July 21 Issue

JULY 21, 2011 | VOLUME 12 | NUMBER 28 | INWEEKLY.NET

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Contents

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Rick Outzen

COLUMNS

3 WINNERS & LOSERS 4 OUTTAKES

24 NEWS OF THE WEIRD 27 LAST WORD

NEWS/FEATURES/ARTS

6 NEWS: KEEPING EVERYONE IN THE BOAT 9 COVER STORY: RETAIL RISK TAKERS 15 A&E: PIRATES AND UFOS AND GHOSTS, OH MY! 24 MUSIC: RAINEY’S REVENGE 25 MUSIC: OH WHAT A KNIGHT

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bradley “B.J.” Davis, Jr., Joani Delezen, Hana Frenette, Ashley Hardaway, Rob “Bubbs” Harris, Catrina, Hebert, Erica House, Brett Hutchins, Chelsa Jillard, Jennie McKeon, Jeremy Morrison, Kate Peterson, Scott, Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp, Chuck Shepard, Will Strickland, Dustin Toney, Trevor Webb PRODUCTION MANAGER Joani Delezen ART DIRECTOR Samantha Crooke SALES DIRECTOR Jennifer Passeretti

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| INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

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Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience.

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Standard postage paid at Pensacola, Fla. All stories are compiled from press releases, submissions, news wires or assignments. Comments and opinions expressed in this newspaper represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and are not necessarily those of INDEPENDENT NEWS or the publisher. Neither the advertiser nor the publisher is responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, typographical errors, etc., contained in INDEPENDENT NEWS. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

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winners & losers

winners

Rupert Murdoch

CMPA The Community Maritime Park Associates Board of Trustees won another legal battle last week when Federal Judge Casey Rodgers denied the motion by Maritime Park Development Partners, LLC to dismiss the lawsuit CMPA brought against MPDP, which alleged fraud in the inducement, negligent misrepresentation and violation of Florida’s competitive bidding statute.

ASHTON HAYWARD The Pensacola mayor fulfilled another campaign pledge with the announcement of his recommendation to rollback the millage rate. His proposal cuts property tax rates by 5.5 percent, or a quarter millage point. The move allows the city to still operate a balanced budget, and combined with reduced property value assessments, cuts $973,300 from the upcoming budget year.

LARRY STRAIN The executive director of the UWF Small Business Development Center has been named Florida Star of the Year by Florida Small Business Development Center Network. The award is for the employee whose contributions were exemplary for new program development, innovative special projects, client impact and/or overall Network performance. Last year, Strain quickly mobilized resources to assist businesses impacted by the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Primary liaison with Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, he led the organization of the Florida Emergency Bridge Loan Program. He was personally responsible for 163 bridge loans worth $4.3 million resulting in more than 1,700 jobs.

losers

DIANE MACK The former Pensacola City Council and current Pensacola Redistricting Commission member blasted Supervisor of Elections David Stafford for fulfi lling a public record request by the Independent News without making sure she received the document fi rst. Mack proceeded to lecture Stafford on Florida public record law, only to apologize when she realized she had misinterpreted the law.

RUPERT MURDOCH The media mogul and the chairman and CEO of News Corporation, which owns Fox News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post and several British newspapers, is watching his media empire crumble over a phone hacking scandal that has led to the shutting down of one newspaper, News of the World. Members of his senior leadership and legal counsel here and in Great Britain have resigned. Unfortunately, Steve Doocy of “Fox & Friends” wasn’t one of the resignations.

CRA The Community Redevelopment Agency has been working on “Project Press,” a proposal to help a local business expand and create 100 jobs, since it approved it in October 2009. Mayor Hayward announced last month that he had worked with the chamber to move the project forward. Instead of supporting the effort, CRA members have succeeded in stalling it for another month, even though they had unanimously approved the proposal nearly two years ago. Economic development can’t be done by committee.

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Pensacola Village. Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons said an altercation over drugs is believed to have led to multiple shots being fi red into an apartment.

According to witnesses, three to four males ran from the scene after the shooting.

There is no humane society for toddlers. Cruelty to animals is abhorred, while cruelty to humans is virtually ignored…at least in Pensacola.

Guns and drugs are prevalent both inside and outside the Pensacola city limits. The value of a human life is cheap. There are few reservations about using a gun to settle a dispute, whether it is about drugs, loved ones or respect.

And the violence is creeping out of the poor, inner-city neighborhoods of Pensacola, away from the housing projects, and is steadily moving across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

On Wednesday, July 13, a group of armed teenagers from Pensacola broke into a Navarre residence threatening the women and children in the home. The robbers were searching for drugs, money, jewelry and anything else that they could take. Two suspects were arrested and three more are being sought.

My friends in law enforcement tell me that it’s only a matter of time before we have another accidental killing of an innocent person. The next time might not be in a housing project, but at a city park, school yard or shopping district.

Our elected officials need to start paying attention to this. A couple of town hall meetings on violence aren’t making any difference.

THERE IS NO HUMANE SOCIETY FOR TODDLERS. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS IS ABHORRED, WHILE CRUELTY TO HUMANS IS VIRTUALLY IGNORED…AT LEAST IN PENSACOLA.

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COW WORTH MORE THAN BABY In north Escambia County, people are searching for the persons who strangled a pregnant cow over the Memorial Day weekend. A $3,000 bounty is being offered for any evidence that leads to an arrest. In Pensacola, a toddler was shot and killed Friday, July 15 in Pensacola Village.

No reward is being offered, and police were still looking for the killers at the time this column was written.

The Pensacola City Council met on Monday, July 18 for most of the afternoon. They spent more time on the disposal of used Ford Crown Victorias and using the Tree Fund for the Admiral Mason Pond than they did on the child’s murder. There was no announcement from the Mayor’s Office either.

While checking on his animals on Memorial Day, the owner of the pet Jersey cow found the animal dead in a pasture just behind his house on Highway 97-A. Th in twine had been tied several times around the cow’s neck and had apparently strangled the animal as it was dragged through the pasture. The cow was found on its side, with its head upside down and its horns pushed several inches into the dirt.

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the cow’s death.

The Junior Humane Society announced last week that it is offering an additional $500 reward.

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KEEPING EVERYONE IN THE BOAT COMMISSIONER WORKS ON ALLOCATION OF RESTORATION DOLLARS

by RICK OUTZEN

At stake is the National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), which is the official determination of the damage BP caused, which will be the basis for fines to be levied.

The total fines and penalties assessed against the British oil giant could exceed $30 billion.

How that money is spent has yet to be determined. The Gulf Coast Restoration Plan, formed by the task force headed

by Navy Secretary Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson / photo by Samantha Ray Mabus, recomCrooke mended that 80 percent of the Clean Water Act of 1977 fines riday, July 15 marked one year collected from BP PLC over the Deepwater since BP shut the leak caused by Horizon oil spill should go to fund Gulf an explosion on the Deepwater Coast recovery efforts.

Horizon drilling platform off the Last week the U.S. Senate Committee on shore of Louisiana. The U.S. govEnvironment and Public Works was hamernment estimates that 4.9 million barrels mering out an agreement on the legislation from the well were spilled into the Gulf (S.861 - Resources and Ecosystems Sustainof Mexico. About 491 miles of coastline ability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of Florida were contaminated.

2011) that would do just that, but they have BP disputes the government estimate, yet to finalize the allocation formula. stating in its 2010 annual report that the In April, BP agreed to provide $1 billion spill probably was closer to 4 million bartoward early restoration projects in the Gulf of rels, of which 850,000 barrels were capMexico to address injuries to natural resources tured, burned or skimmed off the water.

F

caused by the spill. The trustees for this restoration fund are: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

That $1 billion will be divided three ways: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas will select and implement $100 million in projects. This is a fund that the City of Pensacola and Florida Wildlife Commission hope to tap for the Hubs/Sea World Hatchery.

NOAA and DOI will each select and implement $100 million in projects.

The remaining $300 million will be used for projects selected

by NOAA and DOI from proposals submitted by the state trustees.

Behind the scenes, Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson has been working to ensure the methodology used to distribute these billions in restoration dollars is fair to Escambia County and Northwest Florida. He is scheduled later this month to testify before Congress on the allocation of the restoration dollars.

“It’s my understanding that what’s holding the Senate committee on the oil spill monies is figuring out how they’re going to divvy it out among the states and how they are going to divvy it out among the purposes,” said Robinson, who was chairman of the Escambia County Commission last summer and served on the governor’s oil spill task force.

“The NRDA and Mabus dollars are generally being handled by two people in the state of Florida–Bill Williams and myself,” he told the IN. Williams is a Gulf County commissioner and incoming president of the Florida Association of Counties.

“We started meeting regularly last fall,” said Robinson. “We came up with an oil spill policy that went out to our legislators that helped get the oil spill legislation passed. We’re now working on the federal legislation.”

According to Robinson, the Mabus plan called for the fines and penalties to be spent on environmental restoration, economic restoration and human health.

The commissioner has had several conversations with Louisiana officials on the allocation of the NRDA dollars.

“I told them, ‘You have a heck of a lot of environmental damage, but we have economic damage. It came from your state and impacted us,’” said Robinson.

He has recommended that the funds should be allocated 40 percent environmental, 40 percent economic and 20 percent for human health. “The reason is because I believe the economic is just as important as the environmental. You can’t have one without the other, especially when you have a state like Florida that has worked to produce a clean environment for its economy, and then to have BP go and dirty it up.”

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Robinson and Commissioner Williams have worked hard to provide a unified front to Congress and have asked the county commissions of the eight Florida counties directly impacted by the oil spill– Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla–to pass a joint resolution on how the funds should be allocated.

The resolution endorses the recommendations of the Mabus report. It states that the money can be spent on any of the three impacts addressed in the Mabus report—economic, environmental and human health, with up to 50 percent available for economic restoration and diversification.

The resolution also recommends that the funds be allocated with 60 percent based on coastline and 40 percent based on the population of that jurisdiction with Gulffront exposure.

“We also pushed that 75 percent of the NRDA money go to the states directly impacted by the oil spill, like we did with the state legislature,” said Robinson.

Seven of the counties passed the joint resolution without amendments. Santa Rosa passed but struck out the allocation formula. According to Robinson, the reason was because they have considerable population for the region, about 150,000 residents, but only 4.1 miles of shoreline.

“Their issue is similar to Mississippi and Alabama, who have small coastlines and want some level equity in funding,” said Robinson.

To build support throughout the region, Robinson has proposed to our federal legislative delegation that the allocation be done with a third for each jurisdiction, a third based on population and a third based on coastline.

“The methodology (in the joint resolution) would be great for Escambia County, but at the end of the day I have to get everybody in the boat,” he told the IN. “For the smaller counties to know that a third would be divided eight ways. It also works with states like Alabama and Mississippi that are in the same boat because they have such small coastlines. At the same time, you can’t do it all pro-rata because it wouldn’t be fair to Florida and Louisiana.”

The Senate committee has not announced when it will vote on S. 861. Until then, Commissioner Robinson may have his hands full getting all the states and counties from splintering on the funding allocation.

“It’s tough to build a team. We have to have something to keep everybody in the boat.” info@inweekly.net

MACK ATTACKS Sometimes the most innocent requests can lead to melodrama, especially when it involves the city of Pensacola.

The IN requested a copy of the alternative redistricting map that Supervisor of Elections David Stafford was asked to develop by the City Redistricting Commission.

The alternative map, labeled “City Sample C,” had more contiguous districts.

It shifted Maren DeWeese out of District 3 and into District 4 with Larry Johnson.

District 6, which is held by Brian Spencer, became the downtown district with a 56.44 percent white majority.

The map was posted on Rick’s Blog (ricksblog.biz) late Wednesday afternoon.

By that night, Redistricting Commissioner Diane Mack was irate that she had not received the map prior to the newspaper.

At 8:56 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, Mack fired off an email to Elaine Mager, Supervisor of Elections David Stafford, City Attorney Jim Messer and Council President Maren DeWeese: “Elaine: I don’t know who is responsible for releasing the latest districting map sample to the media (Outzen’s blog) before it was sent to the Commission members, but it was a violation of protocol and I hereby register my objection and complaint. Please forward to the appropriate parties.”

The next morning, Stafford replied that IN publisher Rick Outzen had made the request several hours after the alternative map had been sent to Mager.

Stafford copied Messer, Mager and commission chair DeeDee Davis on the email to the Outzen.

Mack wasn’t satisfied and wrote in her reply to Stafford: “To send the information to him was out of order and a discourtesy to us. The proper procedure would have been to inform him that the map had not been distributed to the Commission and to refer his request to Commission Chair.”

She told Stafford that she planned to take up the issue at the next commission meeting.

Stafford replied: “Thank you for sharing your opinion on proper procedures for public officials responding to requests for information. That said, I don’t intend to continue this dialogue over e-mail, but will be happy to address it at the next meeting.”

An hour and a half later, Mack apologized to Stafford, but still kept the controversy going: “The question remains is who took it upon him/herself to put a

bug in Mr. Outzen’s ear that there was something to be requested.”

This is indeed the question.

FLYERS BODYCHECK COUNTY Chuck McCartney, president of the Pensacola Ice Flyers, sent an email to the media last week about the allegations made at a recent Escambia County Commission meeting that his team was in default with its lease agreement for the Pensacola Civic Center.

According to McCartney, team owner Tim Kerr was surprised by the allegation and complained that no one had contacted his organization for its season ticket sales figures.

“I can’t believe they are saying I am in default of my lease agreement, without ever calling me for accurate numbers,” said Kerr. “The lease states that I needed to sell 1,250 season tickets for the 2009-2010 season only, before I could obtain a lease with the county. I exceeded that figure when you include full season tickets, half season equivalents and corporate season tickets, so a lease was signed in July of 2009.”

Kerr was adamant that the Ice Flyers are not in default in its lease agreement. “We met the season ticket number imposed for our first year and we have met every other obligation under the current agreement over the last two years and we will continue to meet those obligations for the remaining two seasons left under our current agreement.”

The owner said that he had renegotiated an increase in the facility fee added to every ticket sold to help reduce the expense to the county of maintaining the ice sheet. “I am upset that they would attack my credibility without any input from our organization. I can show the proof that we are in complete compliance with our current lease agreement.”

McCartney agreed that the Ice Flyers need to sell more tickets to help increase the revenue the county receives from parking sales, concessions and facility fees. “I am committed to making that happen or hockey will not be in Pensacola after this current lease,” said McCartney. “We also had a setback with the oil spill last summer and that had an impact on our sales and we are confident we can be more successful at the gate in the coming years.”

The team president said that Kerr is planning a visit to Pensacola to meet with the County Commissioners in the near future to provide a clear understanding of the numbers directly from the Ice Flyers organization and prove that the Ice Flyers are not in violation of the current lease agreement that is valid until the end of the 2012-2013 season.

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e rin, we'v e's chag n o ry e v . To e niversary s s e s w ho 12th An r u o d f busine inesso te t s l. ra o il b h p le s a e an oil y ha s all bus ntly c ews rece , a recession and iness communit lf. Starting a sm N t n e d s n e an e s of its la's bu Indepe sk takk in and ive hurric riskier.

Pensaco d to surv the only ones. business is a ris climate is even small business ri res. e g a n a m lty sto e n ot small ncial plify But we'r ame. Starting a predictable fina sses that exem cers and specia Fitness e s ro n ke in g e u li s , , n s u th a rs p b e e l o n in have do g it thriving-- ur favorite loca grams, retail sh ola staples. Oth our area, and pin fo ro to s ac -and kee ked out some o urants, fitness p ve become Pen al fitness trends nd entertainga sta lob t, ha g IN pic in re e d , in rk n d rs a a a l d M times. b a in n e d--three nd Apple y includ e-of-a-k ed natio ers. The Running Wild a s, have introduc d Play offer on ctually expande sacola, or just an ea es ke en Some, li nd Fixed on Fitn r, The Wine Bar s like Pizzaz hav f their kind in P ir customers, o e e a s t w the s rd rs e lo a fi to F in o t ed s e s b n u On ke Cactu e recession, b cession, were th esh and releva ught they deserv f li rs e th th o fr o re g s y a th k in s ta still o g s fy ri IN n e e s ome and the plans to tions. D ded duri ment op ther they expan urrent business rs in their field, t inspired to tak c ato l ge Whe t to their nd innov be you'l new twis all risk takers a ho knows, may soon). a d e d d re a w a st up, and on our li sinesses these bu gnition. So read w of the places fe o c a some re r at least visit n (o your ow

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APPLE MARKET

1021 Scenic Highway, 433-4381, applemarketpensacola.com Sometimes it’s hard to own a business and still do right by your community. However, David Apple’s grocery store emphasizes local produce and other items even if it doesn’t result in a high profit margin.

“A lot of the things we sell are unique, and we are the only business in the area that sells it,” said owner David Apple as he greeted customers. “We see it not as a risk, but as a good for the community and for local businesses. It’s the only gambling I do.”

Apple has plenty of experience with grocery chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Safeway, so he knows how to separate the two and bring people into Apple Market with a delicious deli, catering service and take-out. “We have an arsenal of unique things that other businesses don’t do,” Apple said. “We have a great location and outstanding employees and customers.”

Since Apple bought the grocery store in May 1996, business has stayed consistent, even during the recession. That’s because Apple understands his customer. “People are more value and cost-conscious during the recession,” Apple said. “They want to fi nd a way to make the dollar go further.”

�

CACTUS FLOWER CAFÉ

3425 N. 12th Ave., 432-8100; 3309 Gulf Beach Highway, 458-3833; 8725 Ortega Park Drive, Navarre, 936-4111; cactusflowercafe.net If you can believe it, Cactus Flower Cafe was not meant to be the sensation it is today. “My intention was just to have one great restaurant,” said owner Lee Kafeety.

“It just naturally became what it is today.”

What Cactus Flower is today is a small chain of locally-owned locations that stay busy around the clock. “We stay very busy,” Kafeety said. “I feel very grateful and obligated to give back to the community.”

The restaurant offers one-of-a-kind California Mexican fare that goes beyond the standard greasy refried beans and cheese and bean burritos.

Cooking has always been a passion for Kafeety. “Being Hispanic, I have always loved feeding people,” Kafeety said. “My aunt is the best of the best. She would spend summers with me and we would cook and cook.”

Kafeety shares her success with business partner Joni Derome. Soon, more friends stepped in to open their own Cactus Flower restaurant, and now there are two locations in Pensacola and one in Navarre.

“I have the hardest working employees,” Kafeety said. “They make it comfortable for me to grow and expand.” Business plans for the future include another expansion of the original location on 12th Avenue and a bar.

�

DISTINCTIVE KITCHENS

29 S. Palafox Place, 438-4688, dk4u.com Distinctive Kitchens has been a family business serving Florida and Alabama for over 80 years. Business partner and general manager Curtis Flower has been with the Distinctive Kitchens family for six years.

During that time he has had to help turn the business around to suit the recession.

“Prior to the recession, 80 percent of appliance sales was to new homeowners,” Flower said. “We’ve had to adjust and adapt.

Instead of selling a complete kitchen, we sell bits and pieces.”

Distinctive Kitchens has been able to survive through the decades because it is a business unlike any other. “We have a unique niche,” Flower said. “We fi ll a lot of niches whether it’s for the cook or the foodie. We sell appliances, culinary gadgets, we teach you how to cook, and we sell the wine that complements your food.”

Having a unique business is hard work, especially during a recession when people have to give up or spend less on their hobbies or pastimes. “It hasn’t been easy…at all,” Flower said. “It’s been a remarkable challenge and has allowed us to learn from the past and build a stronger future.” Lessons learned will ensure that Distinctive Kitchens will stick around for another 80 years and beyond. “We’re here to stay and improve our niche in the marketplace,” Flower said.

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EMERALD CITY

406 E. Wright St., 433-9491, emeraldcitypensacola.com Any business undertaking can be tricky, but a gay dance club in the Bible Belt? That’s the ultimate risk. However, since its opening in May 1998, the club has stayed popular with both straight and gay customers.

The only downfall the club has seen is that their customers just don’t spend as much as they did pre-recession.

Emerald City’s answer to fighting the economy is to have more fun. “We generally did one or two special events every month,” said manager Ted McCrary. “Since the recession, we try to do three events a month, sometimes every Saturday. It’s a lot more work for us generally, but it gets people in the club.”

Emerald City doesn’t have much competition in the way of gay dance clubs—or even just dance clubs, but it has presented a challenge. “It’s hard being in a town with no competition,” McCrary said. “You have to keep things fresh. We try our best to change things up with new and better parties and drink specials.”

Emerald City has survived worse financial lulls. When Hurricane Ivan hit Pensacola, the club was closed for 10 months for renovations, and just like Emerald City’s sister club Oz in New Orleans, it has survived through disasters natural and man-made.

Cue Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive.”

�

EVER’MAN NATURAL FOODS

315 W. Garden St., 438-0402, everman.org Before “green” became an everyday buzz word, Ever’man Natural Foods was advocating for and educating the public about organic products, natural foods and healthy lifestyles.

Typically, organic food is the healthiest option, but it’s not always the cheapest.

However, Ever’man has not lost membership, and sales continue to rise during this unstable economy.

There have been a few changes to help keep the co-op in business. Ever’man no longer charges a surcharge for non-members (a family membership is $12 a year

and $5 for seniors 65 years and older), more specials and lower prices.

The marketing team has also taken a closer look at the power of advertising. “Our marketing department has restructured our marketing and advertising campaign and has put more focus on guerrilla advertising tactics and outreach programs,” said marketing director Jennifer Dutton in an e-mail interview.

“We are also making greater use of social media to promote our products and events.”

Since Ever’man has been in business since 1973 it has faced hardship before and has always managed to come out on top. “During our 38 years, we have weathered many challenges and have grown thanks to our member and community support,” Dutton said. “Be it hurricanes, the oil spill, increased competition and now the recession, we have managed to sustain our co-op through it all.”

Ever’man is even planning to expand and improve product selection and is working with a larger selection of local vendors than before. And as always, they provide the largest selection of natural and organic products between New Orleans and Tallahassee.

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FIORE

824 E. Belmont St., 469-1930, fioreofpensacola.com Shannon Pallin, owner of Fiore, knows that her product is a want and not a need.

“Although I think flowers are a necessity, when it comes down to it they’re not,” Pallin said in an e-mail interview. “I opened in February 2006, minutes before the market crashed, so I have never felt more gutwrenching feelings in my life. It certainly has not been easy, and I have learned all of the things I should have learned in school the hard way. Regardless, I go to work every day, do the best that I can and know that I have made someone really happy with our product. That is a nice feeling.”

One look at her floral creations and you’ll see Pallin does more than arrange flowers—she creates art with a bold flair that is unique to her shop. Pallin has worked in the flower business for 25 years and has worked with big names such as Martha Stewart. She even opened her own flower shop in San Diego at the age of 21.

INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

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It is her drive that not only keeps her in business, but keeps her very busy. “Fiore’s plans for the future are optimistic in that our weddings have increased by 78 percent in the last year,” Pallin said. “We hope to continue in the same direction offering brides a personal, inside look at the plans, preparations and the beautiful outcome of each wedding we do.”

FITNESS ONBOARD

Margaritaville Beach Hotel Pier, Little Sabine Bay, 165 Ft. Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach, 292-5608, fitnessonboard.com Fitness Onboard began with a mere Facebook status update. “Courtney posted a status and a picture on Facebook about trying yoga poses on a paddle board,” said co-owner Cindi Bonner in an e-mail interview. “I noticed the post immediately and asked Courtney to remove the picture and discuss the idea.” Since that post in July 2010, Courtney Fell and Bonner have been open for business.

Today, Fitness Onboard offers classes seven days a week and employs 13 fitness instructors and three rental employees.

Both Bonner and Fell have American Council of Exercise (ACE) certification and have trained all staff to teach classes and the proper technique of stand-up paddling.

To stay recession-proof they moved to the beach at the Margaritaville Hotel to get tourists as well as locals onboard. “Our beach is such a beautiful benefit of living along the Gulf Coast, and we would like to see more locals take advantage of it,” Bonner said.

FIXED ON FITNESS

607-6978, fixedonfitness.com With Fixed on Fitness you get the attention and care of a personal trainer at a fraction of the cost. Established in 2007 by Kenzie and Josh Presnell, Fixed on Fitness is the only six-week outdoor fitness boot camp in Pensacola.

“We provide our clients with a comprehensive nutrition program that includes grocery lists, meal planners and weeks of sample meals,” said Kenzie Presnell. “Each client has access to a personal online tracker. In addition, we provide a camp manual with off-day workouts, fitness tips, injury

10 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011

prevention and other health-related information. In addition, each client has 24/7 access to a certified personal trainer for any additional information they may need.”

Of course, they had to think of the recession and plan to make the program accessible to everyone. “Keeping the tough economic times in mind we set up the pricing structure of our outdoor fitness boot camp to enable our clients to continue the program for as long as they wish,” she said.

“In fact, our veteran campers pay less than $8.35 per class.”

Fixed on Fitness also offers flexible hours so that clients can work out around their work and social calendars. The business has grown in just a few years—it has served over 400 Pensacola residents, expanded to Jacksonville, and will soon be offered in Perdido beginning Monday, Aug. 29 at the Liberty Church.

GLOBAL GRILL

27 S. Palafox, 469-9966, dineglobalgrill.com Husband and wife duo Frank and Jane Taylor opened the Global Grill eight years ago this November with no bank loan.

Backed by their own money and help from family, the Taylors opened the restaurant while they had three kids to feed.

“We knew it was a huge undertaking,” said Taylor, who runs the front of the house while her husband Frank is the executive chef and runs the kitchen.

While the restaurant has stayed strong throughout the recession, one challenge was providing quality seafood during the oil spill. “We took a hit,” she said. “We never ever sacrificed taste. We still only buy fresh, not frozen.”

The restaurant began as a tapas bar, but throughout the years the menu has expanded to include salads, entrées and desserts made from scratch. “If you can’t find something you like here, you’re crazy,” Taylor said.

“From Mediterranean to Asian to Cajun flavors, we have so much to choose from.”

And the atmosphere is the perfect mix of relaxed and upscale. White tablecloths with eclectic plates and beautiful artwork only add to the dining experience. “It’s a real social atmosphere,” Taylor said. “This is a place where at one table someone will be celebrat-

| WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

ing their 21st birthday and at the next table someone will be celebrating their 95th.”

The Taylors think they made the right move when they decided to open Global Grill. “We’re so glad we did it,” Taylor said.

“We feel very blessed to have people come in and enjoy the food. The restaurant has exceeded our expectations.”

GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANT GROUP

Fish House and Atlas Oyster House, 600 Barracks St., 470-0003, fishhouse.goodgrits.com Jackson’s Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox, 469-9898, jacksons.goodgrits.com The Fish House, Atlas Oyster House and Jackson’s Steakhouse are all great restaurants on their own. Since they all belong under the same umbrella that makes the Great Southern Restaurant Group a triple threat in Pensacola. These restaurants aren’t just great places to eat, but each restaurant has its own signature event that turns fine dining into an experience, not just a meal.

In 2006, The Fish House introduced its outside bar called The Deck. “It’s become pretty popular,” said Collier Merrill, part owner of the Great Southern Restaurant Group. The business was started by brothers Collier, Will and Burney Merrill alongside Chef Jim Shirley in 1998. The Fish House was the first restaurant to start up, followed by Atlas Oyster House.

In 2008, the Great Southern Restaurant Group bought the award-winning Jackson’s Steakhouse with original owners Chef Irv Miller and general manager Barry Phillips as operating partners.

All of the restaurants have their own loyal followers and fans who’ve continued to dine throughout the recession. “We’re very fortunate and appreciative to have loyal, local guests,” Merrill said. “Guests always come first.”

One restaurant is hard enough to operate sometimes, and this business has three.

“We’ve had our ups and downs throughout the hurricanes and the economy,” Merrill said. “But we’ve worked hard and we were able to keep people working. We’re going to continue to do our part to move Pensacola forward, help with tourism and improve the quality of Pensacola.”

HOPJACKS PIZZA KITCHEN & TAPROOM 10 S. Palafox, 497-6073, hopjacks.com “Hopjacks was supposed to be a restaurant with a cool bar,” said Jarod Kelly, director of operations, in an e-mail interview.

“After our first three months of operations we realized what we actually had was a bar with a really cool restaurant.”

Hopjacks opened on Feb. 13, 2008 and has a large and eclectic demographic.

“From day one, our hours have been consistent and unique,” Kelly said. “We are open from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., and our kitchen never closes before 2 a.m. We have been very fortunate to appeal to almost every demographic and because of this it has been said that everyone from ‘ties to tattoos patronizes Hopjacks.”

The restaurant has been successful enough to not only stay busy during the recession, but it has been able to sustain a renovation as well as the opening of an additional restaurant in downtown Mobile, Ala. That success is due to the reasonable prices Hopjacks offers. “We have always had ‘recession proof ’ options in $2 beers and $5 food options,” Kelly said.

Hopjacks isn’t just changing its interior.

“We put out a new food menu two months ago and have had nothing but rave responses,” Kelly said. New 32 oz. growlers will be coming soon, which will allow the bar to sell to-go cups of draft beer from all 110 taps.

“Still,” you wonder, “What is a hopjack?

“Besides self-deprecation our favorite things in life formed what you see today,” Kelly said. “In all actuality, ‘hop’ (one of the main ingredients in beer) and ‘jack’ (cheese) is how the name came about. Ironically, we don’t even use Jack cheese, but hell, who cares? It sounds good.”

JACO’S BAYFRONT BAR AND GRILLE

997 S. Palafox, 432-5226, jacosbayfrontbarandgrille.com Why start a restaurant during a major recession?

“Apparently, I don’t have any sense,” said owner David Hambrick.

It would seem that Hambrick quickly came to his senses, because he and his brother have opened a successful fine dining restaurant with a view. “Pensacola has been very supportive and consistent with patronage,” Hambrick said.

The sidewalk outside the restaurant was leased from the city to not only offer patrons a beautiful atmosphere, but it is also home to “Art Night on the Bayfront.”

The free event is held on the last Wednesday every month and gives local artists a free venue to showcase their work.

And of course, every great restaurant should have great food—and Jaco’s does, courtesy of Chef Tricia Horton.

“We knew we wanted to have a light, easy-f lowing menu,” Hambrick said. “We guinea-pigged a lot of Tricia’s creations on people.”

Price was also a major concern. “We blend quality and quantity in price and we have second-to-none service,” he said.

Hambrick has a formula for his success, and it’s called the 3 Ps. “Person, product, place,” he said. “We try to do all three things very well.”

LAGUNA’S BAR & GRILL

Portofino Boardwalk, 400 Quietwater Beach Road, Pensacola Beach, 934-5999 Pensacola Beach is finally building momentum after a deluge of environmental and

economic hurdles, but the island’s business owners know that to stay in business on the beach you have to have a positive attitude.

“As a veteran of the hospitality industry, I’ve seen my share of economic ebbs and flows,” said Rob Babcock, general manager of Portofino Island and Premier Island Management, in an e-mail interview. “It’s important in any economic shift to stay true to the vision of providing a unique, quality experience focusing on excellent customer service and delivering a great product.”

Laguna’s offers the culinary skills of Chef Rob Theriot as well as a tequila bar featuring 60 unique tequilas and a Sunday Brunch.

Weekly specials such as Thursday Ladies Night and Sunday Fun Day turn visitors into loyal customers.

Laguna’s and the rest of the beach restaurants have used this difficult time to better their product and make it worth their customers’ time. “We focus on delivering the best guest experience possible as well as enhancing the value we bring to the guest with each new venture,” Babcock said. “Laguna’s relaxed, casual dining atmosphere, with the beautiful Santa Rosa Sound on the Portofino Boardwalk as its backdrop, coupled with its unique twist on traditional Southern comfort food, is really like no other.”

THE LEISURE CLUB

126 S. Palafox, 912-4229, tlcdowntown.com

When owners Denise Berry and Kimberly Brill opened The Leisure Club in September 2010, they knew they needed to be wallet-friendly.

“When we opened our doors, we knew that we needed to offer a variety of specials and promotions to make our quality food, coffee, wine and craft beer selections available to everyone,” said Berry in an e-mail interview. “We created our Monday night ‘TGIM Special,’ which features a classic grilled cheese, tomato basil soup and a PBR, tea or soda for $5.”

There’s also a two-for-one special on house wines on Tuesday and Wine Down Wednesday, when every bottle of wine is half off.

In addition, the restaurant last month introduced their TLC VIP punch cards.

After seven coffee drinks or smoothies you get one free.

If the specials don’t lure in new and loyal customers, the atmosphere surely will.

The urban décor makes you feel like you’ve taken an unexpected detour from Palafox to New York City.

The Leisure Club features Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea because of the company’s commitment to supporting local farmers worldwide. And all customers are treated like VIP with or without a punch card. “The friendly service we provide each guest is an important part of our brand,” Berry said.

“We remind our staff regularly that everyone is VIP at TLC.”

For your listening enjoyment, The Leisure Club will soon be expanding their live music lineup from three nights a week to nightly. “An important part of our vision is offering a space where local talent can spread their wings and share their gifts,” Berry said.

Also coming this summer is their “curbside service.” Call ahead with your order and they will bring it out to your car.

Any downtown businesses need a pick-meup? The Leisure Club delivers for downtown offices and special events to serve eight or more. Talk about VIP.

NANCY’S HAUTE AFFAIRS

555 Scenic Highway, 434-0112, nancyshauteaffairs.com “I don’t think I’m a risk taker,” said Nancy Silivos. “I took big steps and did what I had to do.”

Once Nancy and Gus Silivos knew they had to close Skopelos in April 2009, they had a new business open immediately after to keep their employees working. “We had employees who have worked with us for 20 years,” she said.

“We had to continue. We had to make it work.”

And so the couple opened Nancy’s Haute Affairs. “It’s a very unique shop,” she said. “Most people think it’s just a catering shop, but it’s so much more.”

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7/18/11 4:47 PM

However, the food does play a big part.

“My husband Gus makes the food, and he is the best,” Silivos said. “I never have to worry about the quality of our food.”

But she does have other worries, like the budgets of weddings and other special events.

Silivos and her team work hard at giving their clients everything they want within their means. “We are very cautious of the client’s bottom dollar,” Silivos said. “We try to make their event happen within their budget.”

Nancy and Gus Silivos have put their heart into this business, and with hard work it will continue to grow. “We will continue to grow and provide the same great service we’ve always provided,” Silivos said. “That’s what makes us different. It’s personal. It’s the key to our business—hard work and truly caring.”

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THE OAR HOUSE

1000 S. Pace Blvd., 549-4444, the-oar-house.com Fighting not only the recession and oil spill, but also a disastrous fire on Father’s Day in 2008, The Oar House has gone through some very big changes. “The fire was a challenge,” said manager Leo Cyr in an e-mail interview. “The owner, Ray Russenberger, gave clear direction to the staff while the fire was still being put out: get back in operation as soon as possible, build it back like it was and take care of the people.”

The Oar House moved its operations to a concession trailer and served patrons on their new deck under a tent while reconstruc-

tion of the building was underway. By the time the restaurant was rebuilt the economy had reached rock-bottom. The Oar House once again modified its menu to include more specials and economy-friendly meals.

The restaurant tried to increase customer traffic by adding special unique touches. One was establishing a city ordinance allowing dogs on the outside dining area, and another was the Marina Club. With the membership card, boaters were given a discount to The Oar House and on fuel purchased at the marina. “The result was an increase in boaters visiting the restaurant after a day on the water,” Cyr said.

In 2010, The Oar House, along with many other seafood restaurants, faced another challenge in acquiring and selling seafood, which the restaurant combated with looking at other delicious menu options. “We had to stop selling oysters because the quality was just not there,” Cyr said.

“We reviewed the menu to freshen it up, adding new items such as mahi-mahi, rib-eye steak and expanding the popular baja taco options,” Cyr said. “We have a friendly staff and serve quality food,” Cyr said. “We will continue to focus on the quality of food and the dining experience.”

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OH SNAP! CUPCAKES

707-A E. Cervantes St., Suite A, 466-3363, ohsnapcupcakes.com Lee Newkirk had never had her own business before she opened Oh Snap in July 2010.

“I love sweets,” Newkirk said. “Anybody that has ever worked with me can tell you that.”

To Newkirk, cupcakes are just the thing to sell during the recession. “It’s a comfort food, a little bit of sunshine,” Newkirk said.

In less than a year Oh Snap has gained 6,000 Facebook fans and has contributed to the community with donated goods going to businesses such as Ronald McDonald House and Pensacola Little Theatre.

At the end of the day all leftovers are taken to the hospitals and first responders in the area. “We bake from scratch every day,” Newkirk said. “If we have a dozen leftovers we give them out to the community. We never throw anything away.”

Newkirk’s gourmet cupcakes are made-to-order with gluten-free and vegan options available as well. Even though Newkirk has never owned her own business, she seems to understand how to make a profit from a specialty shop. “We’re constantly looking at cost and manage spending without compromising quality.”

Future plans include not only more yummy cupcakes, but a second location and evolving current products.

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PIZZAZ

832 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, 934-3436, pizzazgift s.com Sugarbabies by Pizzaz, 848 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, 934-0025 Mother and daughter team Viki and Courtney Weir began Pizzaz in May 2008. It

was an idea the two had talked about since Courtney was a little girl.

“We took a risk, quit our jobs and invested every penny we had between the two of us and worked 24/7 for the first three years,” said Viki Weir in an e-mail interview. “Retail is not easy,” Weir said. “It takes a lot of work and commitment, but if you put the time in, offer the right product, and most importantly great customer service, it pays off.”

The gift shop is unique in that you can personalize almost every item for sale by embroidery, engraving, printing, heat press and other processes. Pizzaz also provides complimentary gift wrap and shipping.

When buying for the store, the two think of what is missing in the area. “We look for two things: unique items you can’t find in the big stores, and price point,” Weir said.

Since they have been in business, Pizzaz has moved into a building more than three times the size of their original location.

They’ve also opened up another store, Sugarbabies by Pizzaz, specializing in baby and children’s gifts. “We had so many requests for baby and children’s apparel and gift items that we couldn’t fit in Pizzaz,” she said.

As long as the community needs to buy unique gifts, Pizzaz will have no trouble sustaining its success. “It is truly a challenge in these economic times to stay optimistic about the future in retail,” Weir said. “We were able to weather the oil spill crisis last summer because of the loyalty of our local community.”

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| INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

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PLAY

16 S. Palafox, iplaypensacola.com Before you wash your sorrows away in a cold, empty bar, try visiting Play, a one-of-akind “barcade” that has a full service bar as well as arcade games both new and old.

“We are a full service neighborhood bar with a highly competitive skee ball league, hoops tournament, circus fare munchies, snocones and tons of games that will make you remember when it was okay to drink out of your water hose,” said co-owner Albert Lao. During these trying times, the owners of Play have become more spiritual. “During this recession or depression, based on who you asked, we pray a lot more than usual,” Lao said. “Besides just that we use it as an opportunity to grow our business as much as possible.

We actually spend more because we can get more for our dollar during the tough times.”

The growth of the business has been in talks since Lao and Edwin Banacia opened Play. “My partners and I are all very driven individuals,” Lao said. “We look at expansion and growth as diversifying our portfolio.”

Now that Play has continued to be successful throughout the recession, it appears this spiritual bunch is unstoppable. “We opened our first business during the worst of the latest economic crash,” Lao said. “Quite literally, we were investing in a market that was not only in a downturn, but in fact in an all-out free fall.

We survived, adapted and most importantly, innovated. Now, nothing scares us.”

RUNNING WILD

3012 E. Cervantes St., 435-9222, werunwild.com Running Wild began after Paul Epstein’s wife gave him an ultimatum.

Epstein knew he was going to use the equity on his house to start a business, but he didn’t know what. Eventually, the ex-Army helicopter pilot chose to start a business based on a hobby he’s had his whole life: running. “There are no other running shoe stores, so that’s a plus,” Epstein said.

Since Epstein opened Running Wild in August 2000, he has transformed the fitness retail regime. It’s not Foot Locker, where some high school kid hands you a size 9 and secretly prays you don’t need a different size.

Instead, Running Wild is made up of a staff that walks the walk and runs the run.

And the customer service has kept Running Wild successful. “Business has been pretty strong,” Epstein said. “The initial hit has not been as bad as some general retail stores may have faced.” That’s because Epstein actually wants to help customers. “We don’t just sell products, we enhance lives,” Epstein said. “We tell them what works, what’s the better value in an encouraging and uplift ing environment.”

During the recession, Epstein has made it a point to reward customers who continue to shop at Running Wild with a customer loyalty program that gives the customers cash back on purchases as well as specials.

Epstein and his staff will continue to be knowledgeable and positive. “I always think of tomorrow as my last day in business,” Epstein said. “I never stop running.”

VINYL MUSIC HALL

2 S. Palafox, 607-6758, vinylmusichall.com Imagine starting a business in this economy and depending on musicians. It doesn’t sound like a solid investment, but in no time, Vinyl has become the place to see live music in Pensacola—and the only mid-size venue in the area. “We were aware that the current economic environment would create some challenges, especially for the entertainment industry,” said Evan Levin, one of the partners with Vinyl, in an e-mail interview. “We knew that we would have to bring a fresh new concept to the area in order to survive and even thrive through our first year.”

Vinyl Music Hall books a variety of local, regional and national acts. Whatever genre of music you listen to, Vinyl has probably booked an artist to get you groovin’. “We pride ourselves on the diversity of our acts so that we have something to offer every music lover,” Levin said. “This helps us stay fresh and not oversaturate one segment of the market.”

Although you can’t predict who will be next to play on Vinyl’s custom, state-of-theart stage, you can bet that Vinyl will continue to grow. “We're encouraged by the energy and the direction of downtown Pensacola and are looking forward to being a continued part of this revitalization,” Levin said.

WATERBOYZ

380 N. Ninth Ave., 433-2929, waterboyz.com It began in a garage on Pensacola Beach in 1989, when a few close friends who called themselves Waterboyz started making surf boards and t-shirts for themselves. Very “Lords of Dogtown,” only with a happier ending.

Throughout the years, Waterboyz has suffered, but this recession has been a rough patch in the business. “It seems like the economy is always going up or down and since 1989 we have seen a couple peaks and valleys in the economic flow, but I feel this is the worst we’ve encountered,” said owner Sean Fell. “We’ve had to minimize all expenses and look for additional revenue streams. We also revived our dormant contract screen printing service.”

The full service surf, skate, skim and SUP shop is also the only skate park in town. “We manufacture our own line of surf boards, skateboards and SUPs and also produce custom-made boards as well as manufacture our own line of clothing,” Fell said. “We are a full service screen printing and advertising specialty supplier for any local or national business. We supply anything from t-shirts to umbrellas to coolers to chocolates with your logo on it.”

Staying diverse has kept Waterboyz in business—even when surfers couldn’t go out on the beach last summer. “We do whatever has to be done,” Fell said. “Work hard, treat your customers with care and respect, and keep a positive attitude.” info@inweekly.net

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PIRATES AND UFOS AND GHOSTS, OH MY! TOURS THAT TEACH AND ENTERTAIN

BY JENNIE MCKEON dventure awaits you this summer, whether it’s searching for treasure with infamous pirates, looking for UFOs at Ed Walter’s residence or ghost hunting in historic Pensacola.

First up is the “Curse of Tristan de Tuna” pirate tour—yes that’s tuna—on Friday, July 29 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

From the same Five Flags Trolley Company that brings Christmas to downtown Pensacola for Winterfest. The tour goes through the downtown area in search of hidden treasure, which of course is guarded

by Godzilla.

“We made a seven foot green, scaly costume,” said Denise Daugherty of the Five Flags Trolley Company. “It’s hilarious.”

Obviously, this tour is not based on facts from the Pensacola Historical Society, but it is entertaining and crowd-engaging. There’s a bandana-tying contest, a chosen captain and plenty of chocolate coins. As for the curse, it changes every year.

“The BP oil spill was the curse last year,” Daugherty said. “One year it was that the Maritime Park would never be built.”

The 90-minute tour packs plenty of ridiculous fun that both children and adults will enjoy. And there are also pirate-friendly snacks such as gummy worm shish-kabobs and real worms for those who dare.

“They are actual, petrified worms,” Daugherty said. “Like a worm potato chip.”

Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children.

If you are looking for a tour that is packed with history and mystery then check out the Touriffic Summer Ghost Tours hosted by the Pensacola Historical Society.

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There are two tours. The Redlight Tour talks about ghosts of old bars and brothels around Palafox Street, and the Seville Mayhem tour takes you through Seville Square and Intendencia Street while you learn of the old homes that may have uninvited guests.

“The stories on the tours have been researched in the Resource Center,” said Wendi Davis, membership and volunteer coordinator for the Pensacola Historical Society in an e-mail interview. “We will do interviews with people who have stories to tell, and then we head to the archives to research the history behind the stories.”

It’s those stories that make Pensacola’s history entertaining.

“We want participants to enjoy learning the history of Pensacola,” Davis said.

“People can learn a lot about the history of the city from the tours.”

You must be 18 or older to embark on the Redlight Tour because of its adult theme, but the Seville Mayhem is for all ages. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12, and infants are free of charge. The funds raised from these tours help cover operating expenses, which helps to keep the free admission museums up and running.

For $5 you can rent EMF detectors to read the electromagnetic fields.

“When ghosts are around there is supposed to be a spike in the electromagnetic field,” Davis said. “Yes, people have experienced ‘things’ on the tours such as seeing people who weren’t there and smelling and feeling things they couldn’t explain.”

The ghost tour dates are Friday, July 22, Saturday, July 23, Friday, Aug. 5, Saturday, Aug. 6, Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept.

10. Tours run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Each tour is 30 minutes long. Only walk-up tickets are sold during the summer months.

Once you’ve seen pirates and ghosts of Pensacola’s past, it’s time to hear of the tale of Ed Walters. Walters is the Gulf Breeze resident who claimed to have been abducted by aliens in the late 1980s. Taking that story and putting its own spin on it, Five Flags Trolley Company has created a tour that turns the story into an off-the-wall musical comedy called “Invasion from Planet X: A Love Story.”

Everyone starts the tour making their own tin-foil, brain-wave protective helmet— from there things only get weirder.

“It’s a stupid story,” Daugherty said with a laugh. “But how smart are alien stories?”

The tour travels to Gulf Breeze to visit Walters’ home, Shoreline Park and Pensacola Beach to see the “spaceship house” where the queen of the aliens supposedly lives.

Th is year, the aliens must put on their best show since the tour will be mentioned in a book about Florida tourism. However, no two tours are the same since much of the acting is improvisation.

“We have sections that are scripted and we stick to general actions, but most of it is improv,” Daugherty said. “These actors are brilliant. The tour evolves every time we do it. And we only do one rehearsal—isn’t that scandalous?”

Scandalous doesn’t even cover it. From the green turtle people to the alien eggs, this story is one that could only come from a right-brained person.

“Don’t look for any meaning in this tour,” Daugherty said. “The only truth we admit to is Walters’ abduction story.”

The next tour is Friday, July 22 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children. If you are in the mood for a hilarious story that is out of this world, reserve your seat on the alien trolley today.

“We hope that people will look at their surroundings in a different way,” Daugherty said. “It’s just fun. Irreverent foolishness is unstoppable.” info@inweekly.net

CURSE OF TRISTAN DE TUNA

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 29 WHERE: Visitors Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. COST: $20 adults, $5 children DETAILS: 417-7321 or piratetrolley.com

TOURIFFIC SUMMER GHOST TOURS

WHEN: 7-8:30 p.m. Tours run every 30 minutes.

Friday, July 22; Saturday, July 23; Friday, Aug. 5, Saturday, Aug. 6, Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10.

WHERE: Pensacola Historical Museum, 115 E. Zaragoza St. COST: $10 adults, $5 children DETAILS: 595-1559, historicpensacola.org, or call Wendi Davis at 595-5985 ext. 111

INVASION FROM PLANET X: A LOVE STORY

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 22 WHERE: Visitors Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. COST: $20 adults, $5 children DETAILS: 417-7321 or ufotrolley.com

INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

15

16 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

hot times

*Staff Pick

THURSDAY 7.21

Crutchfield opens. The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 4700003 or summercountryjam.com.

▼ART

MATT MASON

2011 CMT ‘Next Big Superstar’ Winner Born in Indianapolis, Ind., Matt Mason knew from an early age that his home would one day be Nashville. By age 11, he was playing guitar and singing whenever he got a chance. Early on his influences came from the gospel music of his family’s small church and the sounds of the late, great Elvis Presley. Today those influences still hold true, along with the music of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and other country greats.

His big break came in 2006 when he auditioned for “Nashville Star” on USA network. Placing fourth overall in the competition secured Matt a spot on the “Nashville Star” Tour that crossed the country and brought Matt a solid following and fan base.

This June, he won the top spot on WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 21 “CMT’s Next Superstar.”

WHERE: The Fish House Deck Bar, 600 S. In addition to being Barracks St. signed to Warner Music COST: Free Nashville’s label roster, DETAILS: 470-0003 or summercountryMatt will also join Luke jam.com Bryan, Josh Thompson and Lee Brice on this fall’s CMT Tour.

MATT MASON

Pensacola First Upscale Chinese Fusion Restaurant

ART CLASS AT PWAT 6-9 p.m.

Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45.

471-1450 or paintingwithatwist. com/pensacola.

ONE REGGAE 7-11 p.m. LandShark Landing, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

▼FOOD & DRINK

KATHY LYON 7 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

CELEBRATE BASTILLE DAY 6 p.m. Join Chef Keith Hoffert for a French-inspired meal. $44.95.

Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

THE BLUE PARTY 7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

EVENINGS IN OLDE SEVILLE SQUARE 7-9 p.m. The Swingin’ Dick Tracys. Seville Square, between Alcaniz and Adams streets. 438-6505 or pensacolaheritage.org.

THE SKYLINE KINGS 8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 932-2211 or sandshaker.com.

▼LECTURES & CLASSES HERB CLASS AT EVER’MAN 5:30 p.m. Free for members, $2 for non-members. Ever’man Natural Foods, 315 W. Garden St. 4380402 or everman.org.

▼LIVE MUSIC

JEFF IVANOFF 3-6 p.m. Tiki Stage at the Pool, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

JACOB MOHR 6-10 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

SUMMER COUNTRY JAM FEATUR ING MATT MASON 6 p.m. Lucas

FAT LIPPED FISH 8 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

VIBE IRIE 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

▼THEATRE & PERFORMANCE

‘DIXIE SWIM CLUB’ 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

FRIDAY 7.22 ▼ART

ART CLASS AT PWAT 6:30-9:30 p.m. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

▼FOOD & DRINK

‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’ GOURMET DINNER NIGHT 6:30 p.m. Reservations required. 469-0445 or culinaryproductions.net.

Geno’s Italian Restaurant Locally Owned & Operated by Linda & Jaxon Schumacher for 38 Years Enjoy The Family Experience Monday - Thursday 11a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Saturday 5-10 p.m. * Closed Sundays

Where you can have a great meal and a great time Featuring a Full Bar & a New Martini Menu

Specials:

Tuesday Lady’s Night: after 8 pm $4 cocktail and $4 wine 4-5-6 Menu: From 4 pm til 6 pm Choice of wine, cocktail, appetizer for $5 $6.99 Lunch Special: comes with an egg roll, a krab rangoon, and soup or rice choice Mon thru Wed: 2 for $20 Meal * Comes with an appetizer, a choice of soup or rice for the entree and a dessert

Live Music at Shark Fin every Tuesday Night with Jones & Company Ste C, 5912 North Davis Highway (behind Rooms to Go) * (850) 912-8669 Monday-Thursday: 11am - 10pm | Friday-Saturday: 11am - 11pm | Sunday: 11am - 9pm

Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials ~Beer & Wine Available~

9276 N. Davis Hwy. • 850-477-2365 1 MILE NORTH OF WEST FLORIDA HOSPITAL

The Coffee House

Simmi Taylor

Licensed Skin Therapist

at 10th Avenue

Hair Design

Get Beach Ready!

Cuban Coffee Free Wi-Fi Small Private Parties

31 N. Navy Blvd #A 696-2831

Bikini + Underarms = $37 Brazilian + 1/2 Legs = $85 more summer specials www.10thavenuehair.com/staff/ simmi-taylor/27314 1000 East Cervantes

850-433-5207 INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

17

hot times

*Staff Pick

BEACH MICE 8 p.m.-12 a.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

▼OTHER EVENTS

VIBE IRIE 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

Bands Go Mellow at Mellow Mushroom The music series “Bands Go Mellow—Acoustic Sessions at Mellow Mushroom Pensacola” is returning Saturday, July 23. This installment will feature local bands Helvetica Effect and Something to Yield.

Both bands will be playing covers as well as original songs in an intimate and completely acoustic setting.

Enjoy specials that night at Mellow Mushroom, including a late-night menu and $1 off draft beers, $2.50 Three Olives Vodka single-shot drinks and $5 domestic pitchers.

There is no cover charge for this event and all ages are welcome.

KYLE PARKER BAND 3 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

‘THE MATTER OF SPIRITS’ AT LOBLOLLY 8 p.m. Loblolly Theatre, 1010 N. 12th Ave. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com.

APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION 8 p.m. Doors open. 9 p.m.

Show starts. $10. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 6076758 or vinylmusichall.com.

MELLOW OUT

▼LIVE MUSIC

SAM GLASS BAND 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s at the Point, 5851 Galvez Road. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com.

DOG SPANKING MONKEY 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

BUZZ CUTT 9 p.m. LiliMarlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

BANDS GO MELLOW

WHEN: 10 p.m. Saturday, July 23 WHERE: The Mellow Mushroom, 5175 Bayou Blvd.

COST: Free DETAILS: facebook.com/bandsgomellow

CLASS X 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 932-2211 or sandshaker.com.

THE SHIZ 9 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

THE BAD HABITS 9 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

THE BLENDERS 9:30 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

SAWMILL & GUESTS 7 p.m. Chumuckla’s Farmers’ Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Road. 994-9219 or farmersopry.com.

MARC KAUL 3-6 p.m. Tiki Stage at the Pool, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

GILLIGAN LUV’S MARIANNE 7-11 p.m. LandShark Landing, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

BO HARRIS 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com.

KNEE DEEP 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com.

18 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

REDDOG & FRIENDS 9:30 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

▼THEATRE & PERFORMANCE

‘SORDID LIVES’ ENCORE WEEKEND 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary in the Groves-Theatre West, 9732 Sidney Road. 912-4087 or sanctuarytheatrewest.com.

‘DIXIE SWIM CLUB’ 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

AUTO RACING 8 a.m. Five Flags Speedway, 7451 Pine Forest Road. 944-8400 or 5flagsspeedway.com.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER 6-8 p.m. Jim Andrews & Lisa Zanghi.

Quietwater Shell on the Boardwalk, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 635-4803 or visitpensacolabeach.com.

GHOST TOURS 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m. No reservations. $5-$10. Pensacola Historical Museum, 115 E. Zaragoza St. 595-1559 or historicpensacola.org.

‘INVASION FROM PLANET X’ ON THE RED TROLLEY TOUR 7:30-9 p.m. Pensacola Visitor Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. 417-7343 or ufotrolley.com.

STAR GAZING AT FORT PICKENS 7:30-10 p.m. $8 entrance fee to fort. Battery Worth Picnic Area, Fort Pickens, 1400 Fort Pickens Road. 934-2600 or nps.gov/guis.

SATURDAY 7.23 ▼ART

ART CLASS AT PWAT 3-5 p.m., 6-9 p.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35-$45.

471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

▼LIVE MUSIC

OLIVER TWIST 2 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

LEE MELTON 3-6 p.m. Tiki Stage at the Pool, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER 6-8 p.m. Jim Andrews and Lisa Zanghi.

Quietwater Shell on the Boardwalk, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 635-4803 or visitpensacolabeach.com.

S P O N S O R E D B Y

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PREMIERES JULY 19

A writer discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities.

▲ARTHUR

Available On Demand July 15, Same Day As DVD Release STARRING: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren and Jennifer Garner DIRECTOR: Jason Winer GENRE: Comedy MPAA RATING: Rated PG-13 for alcohol use throughout, sexual content, language and some drug references.

A drunken playboy stands to lose a wealthy inheritance when he falls for a woman his family doesn’t like.

▶TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

SAME DAY AS DVD

Available On Demand July 19, Same Day As DVD Release STARRING: Topher Grace, Anna Faris and Dan Fogler DIRECTOR: Michael Dowse GENRE: Comedy MPAA RATING: Rated R for language, sexual content and drug use.

PREMIERES JULY 29

An aimless college grad who pursues his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party.

GREAT IN THEATERS. EVEN BETTER ON DEMAND. two On DEMAND movies, fill in the Buy 1, Get 1 FREE! Order coupon and mail with your Cox bill.

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Mail completed coupon to Cox/On DEMAND, 2205 La Vista Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32504. Coupon good for one On DEMAND movie priced at $4.99 or less; not valid for adult programming or special events; cannot be used with other offers. Limit one coupon per household per month. Void if altered or transferred; no photocopies or reproductions accepted. Account holder is responsible for all charges on his/her account. Available to residential customers in Cox areas. Cox Advanced TV, remote, receiver required. Digital cable ready TV’s and other devices equipped with a CableCard require a Cox Advanced TV receiver to receive On DEMAND programming. On DEMAND cannot be recorded and some programming is extra. Rates, programming subject to change, may not be available in all areas. Movie titles, artwork are the property of their respective owners. Other restrictions apply. ©2011 CoxCom, Inc. All rights reserved.

CX3036 OD L-shape IN 072111.indd 1

INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET 19 7/14/11 1:09| PM

hot times

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA Much More than Alcohol, Dirty Malls, Pensacola Florida Bars

By Sarah McCartan

Call it Southern hospitality or just smalltown tradition. Porch conversations seem to have a way of bringing out the finest stripped down, real deal, quality conversation. The IN edition of porch conversations—with Manchester Orchestra drummer Tim Very—proved no different.

Many nationally recognized acts will be making their way down to our beaches in October for Second Annual DeLuna Fest; However, not all of these acts have as close of a tie to the area as others—this one in particular. The local connection for the Atlanta-based band has grown even stronger thanks to the recent addition of Very, who has considered Pensacola a hometown since his teenage years.

Somewhere between bouncing “off the record” and back on, coupled with a lot of laughs and talk of the best of Pensacola’s memorable shows, the IN landed the inside scoop on everything from Very’s initial introduction to Manchester to “Simple Math,” the new album.

IN: Honestly, I don’t even know exactly when it was you started playing with Manchester. I feel like I am behind the curve. It was last year right?

VERY: Yeah. Around July 2010. And it’s kind of crazy, I actually got to do press stuff with them before I even played with them. We are on this back page of Rolling Stone somewhere and Andy (Andy Hull, vocals, guitar) likes to point that out to me, saying, “You got to be in Rolling Stone before you ever played a note with us!”

IN: How would you describe your experience as a part of Manchester Orchestra thus far?

VERY: It has been jumping into this thing like it’s a moving train. All of my first-time experiences were full-force things, like “David Letterman,” where I had no idea how to be prepared for that stuff.

IN: Would you say playing on “David Letterman” has been your biggest sort of, BIG moment?

VERY: It definitely was a big one, especially since I got all that camera time, you know. People love to bring that up too, and I definitely was on there a lot… because the choir was behind me. Since they have done it a few times they were stoked for me to get to have an experience like that.

IN: As far as the new album goes, do you guys feel like you’ve gotten a good response?

VERY: Definitely. Especially because nowadays you never know how the Internet world is going to respond. Some bands try different stuff, and maybe “Simple Math” is different than a lot of the past music Manchester has put out. It definitely has a lot more dynamics going on. We didn’t know how kids were going to immediately respond to that, but all in all the response has been really positive. Also, I think the video helped a lot. Putting it out with “Simple Math” the song was a great way to show people a band could do more than turn it up to 11 and scream really loud.

IN: Do you feel that all the members’ influences were included in the album since it has been labeled a concept album of things Andy has experienced? (I mean, I may have done my reading, off the record.)

VERY: Andy is the songwriter of the band, but some songs came out of just jamming and letting the recording sessions just run. It was really kind of an easy process somehow. We had a quick writing process. Andy let me come into the band as a new drummer and do a lot of “pushing it” drum stuff on the record, then he totally let it fly.

It has all been a creative development process, me coming into the band.

VERY: For me it will seem like a hometown show. Plus, the music that has come out of this area definitely had a heavy influence on early Manchester and Manchester today, even though it’s become its own thing, too. It is crazy to still be on Pensacola’s radar after all this time, but it will be cool to come back and express thanks to Pensacola for being a part of Manchester’s past

IN: Obviously what everyone really wants to hear is just how excited you guys are to play DeLuna Fest. I mean, no pressure. Ha.

TODD MACABE 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 5494444 or the-oar-house.com.

TOMATO 9:30 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

VIBE IRIE 3 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road.

916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

SAWMILL & GUESTS 7 p.m. Chumuckla’s Farmers’ Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Road. 994-9219 or farmersopry.com.

STEVE WILSON THE BLACK DOVES 9:30 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

LUNCH BOX 7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive.

916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

▼THEATRE & PERFORMANCE

LEE MELTON 3-6 p.m. Tiki Stage at the Pool, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

THE DAVE MATTHEWS TRIBUTE BAND 7:30 p.m. Doors open.

8:30 p.m. Show starts. $10-$15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox.

607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com.

LOCKWOOD BAND 8 p.m.-12 a.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

THE BLENDERS 8 p.m.-12 a.m. LandShark Landing, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

VIBE IRIE 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

DOG SPANKING MONKEY 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

BUZZ CUTT 9 p.m. LiliMarlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

CLASS X 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd.

932-2211 or sandshaker.com.

‘SORDID LIVES’ ENCORE WEEKEND 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary in the Groves-Theatre West, 9732 Sidney Road. 912-4087 or sanctuarytheatrewest.com.

‘DIXIE SWIM CLUB’ 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

‘THE MATTER OF SPIRITS’ AT LOBLOLLY 8 p.m. Loblolly Theatre, 1010 N. 12th Ave. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com.

▼OTHER EVENTS

FISHIN’ CHIX LADIES FISHING RODEO 6 a.m. Flounders Chowder House, 800 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-4444 or fishinchix.com.

BAYVIEW PARK SPRING FLEA MARKET 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Bayview Park, 2000 E. Lloyd St. 436-5190 orplaypensacola.com.

GHOST TOURS 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m. No Reservations. $5-$10. Pensacola Historical Museum, 115 E. Zaragoza St. 595-1559 or historicpensacola.org.

THE BAD HABITS 9 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

SUNDAY 7.24

THE SHIZ 9 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

CLARENCE BELL 11 a.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

‘THE MAN SHOW’ 9:30 p.m. $5. Sluggo’s, 101 S. Jefferson St. 791-6501.

RONNIE LEVINE 12-3 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

▼LIVE MUSIC

20 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

and supporting us. I think Pensacolians will be pumped Manchester is coming back.

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA AT DELUNA FEST

WHEN: October 13-16 WHERE: Pensacola Beach COST: $149.95 General Admission Weekend Passes (in advance) DETAILS: delunafest.com

▼LIVE MUSIC

WALT FLETCHER 3-6 p.m. Tiki Stage at the Pool, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

ANDY SMITH BAND 4-8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 932-2211 or sandshaker.com.

JEFF IVANOFF 6-10 p.m. LandShark Landing, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

JAM SANDWICH 5-9 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

DAVID DUNN 6 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

TIM SPENCER 5-9 p.m. LandShark Landing, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER AT THE BEACH 6-8 p.m. Jim Andrews and Lisa Zanghi. Quietwater Shell on the Boardwalk, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 635-4803 or visitpensacolabeach.com.

DEBBIE KRANTZ OF TOMATO 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com.

▼THEATRE & PERFORMANCE

‘SORDID LIVES’ ENCORE WEEKEND 2:30 p.m. Sanctuary in the Groves-Theatre West, 9732 Sidney Road. 912-4087 or sanctuarytheatrewest.com.

‘DIXIE SWIM CLUB’ 2:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

MONDAY 7.25 ▼ART

ART CLASS AT PWAT 6-8 p.m. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $3. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

▼OTHER EVENTS

BEACH BLANKET MOVIE NIGHT AT MARGARITAVILLE 8 p.m. “Iron Man.” Free. LandShark Landing, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

TUESDAY 7.26 ▼LIVE MUSIC

WALT FLETCHER 3-6 p.m. Tiki Stage at the Pool, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

MARC KAUL 6-10 p.m. LandShark Landing, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

30 X 90 7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 9165087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

SECOND HAND SOUL 7 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

BANDS ON THE BEACH FEATURING NOT QUITE FAB 7-9 p.m. The Gulfside Pavilion, 1 Via de Luna. 932-1500 or visitpensacolabeach.com.

NPR’s Morning Edition, The World, Fresh Air & BBC programming bring authors, scientists, musicians and leaders of thought right to me at home, at work, or in the car. WUWF Public Radio keeps me aware of the cutting edge.

It’s my source for innovative ideas.

850-432-6772 • 20 North Tarragona St. stillwatersmedspa.com

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INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

21

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bars, drinks & nightlife Best Bar Overall Best Night Club Best Bar–Downtown Pensacola Best Bar–Cordova Area Best Bar–North Pensacola/Nine Mile Road/UWF Best Bar–West Pensacola/Perdido Key ∆Best Bar–Gulf Breeze Best Bar–Pensacola Beach Best Bar–Milton/Pace Best New Bar Escambia County Best New Bar Santa Rosa County Best Place to Meet Friends After Work Best After-Hours Spot Best Happy Hour Best Drink Specials Best Ladies Night Best Cover Charge Worth Paying Best Place to Eavesdrop Best Bar to People Watch Best Bar to Drink Alone Best Bar Where it Pays to be a Regular Best Day Drinking Best Daiquiri Best Bushwacker Best Martini Best Margarita Best Shot Best Signature Drink Best Selection of Beer on Tap Best Selection of Bottled Beer Best Bartender Best Bar Personality Best Bang for Your Buck–Heaviest Pour Best Bar for Getting Flat-Out Drunk Best Place to Shake Your Stuff Best Bar to Hook Up Best Dark Corner for PDA Best Place You Can’t Take Your Parents Best Selection of Wine by the Glass Best Selection of Wine by the Bottle Best Sports Bar Best Sports Team Club Headquarters Best Neighborhood Bar Best Jazz Bar Best Hotel Bar Best Bar With a View Best Bar Ambiance Best College Hangout Best Place for Bar Games Best Bar for Poker Best Bar for Bingo Best Bar for Trivia Best Pet-Friendly Bar Best Karaoke Night Best Karaoke DJ Best Club DJ Best Bar for Live Music Best Jukebox Best Bar Menu Best Original Drink Menu INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

23

music

RAINEY’S REVENGE

AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT

BY BUBBS HARRIS

photo by Chris / Visual Photography

A

ny musician or band will tell you that you must pay your dues if you want to play the game. Be it the tedious rehearsals, the nightmare of booking and touring, inner band turmoil or any number of hardships that plague musicians, it is true that you have to jump over more than a few hurdles if you want to take your music anywhere outside of the garage. However, sometimes the road doesn’t begin to get bumpy until things are already in full swing. Then there are the acts that are born out of adversity.

Rainey’s Revenge is definitely a band that has had to stare adversity in the face and scream back, literally. The newest addition to

the underground metal scene in Pensacola came together at a time when it looked like everything might be a lost cause. In the fall of 2010, RR drummer and founder Michael Turpin was in the midst of recording the first full-length album for the very popular Pillar of Autumn while at the same time vocalist John Schreiber was giving up his position at the front of local favorites Drayton Sawyer to pursue a project with a talented Pensacola guitarist and producer, and things were looking great. But just as everything was moving in the right direction, fate stepped in and put up a few roadblocks.

“It’s very crazy how this all started,” says Schreiber. “I had just made a bold move by leaving Drayton Sawyer at the height of our popularity, and when things were about to take off big time. A lot of people thought that was a wild decision, which it was, but the thing is I was going in a different musical direction than they were, and I had an awesome project already lined up, so I left DS to do something more my style.” With a new venture on the horizon that seemed promising, Schreiber was excited about the future, but things were not meant to be, and it all took a drastic turn in one night.

“Right after we had recorded some rough demos for this new project, I got a call one night and was hit with some heavy news,” the singer recalls. “Turns out, the main force behind this new band had a little too much to drink on this particular night and was involved in a hit-and-run accident. Needless to say, that pretty much put an abrupt stop to everything. I have been in a lot of bands over the years, and I’m not getting any younger, so I was starting to come to the realization that I may not ever have a career in music again. That’s when Turpin and I began talk-

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ing about jamming on something he was working on.”

While Schreiber was dealing with his own obstacles, Turpin saw things going south in Pillar of Autumn, which would eventually fall apart suddenly. With all his hard work wasted, Turpin was determined to get things off the ground with the “side jam” he was working on. As it turned out, Turpin worked with Schreiber at Logan’s Roadhouse, and the two began to talk about doing something together since both of them had just acquired some free time.

But again, just as things began to look up again, the cosmos had other plans. In a tragic turn of events, Michael Turpin lost his son.

That alone is enough to put a man down for the count, but Turpin was not about to let himself slip down that slope. Instead, he took all that rage, anger and unimaginable sadness, and along with Schreiber, Chris Johns (guitar), and Mike “Dingo” Burns (bass), began to rededicate himself to music.

“I really have to hand it to Turpin,” Schreiber says. “I can’t imagine going through what he has, but he’s a tough son of a bitch.

We told him that we could put the band on hold for as long as he needed, but he said he needed to play this music and get this band going. I can’t tell you how much respect I have for that man as a musician and human being.”

Rainey’s Revenge isn’t your typical “scene band,” the likes of which crawl out of the woodwork every day. Schreiber explains, “We don’t want to be lumped in with all of the other metal bands in the area. Yes, we are an aggressive band with heavy music, but we throw a lot of different styles into our music to keep things interesting. We even have little jazz interludes and wacky tangents that we go on. It’s fun to not have to stick to any predetermined program and just let loose.” This new style has also gotten Schreiber to have a new outlook on gigging.

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“Before, when I was in this or that band, we always had to play shows with bands that sounded like us.” He continues, “Even now, if you look around the scene, hardcore bands play with hardcore bands. Punk bands play with punk bands, and so on. I know Rainey’s Revenge is a metal band, but we want to gain the respect of the music community as a whole and prove that we are worthy of being here. I’d like to play with some of the local punk bands, or acts like Unnatural Soundz, because mixed bill shows are so much fun and people get a little bit of everything at a show like that. Those are the types of shows we want to play. There are a lot of people interested in seeing and hearing us play based on our old bands, but we guarantee that there has never been a band that sounded like this from Pensacola.”

Although life has a way of beating us down, the members of Rainey’s Revenge refuse to go down quietly. With the lineup secure and loads of impressive new material, the guys will get their first chance to show their stuff with Wretched at the Handlebar.

After that, the band has big shows lined up with Poisonwood in July and Suicide Silence in August. Some walls were meant to be torn down. Kudos to Rainey’s Revenge for breaking through, despite the size of the wall that was set before them. info@inweekly.net

RAINEY’S REVENGE

WHAT: Poisonwood, For Shame, Rainey’s Revenge, Still Reign WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, July 22 WHERE: Big Easy Tavern, 710 N. Palafox COST: 21+ free DETAILS: Find and “Like” Rainey’s Revenge on Facebook

music

Oh What a Knight

Saxophone Player Antoine Knight Comes HOme

BY Kate Peterson

A

ntoine Knight is an Atlantabased alto sax player born and raised in Pensacola. He recently visited his hometown for his high school reunion and talked with the IN about his music and career.

Knight started playing the sax, or breathing life into it, as he says, when he was just 11. He was exposed to music by his family with artists such as Jr. Walker, John photo by Dee’s Eyes Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley. The exposure led him to take up a musical instrument.

In his early 30s he was in Atlanta attending the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church when he had the pleasure of performing with some of gospel’s heavy hitters, Yolanda Adams and Jennifer Holiday. He says, “They were the feature act, and I was able to play along with

them. I was in the right place at the right time.”

Attending college in Florida he studied engineering and military science. Currently, he serves in the U.S. Army Reserves.

When asked about his dual career he says, “The Army loved that I was a musician. They were very supportive of my music; they would all come out to see me play. I was even hired to perform at functions. It was moral publicity—I am a completely clean musician, and I run my music career using my military training.”

“I was called into the office of a two-star admiral. I was nervous when I walked into his office, but all he wanted was to buy some of my CD’s and get an autograph,” Knight said, laughing as he told the story.

Knight’s 2004 debut project “In the Red” won him critical acclaim. Normally, being in the red is considered a negative.

The title of the album came from his bible study class, where he learned that profound statements are printed in red—hence, the name of the album.

He normally plays normal gigs and functions, so being in the studio was a new experience for him. He says this of the adventure: “Being in the studio for the first time consisted of a lot of trial and error.

When you are in there, you are focused on producing a product. Making mistakes can be as important as getting it right. There were ups and downs and challenges.”

His second album, “Walk Da Walk,” is a versatile one that includes gospel, 70s, R&B, jazz and funk. About making it Knight says, “This album is a testimony on my journey. It was about being there, done that. My first album took nine months, my second four years to produce. I had to go through some things. All of those experiences offered growth in playing, songwriting and production.”

Jim Sanborn

When asked about what went into his choice of saxophone over all the other instruments out there, he says he chose it because most of the others you hit or strum, but the saxophone is a voice, sounds like a spirit, you breathe life into it.

Knight is listening to the sounds of Art Porter these days. Although Porter died 15 years ago, he found a video on You Tube and really loves his energy for life and his ability as an entertainer to charge a crowd. He thinks he may have gotten his entertaining skills from Porter.

As for what is next for Knight, he is working on a third album. He has been putting more material together than ever. He expects to have the album out by 2013.

Knight hopes to play in Pensacola soon.

He invites locals to hear his sound. “Come out and see me at the show. When I perform it will be unique. I have a set concept and we will play it like you haven’t heard it before.

We play with passion, we stand on every note we play. That’s my draw.” info@inweekly.net

Don Parker

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25

news of the weird The New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter

achieved his milestone 3,000th major league hit in July, and Steiner Sports Marketing of New Rochelle, N.Y., was ready (in partnership with the Yankees and Major League Baseball). Dozens of items from the game were offered to collectors, including the bases ($7,500 each), 30 balls used during the game ($2,000 each, unsigned), and even Jeter’s sweaty socks ($1,000). Steiner had also collected five gallons of dirt (under supervision, to assure authenticity), and uberfans can buy half-ounce containers of clay walked upon

by Jeter during the game (from the shortstop area and the right-hand batter’s box) -- for a not-dirt-cheap $250 each.

Compelling Explanations Military veteran Joshua Price, 26, was arrested in March after police in a Chicago suburb found child pornography and 1,700 photos of dismembered women on his computer, but at a court hearing in May, Price explained that his photographs were a necessary escape from warrelated trauma. In fact, Price told prosecutors that were it not for the distracting photos, his stress disorder would surely have caused him to kill his wife and two daughters. (Prosecutors accepted that Price’s crime was a “cry for help,” but the judge, less impressed, quadrupled Price’s bail, to $1 million.)

Unclear on the Concept: (1) The initial explanation by Melvin Jackson, 48, upon his arrest in June for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in Kansas City, Mo., was to deny that he would ever do such a thing.

Rather, he said, “I thought the lady was dead.” (2) The initial explanation by Thomas O’Neil, 47, upon his arrest in Wausau, Wis., in June for criminal damage to property (breaking into a neighbor’s garage and defecating on the floor) was to claim that he thought he was in his own garage.

Democracy in Action! Emerging democracies typically exhibit growing pains as they develop stability. For example, in July in Afghanistan’s parliament, one female legislator attacked another with her shoe (and then dodged the second lady’s flying water bottle before colleagues separated them).

Older democracies, however, act more maturely -- except perhaps in California, where in June, an Italian-American legislator got into a shoving match with a colleague whom he thought had made a “Sopranos”type slur about recent legislation. And in the mature democracy of Wisconsin in June, one state Supreme Court justice was accused of roughing up another (though who started it is in dispute) as the justices privately discussed a case.

Ironies Budget cuts forced the closure of two of the three firehouses in Chillicothe, Ohio (pop. 22,000), and even that station failed a state fire marshal’s inspection in March. Because the station’s own alarm system was broken, the chief was required, until the new system is installed, to assign

26 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

By Chuck Sheppard one firefighter per shift to be on full-time patrol at the station, walking around the grounds constantly, upstairs, downstairs, looking for fires.

Run That by Me Again: (1) In New Orleans in July, Thomas Sanders, 53, pleaded guilty to murdering a 12-year-old girl. According to the neighboring state of Mississippi, Sanders has been dead for 17 years (having been ruled deceased in 1994 on petition of his parents, brother and ex-wife). (2) In July, the city of Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., agreed to pay $195,000 to settle a lawsuit in which six people claim they were stripsearched unlawfully by police. Four of the six were strip-searched during a raid at the Biggins Gentleman’s Club, where they work as strippers.

Easily Offended John Luckett filed lawsuits on 11 different complaints earlier this year against the Las Vegas arcade Pinball Hall of Fame, claiming that he was wrongfully barred from the premises for obnoxiously complaining about out-of-service machines, especially “Xenon,” which he says he has mastered so well that he can play almost indefinitely on an initial 50 cents. Among the damages requested, Luckett is demanding $300 for each “therapy” session he might have to undergo to overcome the trauma of being ejected. Luckett has filed more than 40 lawsuits in his role of, as he put it, avenging people’s attempts to “screw” him.

Should’ve Kept Their Mouths Shut

According to a bailiff, convicted car thief Thomas Done, 33, spent almost a half-hour at his June sentencing “shucking and jiving” Ogden, Utah, Judge Michael Lyon before finally finagling probation (instead of 15 years in prison) -- by expressing parental love for his young daughter and blaming his recidivist criminality on his girlfriend’s infidelity. However, literally seconds after Judge Lyon announced probation, Done, noticing his girlfriend in the courtroom, made a gun-triggering motion with his thumb and fingers and said, “Boom, bitch.” A bailiff reported the gesture to the judge, who declared Done in violation of his brand-new probation and ordered him re-sentenced.

• Initially, all Jay Rodgers wanted was for the fellow Atlanta gas station customer to say “thank you” when Rodgers held the door for him, but the man remained silent, and Rodgers pressed the issue, confronting him and even following the man out to his car -- where the man pulled a gun and shot Rodgers in the abdomen, sending him to the hospital for nine days. (Interviewed on WSB-TV in May, Rodgers resumed nagging the man, urging him to “do the right thing” by turning himself in.)

Send your Weird News to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to www.NewsoftheWeird.com.

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THE UNIVERSAL CROSSWORD EDITED BY TIMOTHY E. PARKER RACE ‘YA! By Allen Loggia

The IN is looking for a part- time web developer.

This position will be responsible for a wide variety of small to large-scale web projects—including upgrading our current site, increasing our presence in the social media world & growing our online advertising revenue.

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We need a self starter, who can multi-task and prioritize, handle multiple projects at one time, maintain confidentiality, and meet deadlines.

Requirements: Proficient in hand-coding clean standards compliant HTML, CSS, AJAX, DHTML, JQUERY, PHP, and FTP, while maintaining multi-browser support.

•Good working knowledge of MS Office, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, WordPress, and Joomla •Basic familiarity in social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, etc.), SEO, Flash, animation skills, and MYSQL server If this is you—email your resume to

joani@inweekly.net

ACROSS 1 Lightning unit 5 Hearty draf t 10 Pin _ _ _ on (incriminate) 14 Wind on a stage 15 “ That’s enough!”

16 Defaulted-on auto 17 Hide-and-seek words 19 Life of Riley 20 School assembly locale, perhaps 21 Grammywinning soul singer India._ _ _ 22 Bicycle built for two 24 Illegal coin 25 Secure, as a nautical rope 26 Pilgrim to Mecca 29 Time of the dinosaurs 32 In the twinkling of _ _ _ (immediately) 33 Hunt or Hayes 34 “ The Island of the Day Before” author Umberto 35 Event proceeds 36 Dahl, author of “Fantastic Mr Fox” 37 _ _ _-craz y (restless) 38 Make a decision 39 Like a trite joke 40 Housed like Tweety 41 Not this twin (with “the”) 43 Mexican misters 44 Send to seventh heaven 45 Extreme bitterness 46 Exotic fruit 48 Tacking direction 49 Rush hour concern 52 Quickly, quickly 53 Risk ever y thing 56 Personal quirks

LINDSEY BRAXTON SHOOK

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, IDGROUP CONSULTING + CREATIVE What is your chief characteristic?

Some say I am opinionated…

What do you appreciate most about your friends?

They accept me for who I really am.

Who is your favorite fiction character?

Katie Scarlett O’Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler, “Gone with the Wind” Who is your favorite non-fiction character?

Cam Newton, Auburn University quarterback What is the best thing you have ever won?

Junior Sailor of the Year

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

57 Mistake 58 Cut out the boring scenes 59 Foil’s duller relative 60 Pore on a leaf 61 Unit of force DOWN 1 Tennis great Bjorn 2 Take commands from 3 Arable soil 4 “Ideas worth spreading” conference 5 Voting minimum 6 Take apart, nautically 7 Clearasil target 8 “Alice” spin-of f 9 In shackles 10 Centers of sports action 11 Key phrase in this crossword 12 Basilica part 13 Words from Wordsworth 18 New Haven collegian 23 Shepard or Greenspan 24 Roy Rogers’ real surname

25 Habitual intimidator 26 Jim Backus was his ‘60s T V voice 27 Not fitting 28 Establish a standard 29 Dixon of astrology 30 More hazardous, in winter 31 Quantities of wood 33 Tuneful Lena 36 Plant anchoring systems 37 Having all one’s marbles 39 Supercomputer pioneer 40 A-list notable 42 Slip by, as weeks 43 _ _ _ Nevada mountain range 45 Burst into f lower 46 Cracker topper 47 Take _ _ _ (sample a drink) 48 Hendrix hairstyle 49 Singer Watley 50 Of a similar nature 51 Portion (out) 54 Supper scrap 55 Color of the embarrassed

What did your mother always tell you?

“You can’t control other people.”

What is the worst idea you’ve ever had?

To take my college car, an Acura Legend, to a field party What is your favorite food?

Dharma Blue sushi Which talent would you most like to have?

I would love to be able to sing…can’t sing on key to save my life.

What movie do you love to watch repeatedly?

“The American President” What was your most embarrassing moment?

Getting too excited at an Auburn game that I flung my drink on the person in front of me. And it wasn’t the first and won’t be the last time that happens.

What TV show is your guilty pleasure?

“One Life to Live” What is the last book you read?

“The 8-Basic Elements to Greater Happiness, Health and Productivity” by David Vittoria What is your theme song?

“Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

27

MATT MASON TONIGHT!

SUMMER COUNTRY JAM

SUMMER COUNTRY JAM EVERY THURSDAY!

Free outdoor concerts featuring tommorow’s country stars! Every Thursday night through Sept. 1.

Beginning at 6 p.m. on The Deck.

Tonight — July 21 MATT MASON

PENSACOLA’S LARGEST OUTDOOR WATERFRONT DINING DECK

VOTED PENSACOLA’S BEST RESTAURANT! Downtown waterfront dining. Welcoming southern hospitality.

CMT’s Next Superstar Winner!

Next Week — July 28 RHETT ATKINS Tyler Reeve — August 4 Brett Eldredge — August 11 Jared Ashley — August 18 James Wesley — August 25 Kip Moore — September 1

It doesn’t get any better than this. And we have the award to prove it!

Thanks for voting us Best Restaurant in Pensacola — again.

To make sure we stay at the top of our game, we’ve lined up a hot summer season with Pensacola’s best gulf seafood, beat-the-heat drink specials, and our new music series: The 2011 Summer County Jam. Every Thursday night through September 1, The Deck goes a little bit country with the best of today’s up-and-coming country performers. Free!

Visit www.summercountryjam.com for schedules and information.

FI

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FISH HOUSE: (850) 470-0003, OPEN DAILY AT 11 A.M. · ATLAS OYSTER HOUSE: (850) 437-1961, OPEN MON.–SAT. 5 P.M., SUN. 11 A.M.

THE FISH HOUSE, ATLAS, AND THE DECK BAR ARE LOCATED DOWNTOWN AT 600 S. BARRACKS ST. · CREDIT CARDS OK · WWW.GOODGRITS.COM INDEPENDENT NEWS | JULY 21, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

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