE JACKSONVILLE
At noon on a Tuesday — the first sunny day after weeks of rain and gloomy skies — the warm sunlight streaming down felt like a sign of what was to come. As I walked into CoLab Cafe, I was about to meet someone whose presence was just as bright: Kameren Lott, curator and owner of the Jacksonville Fashion Experience.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Lott always had an affinity for the arts. Whether it was photography or drawing, Lott gave his all to it and did so passionately. And when Lott was signed to a commercial modeling agency and got moved to Jacksonville by his agency, he packed up his life and dreams in Ohio and brought them to our bold city. In just two years of living here, Lott has done more for the local fashion scene than I’ve seen anyone else do within the last five years of living here.
From a young age, Lott connected with fashion. Despite growing up, in his own words, low-income and in a big city, Lott didn’t let his economic background define him. Fashion is an avenue for expression after all and all Lott wanted to do was express himself.
“That’s when I really got into thrifting. Thrifting is like one of my favorite things to do. It’s endless. It’s crazy what you can find at the thrift store,” Lott expressed. “And I guess that’s kind of where it all started. And I like fashion, it brims very brightly. I still find myself at the thrift store looking at what I can alter or cut or upcycle and things of that sort.”
One thing to know about Lott is that he knows how to break through the noise of bustling cities. And within an industry that’s constantly shifting and all about “the next best thing,” he knows how to keep up. But what about Lott is defining his success in the fashion scene here in Jacksonville? Is it his willingness to accept and surpass any challenge that comes his way or is it pure luck?
“I kind of just saw the lack of a fashion community here, and I just wondered what could happen if I tried to do a show here in Jacksonville. What if we actually just did a collaborative fashion show?” Lott shared. “And so I started working on that. I’m a person that when something comes along, I have to see it through whether it’s good or bad. I’ve got to give it a shot. So I was like, How can I implement this? So I partnered with CoLab, and we did our first show here. It was absolutely amazing.It was over 200 people in a room. It was very electrifying energy and just to see that you can do it, it just made me super proud because again, I’m super shy and awkward, so it’s hard for me to kind of start the fire. So when the fire started and I saw the tickets coming in, everyone was just like reposting and reaching out and just giving their congrats. I was like, man, this thing can actually blow up.”
Credit’s due where credit is due and much of the success of the Jacksonville Fashion Experience is a result of Lott’s passion to bring an elevated fashion scene to Jacksonville. But it is also due to the fact that the Jacksonville Fashion Experience isn’t your run of the mill fashion show. Lott makes sure of it.
“So at first, my show was going to be called the Jacksonville Fashion Runway, but I like the experience because everyone gets a different experience whether they’re in a room or whether they’re in the crowd, whether they’re behind the scenes, whether they’re a photographer, everyone gets a different experience of the night. And so that’s why I really wanted it to be based around the experience and not just the fashion, because everyone will have a
different experience. So I think the experience is almost like the best part because I think people are sometimes so focused on what they have to do, they forget to really reel into the experience,” Lott said. “So it’s not just so fashion, fashion, go, go, runway, runway. It’s art. And fashion is very expansive, like there’s musical art, there’s performance art, which is what we want to show.”
The Jacksonville Fashion Experience held its first show back in February, and since then, opportunities have been endless—much like Lott’s early days at the thrift store. They’ve collaborated with Yelp, hosted another show at Casa Marina, and built strong connections with numerous local businesses. But from the start, Lott’s focus was clear: he wanted to create opportunities for models.
When Lott began his modeling career, he often felt out of place. In an industry where the ideal is tall, skinny, and nearly perfect, finding his footing was a challenge. That’s why the Jacksonville Fashion Experience also offers a fashion camp.
“So a lot of people don’t know, but we actually do camps as well. It is like small little, kind of a elective where we kind of dig a little bit deeper into what it is like, be a model and we focus on runway, editorial and commercial. So our camps do really well as well. And that’s fun. I think the community has been like really, really supportive, and I think that’s the reason why we’ve been blown up in the sense like every day I get like a message of like someone saying, ‘how can I be part of that, going to be part of this?’” Lott expressed. “And it just kind of warms my heart because it’s like we are I, I don’t like try, I don’t try to be different. Like, I want to be different, that I don’t want to be like your average just run of the mill show that gets put on every couple of months and then that’s it. Like, I want people to constantly have access to us, which is why we have the fashion camp as well, to kind of just like if you want to be a model, like come to the camp and we’ll tell you what we know.We’ll share our experience, our knowledge. We’ll work on you one on one and share what we know, and prayerfully, it’ll help you grow more confident as a model.”
In Lott’s book, a model is someone who is a role model. There are no other defining factors or body types one has to fit into. It’s a breath of fresh air in an industry that’s often toxic.
“There’s no norms to be in a model. Like there’s no perfect weight class, there’s no perfect skin tone, there’s no less amount or more amount of tattoos. I hate that that’s kind of the culture of like modern-day models, right? Is like they have to be bare bone and no piercings. That’s boring,” Lott said. “So yeah, no, I don’t, I don’t have those harsh borders for my show. I just say, Hey, you show up, your professional, your passionate, you can work with the team. Then you are a model, period.”
But Lott couldn’t have created the Jacksonville Fashion Experience without the help of, well, Jacksonville. The Fashion Experience at its core is a collaborative project that consists of models, designers and local clothing businesses, but it also collaborates with the community.
“Jacksonville is … we’re like very low-key. But when we pop, we pop in. There’s so many successful businesses here. So I feel like you can start anything here and it can grow because we have such a community here that supports positivity,” Lott expressed. “I mean, it’s private, it’s flat, but it’s a big city with a lot of opportunities.”
And Lott wants to keep the opportunities flowing. He hopes that through the Jacksonville Fashion Experience, he can continue to foster this platform that will lift anybody interested in the fashion industry up. Whether it’s helping models get signed or helping designers see their clothes on billboards, Lott is all about bettering those around him.
“I try to always be open and exude love and just to put myself out there very positively, and I just always pray like that comes back to me and to the people I work with,” Lott said.
To follow along the Jacksonville Fashion Experience’s growth and for updates on upcoming shows, check out @jaxfashionexp.
THE ART CENTER COOPERATIVE
• “A View From My Window,” through Nov. 9 tacjacksonville.org
BEACHES MUSEUM beachesmuseum.org
BUTTERFIELD GARAGE ART GALLERY
• Silver Jubilee Exhibition butterfieldgarage.com
THE CORNER GALLERY AT THE JESSIE
• “Marcus Williams: Un-American Gods,” through Feb.12, 2025 movingthemargins.org
CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS
• “Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri: Mysteries that Remain,” through Jan. 12, 2025 cummermuseum.org
FEMART GALLERY
• “Unbound,” through Oct. 26 femartgallery.org
FIRST COAST CULTURAL CENTER
Hollie Heller: “Women Supporting Women,” Oct. 8-Nov. 19 firstcoastculturalcenter.org
FLAGLER COLLEGE–CRISP ELLERT MUSEUM
• “Pablo Vindel: en la noche prevalece un corazón lleno,” Oct. 4-Nov. 26 flagler.edu
GALLERY 725 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 MAIN LIBRARY
• “Pack Your Bags,” through Oct. 28 tacjacksonville.org
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY
• ”Bill Davis: No Dark in Sight,” virtual exhibition
• “Kristin Skees: Close Knit,” virtual exhibition ju.edu/cfa
THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM
• “Crystal Floyd: Kindred Spirits,” Oct. 10-Jan. 27, 2025
• “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
MOCA Jacksonville
• “Project Atrium: Frank Stella,” through Nov. 3
• “Emil Alzamora: Starship Abundance,” through Feb. 2, 2025
• “Fill My Heart With Hope,” through March 23, 2025 mocajacksonville.unf.edu
PAStA Fine Art Gallery pastagalleryart.com
RITZ THEATRE & MUSEUM
• “Lift Ev’ry Voice,” permanent collection ritzjacksonville.com
SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY southlightgallery.com
ST. AUGUSTINE ART ASSOCIATION staaa.org
STELLERS GALLERY stellersgallery.com
THRASHER-HORNE CENTER GALLERY thcenter.org
TOUCHÉ GALLERY touchegallery.com
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA unf.edu/gallery
THE VAULT AT 330 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 exhibition yellowhouseart.org
ONGOING
Art Walk: Oct. 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 Vagabond Flea at VyStar Tower from 5–9 p.m. Visitors can also enjoy live music, food trucks, street performers, free admission to MOCA and complimentary rides on JTA’s Skyway. dtjax.org
Fernandina Beach Arts Market: Oct. 12 and 26
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: Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26
Artists, artisans and makers display their original paintings, jewelry, photographs, prints and other handcrafted items every Saturday — rain or shine — from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Riverside Avenue underneath the canopy of the Fuller Warren Bridge. riversideartsmarket.com
St. Augustine First Friday Artwalk: Oct. 4
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: Oct. 19
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
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THE TALES OF A FLORIDA BOY
Sunshine, sand between our toes, community and art entangles us as residents of the state that holds diverse stories and faces. It’s the state that is devoted to its temperamental weather patterns but always makes sure to provide a rainbow after the storm. And it’s the state that is noted as the birthplace of local rapper Yung OG (Original Genius) Rawby.
His bright personality and smile are the physical embodiment of the “Sunshine State” we reside in, and if you’re not able to experience his vibrations in person, his music exudes that very essence.
Originally starting out as a poet, Rawby was drawn to music from his adoration of composing his inner abstractions, appreciation for instrumental music and high regard for rapper Lupe Fiasco.
Fiasco’s sound is one that is archetypal, and Rawby’s own study of Fiasco’s style has allowed Rawby to tap into his own internal monologue to produce material that’s insightful and ingenius. Rawby’s favorite song that he’s created thus far has been “Comatose,” and its impact has spread beyond superficial listening.
“[My engineer] told me at the time he and his girlfriend — now wife — were going through issues, and he would listen to ‘Comatose’ every day and he played it while he and his girlfriend worked things out,” Rawby said. “He credits me and my song to what saved his relationship.”
While his love for music is unwavering, Rawby has taken a brief break when it comes to releasing new projects — due to various factors.
“There’s a ceiling you reach here in Jacksonville if you don’t know the right people,” said Rawby. “Support from the city for me is more so seen than heard.”
While his stillness isn’t permanent, he said, he’s, “been creating and perfecting [his] craft,” emphasizing “what’s to come will be resoundingly significant.” His production and promotion of art doesn’t just stop with him, as he isn’t solely tied to his own ambitions. As the co-curator of Wine Down Wednesdays, he seeks to provide a monthly event that provides a space for singers, rappers, artists and entrepreneurs to shine.
“I see myself as full-time artist/curator bridging creative scenes between multiple cities and being sort of an anomaly in the entertainment industry,” Rawby said.
Along with other members of the community, Rawby has taken strides to empower the innovators in our city and beyond by watering a network for multidisciplinary creatives to connect and thrive; and Rawby doesn’t plan to stop as he envisions his future to embolden him.
He will also be using his own knack to contribute to an upcoming collaboration project with those who complete the Wine Down Wednesday collective.
With an unwavering support system and a hunger for releasing music, Rawby’s return to the Jacksonville music scene is highly anticipated. Everything he does as an artist comes from a place of spirited experimentation and the gusty approach to soaring beyond the fixed boundaries of songwriting.
“I tend to blend writing with freestyling. Sometimes I’ll write a hook and completely freestyle the verse,” he added. “There are different combinations that I use this technique with when it comes to song structure. It gives the record a fresh feel while also remaining coherent.”
His index of inspirations, which include Kanye West, Black Star, D’Angelo, Outkast, J. Dilla heavily contribute to his understanding of music and aid in his own establishment of storytelling. This mastery can be heard in his upcoming single “Are You Okay?” featuring QVilla. The song sheds light on mental health awareness and serves as a “Check-in on a very Florida boy tip!” Rawby NOTED.
To keep up with Yung OG Rawby and his endeavors, follow him on Instagram at @thatsrawby.
UNDERDRESSED AT THE FLORIDA THEATRE
Faye Webster Concert Review
Words & photos by Ambar Ramirez
Faye Webster often bought last-minute tickets to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and enjoyed getting lost in the performances. So much so that she wrote a whole album in ode to this spontaneous time of her life— “Underdressed at the Symphony.” When Webster attended these performances, she would lose herself amongst the many concertgoers and her show at the Florida Theatre was no different.
But before we dive into the main act, we need to talk about the opener, Miya Folick. The California-based songwriter and musician has toured with artists like Aly & AJ, The Head and The Heart, Father John Misty, and now Faye Webster. It was, quite frankly, a perfect pairing. Folick’s gentle, indie sound set the ideal tone for the evening. Her set made the venue feel like an intimate garage performance, stripped down with no props or stage design. Accompanied only by her keyboardist and saxophonist, she sat on chairs facing the audience. Between songs, Folick sipped tea from her mug and chatted with the crowd like old friends. The audience was captivated — laughing when she laughed, gasping when she belted out an unexpected note. Miya Folick is certainly an artist to watch, and one who may be selling out venues herself one day.
After Folick performed her final song, it was time for a brief intermission. The audience took advantage of this time to grab some drinks and use the restroom, knowing that as soon as Faye Webster hit the stage they wouldn’t want to miss a second of it. Slowly, the stage came alive. The black sheets scattered throughout the stage revealed washing machines, the amorphous shape that hung behind Miya Folick’s set became a giant white t-shirt, instruments were brought out and the theater became a laundromat. Once the lights dimmed and the blue hue filled the venue, Faye Webster emerged, opening with her hit “The Right Side of My Neck.”
Webster has a knack for seamlessly blending songs about heartbreak with those about everyday moments. Take “But Not Kiss” and “Lego Ring,” for example — one captures the quiet intricacies of relationships, while the other is simply about her wanting a Lego ring. Regardless of the topic, she performs each song with a raw, genuine touch. The real magic of live performances lies in those moments when an artist is truly authentic, and Webster delivered just that. She wasn’t afraid to stray away from performing her songs exactly as they sound in your headphones. At the same time, she showed she can be playful and experimental on stage, while still connecting with the audience on a deep emotional level.
Throughout the show, Webster ebbed and flowed between songs from her latest album and earlier works, even treating the audience to a brand-new song, “After the First Kiss,” which she had never performed live before. She has a talent for letting the music speak for itself, even stepping back to let each band member have their moment to shine. It all came together like a beautiful symphony, to say the least.
The night ended with “He Loves Me Yeah!” and oh, how we love you, Faye Webster.
CONCERTS
OCT. 1
Brothers Osborne
Daily’s Place dailysplace.com
Jesse Dayton
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
John Nemeth
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 2
Casting Crowns
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com
OCT. 3
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
The Barons
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
CIMAFUNK
Intuition Ale Works intuitionaleworks.com
Early Times & The High Rollers
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 4
Nicki Minaj
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com
Boyz II Men
Daily’s Place dailysplace.com
Anne Wilson
Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
The Black Crowes
St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com
Town Mountain
Intuition Ale Works intuitionaleworks.com
NOBIGDYL.
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
Fozzy
Underbelly underbellyjax.com
Stephen Kellogg
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 4-5
Dancing Queens: Cher, Donna Summer, Whitney
Houston & More
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org
OCT. 5
The Used with special guest Plain White T’s St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com
Kim Waters
Ritz Theatre & Museum ritzjacksonville.com
The Exploited / Total Chaos
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
Ordinary Boys
Underbelly underbellyjax.com
Boredom
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 6
John Anderson Acoustic
Thrasher-Horne Center thcenter.org
The Chris O’Leary Band
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 7
Mexican Slumrats
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
OCT. 8
Chapel Concert: Longineu Parsons
Beaches Museum Chapel beachesmuseum.org
OCT. 9
Rob Leines
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
OCT. 10
Tracy Lawrence Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
OCT. 11
KC & The Sunshine Band Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
1964 The Tribute
Thrasher-Horne Center, Orange Park thcenter.org
The Holdup
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
OCT. 12
Kirk Franklin VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena jaxevents.com
Jake Shimabukuro
Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
Starletta
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
OCT. 13
Joe Nichols
Thrasher-Horne Center thcenter.com
Heather Pierson
Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com
Shwayze
Underbelly underbellyjax.com
OCT. 14
Bodysnatcher
Underbelly underbellyjax.com
Oct. 15
Vampire Weekend
St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com
Bold City Classics Big Band Halloween
Dance
Casa Marina Hotel boldcityclassics.com
Telehope
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
OCT. 16
Men At Work
Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
Dan Rodriguez
Blue Jay Listening Room bluejayjax.com
OCT. 17
The Magic of Motown
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxevents.com
Clayton Mullen
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
KBong & Johnny Cosmic Underbelly underbellyjax.com
Ellis Paul
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 18
The Revivalists St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com
The Ultimate Queen Celebration
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxevents.com
Maysa Leak
Ritz Theatre & Museum ritzjacksonville.com
Snow Strippers
Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
OCT. 18-19
Sibelius’ Violin & Elgar’s Enigma
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org
OCT. 19
Flatland Cavalry Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
Mason Via The Waterworks, St. Augustine gamblerogersfest.org
OCT. 20
Stop. Drop. Rewind. Jack Rabbits jaxlive.com
Broadside and Bearings Underbelly underbellyjax.com
Toronzo Cannon Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 22
Benson Boone St. Augustine Amphitheatre theaug.com
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Daily’s Place dailiysplace.com
Samara Joy Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
Anthony Gomes Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 23
Rainbow Kitten Surprise St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com
OCT. 24-25
Conrad Tao Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts jaxsymphony.org
OCT. 25
Juvenile and The 400 Degreez Band with Mannie Fresh St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com
Boney James Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
Cursive Intuition Ale Works intuitionaleworks.com
Empire Strikes Brass
Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Beach originalcafe11.com
OCT. 26
Stephen Sanchez St. Augustine Amphitheatre theamp.com
The Cruxshadows Underbelly underbellyjax.com
Wine Lips Kona Clubhouse konaskatepark.com
The Jazzy Blue Band The Waterworks, St. Augustine romanzafestivale.com
OCT. 27 of Montreal Intuition Ale Works intuitionaleworks.com
OCT. 30
The FIXX Florida Theatre floridatheatre.com
DECEMBER
WE SANG
We have never claimed to be music critics, but for the sake of this article, we will pretend. Before we get into who we saw and what we thought, let’s talk about where we were — the Sing Out Loud Festival. In the heart of Downtown St. Augustine, Francis Field was transformed into a lively festival ground. For two days, locals and tourists alike flocked to this sun-drenched field to catch a wide range of performances, enjoy plenty of drinks, and spend much of their time in the cooling stations. September in Florida is a sick joke that never gets old. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but in the spirit of being honest, the festival could definitely use a few tweaks. The first thing that jumps out is the stage placement — specifically, the direction it was facing. With the main (and only) stage facing east, the entire crowd was forced to look west, straight into the evening sun with no escaping it. We all had to patiently wait for the sun to slowly submerge behind the stage —a very daunting task that resulted in many forehead sunburns. But hey, it’s Florida, what do we really expect? And don’t even get us started on the fact that the porta potties were all the way back at the entrance. Traumatic to say the least — especially when trying to wiggle our way back into the crowd after a close call with god.
Anyway, let’s get into why we braced the “fall” heat and packed crowds. Here’s who we saw and what we thought.
SO LOUD
who w e saw what we thought
SIERRA FERRELL
Ethereal, otherworldly, holy, spiritual, there are not enough words to describe the woman and artist that Sierra Ferrell is. From the moment Ferrell got on stage to the moment she got off, we were entranced. We don’t know what type of witchery Ferrell puts into her music, but there was not a single moment during the whole set where the crowd wasn’t dancing, crying or going feral for Ferrell.
There is no doubt in our minds that Sierra Ferrell was put on this earth to perform. Ferrell’s voice is rich with an old-timey twang that transports you to another era. Her vocals weave effortlessly between a haunting, Appalachian drawl and a playful, folksy charm, creating a sound that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly unique. And hearing her live performances of “Dollar Bill Bar,” “American Dreaming” and “Fox Hunt” was something out of a movie.
We also need to mention that nobody has musical range like Ferrell. Hearing her set was like hearing a jazz show, a country show, a bluegrass show and an alt show all wrapped into one. If you aren’t listening to Sierra Ferrell right now, what are you doing? Thank us later.
MARCUS KING
Wow. Just wow. We don’t know what we were expecting but Marcus King exceeded it. He has the voice of someone who would have graced the stage with the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash and Chris Stapleton. He is a natural-born rockstar through and through. King walked onto the stage like he owned it, and he very well could have.
We can only describe his music as rock with a hint of Southern twang. Not enough to be fully classified as a country singer, but enough to make a clear distinction that he is doing something unique.
As we were weaving through the crowd after Ferrell, trying to make our way to the water station, person after person was giving us shocked looks asking “Why are you leaving before Marcus King are you crazy?” and in the moment, we didn’t understand. We found a cozy spot in one of the –very limited– shaded areas and hunkered down. That was our bad, we will admit that because the second King graced the stage and began his performance, we wanted to do nothing more than get up and dance – and we did.
NORAH JONES
Whoever was in charge of setting up the line-up for day two made a dire mistake by putting Norah Jones after Marcus King, and even after Sierra Ferrell. After the high we got from listening to Marcus King, we were immediately put to bed and ready to go home for Jones. And this is in no way a reflection of her soft, yet raspy voice, it was just bad placement.
Norah Jones has been in the music scene since her 2002 debut album “Come Away With Me” and has garnered a solid fan base over the years. We went to her set for one song and one song only— “Don’t Know Why.” Hearing that song live did not disappoint, we just can’t say the same for the rest of her hour-long set (that sounded like one continuous song).
NOAH KAHAN
Noah Kahan has a knack for making his audience feel homesick over places we’ve never been. We are Florida grown girls through and through but while listening to “Northern Attitude,” “Homesick” and “Stick Season”, we couldn’t help but long for a past we never had in New England. His music falls into the “y’allternative” genre—a perfect blend of modern folk and alternative.
Kahan seamlessly balances his sets with a powerful voice and sharp, quick-witted jokes aimed at the crowd. He has the stage presence of that awkward classmate presenting a project for the first time — charming, with just the right amount of self-deprecation. His voice is proo f enough that he belongs on the stage, but his insecure nature brings a sense of relatability and humor to the audience.
It was obvious the crowd was there for Kahan as the event’s closer, and he delivered. As the sun finally set and our sweat began to dry, the anticipation only grew. It took just two strums of his guitar for the crowd to erupt, singing—more like screaming—along to “Dial Drunk.” It felt like we were in a full-on sing-off with Kahan. There wasn’t a single song we didn’t know by heart. Not one lyric fumbled, no missteps. It was like taking a final we crammed for—and we totally aced it.
NEW MUSIC RELEASES
Made For You By Amiyah Golden
The talent that is encompassed in the body of Leon Bridges is immense and unadulterated.
I vividly remember hearing his 2015 hit song “River” and being absolutely enamored. I fell even more in love with his sound after listening to his collaborative albums – “Texas Sun” and “Texas Moon” – with another one of my favorite bands ever, Khruangbin.
His upcoming self-titled project, “Leon” is comprised of 13-tracks and is expected to wow listeners as he never fails to create timeless music in a contemporary society fueled with music created to simply stream and profit.
You love Coldplay, I love Coldplay, everyone loves Coldplay (or at least I would hope so.)
The band will be releasing their 10th studio album, “Moon Music” with 10 new songs belted by the group’s frontman Chris Martin.
I audibly gasped at the features with afro-beats artists such as Ayra Star and Burna Boy being listed, as well as U.K. artist Little Simz and more. While I assumed what to expect to expect from the indie-rock band, I was forced to put my assumptions aside as they seem to steer toward the embrace of alternative genres. I’m genuinely curious to hear what the band has been cooking up.
Known best as Billie Eilish’s brother and the producer behind her hit songs, Finneas will be releasing his own project, “For Cryin’ Out Loud” in October. This comes months after the major success of his sister’s album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.”
The brother and sister have been dubbed ‘prodigies’ by many since they were young, and their various projects speaks true to that.
Finneas will go on a brief tour that will encompass three shows – all sold out – in California, New York and England this month.
“LEON”
LEON BRIDGES
“MOON MUSIC”
“FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD”
COLDPLAY
“It’s 7 p.m. Friday, it’s 95 degrees…”
This intro was the beginning of the song of the summer — and while many claim there was the absence of a summer anthem this year — I would have to disagree as GloRilla’s “TGIF” song was holding it down alongside Kendrick Lamar’s “They Not Like Us.”
The Memphis native has had one hell of a year with her rampant success, establishing her as a star that will last in this cut-throat rap game. She’s not new two hit singles with “Tomorrow 2,” “F.N.F, and ‘Yeah Glo!’ (even getting a big cosign from NBA star Lebron James) being known as the hype songs for all the girls!
The rapper has announced her debut album “Glorious,” and it will feature 15-tracks which I’m sure won’t be missing any features!
I think tears were shed on my end when I heard that Bon Iver is back with a new music. The latest project, “SABLE” only features three songs but according to a press release from record company the EP is: “emerging from a slow-burning breakdown — possibly done with music, thinking increasingly about the concept of healing — “SABLE” is a place for [singer Justin] Vernon to unpack the darkness, pressure and anxiety that amounted to one of the most trying periods of his life.”
The way that Vernon tells stories that are so raw and lasting with impacts far beyond his intentions, are the reason that he will always sustain as one of my favorite artists — and that sentiment stands for many other fans.
This month the singer-songwriter releases “Evergreen” which features 11 songs. “I wanted to change things up a bit on this one and play around with some more organic textures. It was really important for me that the songwriting shone through everything and came to the forefront. These songs are very close to my heart and I hope they become close to some of yours as well,” she shared abou the album on Instagram.
Can’t wait to hear what Soccer Mommy has been inspired by this October!
BON IVER
“SABLE”
GLORILLA
A tour and a new album are on the horizon for the Nashville native Sophia Allison, best known as Soccer Mommy.
Cajun Crab Juice Seafood & Bar Jax cajuncrabjax.com
Cliff’s Bar & Grill cliffsbarandgrill.com
El Fogón de Munchies facebook.com/elfogonMunchiesBoricuas
Fancy Sushi & Grill Japanese Restaurant fancysushiandgrill.com
Fuji Sushi fujisushi-fl.com
The Good Place Nutrition facebook.com/thegoodplacenutrition
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
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
Grinders American Diner grindersamdiner.com
Lauren’s Jazz, Blues & Seafood facebook.com/laurensseafoodbluesjazz
La Palmerita orderlapalmerita.com
Pupuseria El Paraíso pupuseriaelparaisojax.com
Rice + Noodles Korean Restaurant riceandnoodles.net
Seven Wonders Restaurant 7wondersbakery.com
GROM
facebook.com/Grom904
Hawkers eathawkers.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
Southern Coast Seafood southerncoastseafood.com
Tabouleh Cafe taboulehcafe.com
Thai & Lao Bistro thaiandlaobistro.com
Zen Dumpling zendumplings.com
Safe Harbor Seafood Market and Restaurant safeharbor-seafood.com
Salt Life Food Shack saltlifefoodshack.com
Salumeria 104 Atlantic Beach salumeria104.com
Singleton’s Seafood Shack singletonsseafood.com
Sliders Oyster Bar slidersoysterbar.com
Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com
TacoLu tacolu.com
Talkin’ Tacos talkintacos.net
Tequila’s Town Mexican Restaurant tequilastown.com
Two Dudes Seafood Restaurant twodudesrestaurant.com
Valley Smoke BBQ valleysmoke.com
Vicious Biscuit viciousbiscuit.com
Bellweather bellwetherjax.com
The Bread and Board thebreadandboard.com
The Brick Coffee House brickcoffeehouse.com
Cowford Chophouse cowfordchophouse.com
Casa Dora Italian Cafe facebook.com/casadorajax
De Real Ting Cafe facebook.com/derealtingcafe
Estrella Cocina estrellajax.com
Bella Vista bellavistaitalian.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
Bold Birds Nashville Hot Chicken boldbirdshotchicken.com
Buchner’s Bierhall buchnersbierhalle.com
The Butt Hutt Smokehouse butthuttjax.com
Chancho King chanchoking.com
The Dreamette dreametteicecream.com
The Happy Grilled Cheese thehappygrilledchees.wixsite.com/grilledcheese
Indochine indochinejax.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
Kazu Japanese Restaurant kazujapaneserestaurant.com
Le Petit Paris French Cafe lepetitparisjax.com
Mandola’s Italian Kitchen mandolas.com
Masala Indian Cuisine jaxmasala.com
Nudo Vietnam Cuisine nudoinjax.com
One Night Taco Stand onenightjax.com
Picasso’s Pizzeria jaxpicassos.wixsite.com/jaxpicassos
El Jefe Tex Mex eljefejax.com
Fired Up Pizza woodfireduppizza.com
La Cena Ristorante No website. Google it!
Maple Street Biscuit Company maplestreetbiscuits.com/murray-hill
Moon River Pizza moonriverpizza.net
Rosy’s Restaurant rosys-restaurant.business.site
Salento Steakhouse salentosteakhouse.com
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe tazikis.com
Umami Japanese Curry & Ramen umamijax.com
Wicked Barley Brewing Company wickedbarley.com
Murray Hillbilly murrayhillbilly.com
Solazo Taqueria solazofl.business.site
The Stout Snug thestoutsnug.com
Vagabond Coffee Co. vagabondcoffee.com
The Walrus thewalrusjax.com
Aloha Waffle Bar alohawafflebar.com
Celestia’s Coastal Cuisine celestiascoastalcuisine.com
Epik epikeats.com
Fuji Yama fujiyamajax.com
Galaxy Burger galaxyburgersjax.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 Restaurant & Oyster Bar bluefishjax.com
Blue Buddha bluebuddhaspecialty.com
Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine blueorchidthai.com
Bold Bean boldbeancoffee.com
Brew Five Points brewfivepoints.co
Carolina Jax carolinajax.com
Carmines Pie House carminespiehouse.com
Cool Moose Cafe coolmoosecafe.net
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
Corner Taco cornertaco.com
Cuisine 76 & Bar cuisine76andbar.com
European Street Cafe europeanstreet.com
The Fox Restaurant facebook.com/thefoxrestaurant
The Greenhouse and Bar thegreenhousebar.com
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
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
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
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
1748 Bakehouse 1748bakehouse.com
Bold City Downtown boldcitybrewery.com
Dainty Cheesecake Company daintycheesecake.com
Dos Vatos Tacos dosvatostacosfl.com
Casa Dora Italian Cafe casadoraitaliancusinepizzeria.com
Caribbean Sunrise Bakery & Restaurant caribbeansunrisebakery.com
Crispy’s Springfield Gallery facebook.com/CrispysSpringfieldGallery
III Forks 3forks.com/location/jacksonville
4 Rivers Smokehouse 4rsmokehouse.com
Alien Taco and Tequila Bar alientaco.net
Amazing Thai Restaurant amazingthaijax.com
Bazille at Nordstrom nordstrom.com
Flavors of Thai flavors-of-thai.business.site
Fuji Sushi jacksonvillefujisushi.com
The Local thelocaljax.com
Matthew’s Restaurant matthewsrestaurant.com
The Metro Diner metrodiner.com
Oceana oceana.restaurant
The Olive Tree Mediterranean Grille theolivetreemediterraneangrille.com
Peterbrooke peterbrooke.com/pages/san-marco
Flavva flavvajacksonville.com
Island Tropics Restaurant facebook.com/Island-Tropics-Restaurant-Lounge
Tha Soulfood Smagicians facebook.com/thasmagicians
The Dreamette dreametteicecream.com
The District thedistrictspr.com
Hola Mexican Restaurant holajax.com
Blaze Pizza blazepizza.com
Catullo’s Italian catullos.hrpos.heartland.us/menu
Cataluna Jax catalunajax.com
Culhane’s Irish Pub culhanesirishpub.com
The French Pantry thefrenchpantryfl.com
Pink Salt Restaurant + Wine Bar pinksaltrestaurant.com
Rue Saint-Marc ruesaintmarc.com
Sake House 2 sakehousejax2.com
Southern Grounds southerngrounds.com
Taverna taverna.restaurant
Town Hall townhalljax.com
V Pizza vpizza.com
Voodoo Brewing Co. jacksonville.voodoobrewery.com
Indulgence Southern Bistro indulgencesouthernbistro.com
Social Grounds Coffee Roasters social-grounds-coffee.myshopify.com
Strings Sport Brewery stringssportsbrewery.com
Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar meetatsilkies.com
Tulua Bistro instagram.com/tuluabistro
Uptown Kitchen and Bar uptownkitchenjax.com
Waafa and Mike’s Cafe facebook.com/waafaandmikes
Fresh Mex & Co. freshmexjax.com
Galaxy Burger galaxyburgersjax.com
Hopdoddy Burger Bar hopdoddy.com
Just Jerk justjerkbbq1.com
Marianas Grinds facebook.com/marianasgrinds
Mr. Potato Spread mrpotatospread.com
Midtown Table midtowntable.medurebrothers.com
Norikase norikase.com
Ahadu Ethiopian Restaurant ahadu-ethiopian-restaurant.business.site
Aspendos Italian Cuisine aspendositaliancuisine.com
Banana Leaf Asian Bistro facebook.com/bananaleafasianbistro
Cross Creek Steakhouse and Ribs crosscreeksteakhouse.com
Ellianos Coffee ellianos.com
The Juicy Crab thejuicycrabjax.com
1928 Cuban Bistro-Fleming Island 1928cubanistro.com
Akaya Grill & Sushi Restaurant akayaonline.com
Bangin Burgers banginburgurs.com
Black Creek Cafe black-creek-cafe-middleburg.com
Corky Bell’s Seafood & Steaks corkybellsseafood.com
El Palermo Puerto Rican Kitchen palermopuertoricankitchen.com
El Pegao Restaurant facebook.com/eloegaorestaurant
Holey Moley Bagel Bar NYC facebook.com/HoleyMoleyBagelBar
King Kabob eatkingkabob.com
La Catrina Tacos & Tequila Bar lacatrinalovers.com
Leaderboard Arcade Bar & Pizzeria leaderboardarcade.com
Prati Italia pratiitalia.com
Purple Roots purplerootsjacksonville.com
Seasons 52 seasons52.com
La Perla Mexican Restaurant orderlaperlamexicanrestaurant.com
Lewey’s Seafood and Wings leweys-seafood-wings.business.site
Mesa mesajax.com
The Metro Diner metrodiner.com
The Potter’s House Soul Food and Bistro thesoulfoodbistro.com
Puerto Plata Restaurant puertoplatarestaurant.com
Legacy Restaurant & Bar instagram.com/legacyloungejax
Mackey’s Munchies mackeysmunchies.com
Mr. Potato Spread mrpotatospread.com
Natural Kitchen naturalkitchenusa.com
OP Fish House & Oyster Bar opfishhouse.com
Ten Zushi tenzushionline.com
Two Sisters and A Deviled Crab 2sistersjax.com
Vito’s Pizza vitosorangepark.com
Whitey’s Fish Camp whiteysfishcamp.com
Sweet Mama’s Southern Homestyle Cooking sweetmamasjacksonville.com
Taste of Thai tasteofthaijax.com
Texas de Brazil texasdebrazil.com
Sushi Bear sushibearjax.com
Trent’s Seafood jltrents.com
Tsaocaa Oakleaf tsaocaatea.com
BITE
September 10th.
5:23 a.m.
Partly cloudy, on and off rain, what felt like 150% humidity. Essentially, it was a normal Florida night.
Until a roar shattered the fragile silence over Cape Canaveral. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket turned darkness into daylight, blasting off of Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, the very launchpad that launched the Apollo program’s missions to the moon and the Space Shuttle. Now, with SpaceX being a decade into their 20-year lease of the pad, it’s launched the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and soon enough, their gargantuan Starship rocket. (To put it in perspective, imagine if we strapped 40.8 million horsepower worth of engines to the Riverplace Tower, sent it to space, then had it fall out of the sky and land. That’s pretty much Starship).
So yeah, the pad’s got some history to it.
As the rocket roared to life, with flame being turned to thrust, it added onto that legacy, because this launch isn’t carrying satellites or NASA astronauts: it’s carrying civilians. And they’re about to do something unprecedented.
This mission was Polaris Dawn, the first in a series of three launches of the Polaris program, funded and founded by Shift4 CEO, pilot and astronaut Jared “Rook” Isaacman (who also funded the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, a fundraiser for St. Jude, as is the Polaris program). Aboard the Dragon spaceflight capsule, dubbed Resilience, were mission commander Isaacman, mission pilot and former U.S. Air Force Thunderbird Scott “Kidd” Poteet, SpaceX engineer and Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis and SpaceX engineer and Mission Specialist/Medical Officer Anna Menon. With Isaacman’s position as funder and astronaut, many viewed this as another billionaire’s joyride to space with his friends (see Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson sending themselves to the edge of space for funsies!). The goals of this mission, however, were far beyond a simple hop, skip and jump off of Earth.
The Dawn crew spent five days orbiting the Earth in the Dragon capsule, conducting ~40 experiments with more than 30 partner institutions, such as testing new in-space communication systems, which will allow us to communicate with people on Earth when we go back to the Moon (and, eventually, Mars). The mission also included flying up to 870 miles — three times the height of the International Space Station — to see how the human body handles spaceflight within and beyond the Van Allen radiation belt (if that sounds scary, it’s because it is. That’s where the Earth traps particles of radiation from the Sun), all while raising more money for St. Jude’s cancer research.
There’s a lot of history to be made within these goals, with the 870 mile mark (4.5 million feet above Earth) being the highest earth orbit any humans have ever achieved, and the highest orbit since Apollo’s missions to the moon. Gillis and Menon have also gone further into space than any women in history.
The big highlight, however, came on day three. At 6:12 a.m. EST, the crew, wearing their brand new SpaceX EVA suits (EVA means extravehicular activity, the space term for “we’re not in the capsule anymore!”), opened up the newly modified hatch atop Dragon. With millions watching live, they were about to put 2.5+ years of work and training to the test.
Isaacman then stepped out to become the first civilian astronaut to conduct a spacewalk, a massive milestone for private, commercial spaceflight, especially as SpaceX moves toward, as Isaacman put it, “[humans] becoming a multiplanetary species.” Poteet, Gillis and Menon, while still in the capsule, weren’t just in relaxation mode at this point though. They had donned their EVA suits, as they were being subjected to the conditions of space as well, making this the first time in history that four people at once experienced the vacuum of space. Climbing atop SpaceX’s “Skywalker” system, a camera inside Isaacman’s helmet allowed us back home to see the view for ourselves. As our big blue world came into view, Isaacman stated to SpaceX’s team on the ground, “Well, SpaceX, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth looks like a perfect world.”
After about 15 minutes atop the capsule doing mobility tests, Isaacman returned and Gillis exited the capsule for her round of testing. See, this spacewalk wasn’t just a sightseeing adventure; it was the first in-space test of the SpaceX EVA suits and the first EVA from a Dragon capsule (because this mission wasn’t already historic enough). These suits are not only important to SpaceX, but NASA as well, who have been using their same EVA suits since the early ’80s and just had Collins Aerospace drop their participation in the contract for the replacement. William Gerstenmaier, a 40-year NASA veteran and now vice president of build and flight reliability for SpaceX, spoke on the issue and partnership at the pre-launch arrival press conference.
“We share with each other [SpaceX and NASA] what we know and what we don’t know… This pace of development that we get to do at SpaceX is very much like the pace of development that was required back in the early Apollo days,” he said. “We’re getting a chance to do that again… It’s time to do these big things and move forward.”
Following the spacewalk, the crew removed their EVA suits and took most of day three to rest and recover. They used day four to test out the Starlink system installed in Dragon by posting directly to social media, connecting with family via FaceTime, and having Gillis, a classically trained violinist, record a rendition of “Rey’s Theme” from Star Wars earlier in the flight, with the recorded track sent back to Earth where it was mixed into a full performance (conducted by “Star Wars” composer John Williams himself) with orchestras from all around the world, all from their capsule orbiting above Earth. Day five, the final full day in orbit, was spent finishing up the last remaining experiments, including a study on kidney stone formation in microgravity and continuing development of proper CPR techniques in orbit, as well as continued testing of Starlink, used to call their families while finalizing splashdown (return) preparations.
At 3:36 a.m. EST on Sept. 15 (the third anniversary of Inspiration4’s launch) off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Resilience splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, capping off a successful mission, fundraiser, and an end to one of the most historic missions in spaceflight. With commercial crewed launches increasing, NASA having just launched another crew to the International Space Station, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn test flight around the corner, it’s an exciting time in spaceflight, and Cape Canaveral, as it has been throughout history, is the epicenter.
ARLINGTON
Atlantis Lounge instagram.com/theatlantis_jax
Cliff’s Bar and Grill cliffsbarandgrill.com
Club Heaven clubheavenjax.com
BEACHES/PONTE VEDRA Beach Bowl beachbowljax.com
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
NIGHTLIFE
Gusto gustojax.com
Hoptinger Bier Garden + Sausage House hoptinger.com
Ink Factory Brewing inkfactorybrewing.com
Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com
Jax Beach Kava Bar kavajacksonville.com
Jekyll Brewing jekyllbrewing.com
Julep Palm Valley facebook.com/juleppalmvalley
Lemon Bar & Grille lemonbarjax.com
Living Room Lounge instagram.com/thelivingroomab
Lynch’s Irish Pub lynchsirishpub.com
Mango’s mangosjaxbeach.com
Mavi’s Waterfront Bar & Grill mavijax.com
Mayport Brewing Company maportbrewing.com
Mayport Garden Club mayportgardenclub.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
VooSwar Restaurant & Lounge instagram.com/vooswar
DOWNTOWN
The Bier Hall at Intuition Ale Works intuitionaleworks.com/bierhall
Bold City Brewery boldcitybrewery.com
De Real Ting Cafe facebook.com/derealtingcafe
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
Ocean Street Tequila instagram.com/oceanstreettacosandtequila
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 monkeysunclemandarin.com
Rack’em Up Sports Bar facebook.com/rackemupsportsbar
Time Out Sports Grill timeoutsportsgrill.com
MURRAY HILL
Axe Champs axechamps.com
Buchner’s Bierhalle buchnersbierhalle.com
The Boot Rack Saloon boot-rack-saloon.business.site
Fishweir Brewing Company fishweirbrewing.com
The Flamingo theflamingojax.com
Mustang Bar & Grill facebook.com/themustangjax
Perfect Rack Billiards perfectrackbilliards.com
Silver Cow silvercowjax.com Spruce sprucejax.com
The Walrus thewalrusjax.com
NORTHSIDE
Coppertop Bar and Restaurant coppertopbarandrestaurant.com
Four Fathers Distillery fourfathersdistillery.com
ORANGE PARK/MIDDLEBURG 57 Heaven facebook.com/57heavenop
Big Dawgs Sports Restaurant bigdawgsrestaurant.com
Cheers Park Avenue cheersparkave.com
The Daq Shack thedaqshack904.com
Dee’s Music Bar and Grill facebook.com/musicbarandgrill
The Fresh Spot Lounge thefreshspotlounge.com
LeaderBoard Arcade leaderboardarcade.com
Locals Pub localspub.co
Nakama Anime Bar nakamabar.com
Park Avenue Billiards parkavenuebilliards.com
Pinglehead Brewing Company pinglehead.com
Southern Social Whiskey Bar & Lounge southernsocialbar.com
RIVERSIDE/AVONDALE
Birdies facebook.com/birdiesfivepoints
Bold City Brewery boldcitybrewery.com
Brick Restaurant brickofavondale.com
Burlock & Barrel burlockandbarrel.com
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
Mickie’s Irish Pub facebook.com/mickiesjax
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
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
Cataluna Jax catalunajax.com
Culhane’s culhanesirishpub.com
Island Girl Cigar Bar islandgirlcigarbar.com
Jax Craft Beer jaxcraftbeer.com
Medusa Restaurant and Hookah Lounge facebook.com/medusa-loungejacksonville
Rio Restaurant and Lounge instagram.com/riorestauraunt.jax
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
Shantytown Pub facebook.com/shantytownjax
Strings Sports Brewery stringssportsbrewery.com
Stumpy’s Hatchet House stumpyshh.com
Tulua Bistro instagram.com/tuluabistro
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 Elevation Lounge elevationjax.com
Lillian’s lillianssportsgrill.com
Ortega River Club ortegariverclub.net
The Phoenix Bar & Bowling facebook.com/thephoenixjax
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“Sandpiper on Neptune Beach”
Aaron Ludwig
