PUREHONEY 41

BEE IN HER BONNET This Illustrator...

Has A Bee In Her Bonnet

“Every kid has a bug period... I never grew out of mine.” ~ EO Wilson I grew up rambling through the woods of the Minnesota River Valley, splashing through its spring-fed creeks with my Little Golden Book Field Guides and my grandfather’s magnifying glass on a string around my neck.

By the time I was seven I had a little butterfly garden with daisies and tiger lilies, and any other free or weedy heirloom neighbors would donate.

I took great pleasure in the wooly bears on my mint, which I assumed was the sole purpose of it’s existence. I loved to pluck them off and hold their furry spirals in my open palm till they uncurled and would inch in rust and black tickling concatenation up and down my fingers.

But the crowning glory of my garden was the milkweed with its monarchs.

I watched as a monarch lit on a leaf, arch her abdomen under its “For Me?” by Nora Wildgen edge and leave one creamy egg on its underside, and then move to the next plant. Those emerging larvae were minuscule strands of black and yellow seed beads, no longer than the letter “I” of this sentence, and grew to be grand velvety creatures in tiger robes, waving their black antennae like scepters. That first chrysalis was the jewel of my life. I was there waiting, cross legged on the sidewalk with my bowl of Rice Krispies, when the butterfly emerged, only to have a great black wasp swoop in and clamp it in its jaws. The bowl tumbled, ringing across the concrete, and my hysterical screams brought my father, coffee cup in hand, who dispatched the black assassin to the hinterlands with a rolled up newspaper. The monarch, miraculously still intact, dried its wet wings and launched itself from my trembling finger.

Two years ago, when my own daughter was seven, I planted apple trees for her birthday wish. When they bloomed for the first time last year we celebrated their blossoms around the dinner table and on Facebook. But there were no bees visiting its clusters of sweet flowers and I saw no monarchs in my garden.

“How are the bees, Joe?” I’d always ask my ninety-three year old Dutch beekeeper neighbor. This year he said “ Dead, all dead..”, and his bright blue eyes watered as he looked skyward.

The bees never came.

I saw a flowering St. John’s Wort shrub covered with bumblebees at a local big box nursery and bought it, for that reason alone. I brought it home, planted it, and my own bumbles came... and disappeared.

And then I heard about neonicotinoids.

Neonicotinoids are a class of systemic pesticides that are taken up by the plant and expressed through all parts of the plant; from roots to leaves, flowers and nectar .They share a common mode of action in that they are a neural toxin. In low doses they affect bees ability to feed and navigate and in higher doses quickly become lethal. Produced by Bayer, they include imidacloprid, clothianidin, dinetofuran, nithiazine, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam. They are widely used in agribusiness, home, garden, and nursery supply. This year 51% of Home Depot’s, Menard’s and Lowe’s sampled plants had levels high enough to kill a bee in one visit.

I had poisoned my own bumblebees.

Not just bees, neonicotinoids affect soil organisms, aquatic life, birds and small mammals. A single kernel of treated corn is enough to kill a songbird. Ninety percent of applied Neonicotinoids end up in the soil and water. And some of them persist for nineteen years. This, from Bayer’s own data. The more I learned about the disastrous scope of these chemicals, the less I could sleep.

By February, instead of the usual joyous explosion of red and pink paper, glitter and lace, I found myself making black Valentines grieving our natural world .

Ones that said “For My Honey” for the bees , or “Goodbye. I Love You. I Miss You Already.” for our beautiful monarchs now on the brink of extinction.

March came and I switched gears from grief to resolve and embarked on a letter writing campaign to my friends, family, legislators, city council, and every nursery I could think of. The valentines morphed into posters, and I gave or mailed away a hundred of these to friends, including one to my designer friend Karin Preus.

When I approached her for help with actually printing it she came back to me with the idea of creating a friendly emissary for the cause, the cutest damn bee I could draw... And I think I did.

Karin suggested a bee that every one would want to save, with a mission that informs and incites real action while Nick Lethert did a whiz-bang job on the www.Beeswell.org website replete with more free downloadable posters. And so here she is, representing the beauty and vulnerability of all tiny creatures, the sweetness of altruism and community, our ambassador of the natural world; Miz Bee. She’s asking us to buy organic, for her, and all the myriad life of our world.

And she’s free. Please share her freely. For the Beez. www.Beeswell.org Bee Swell, Nora

BRYAN JACKSON FEST The Bryan Jackson Music Festival returns for a second year this January 10 at Fort Pierce beachside bar, Bottom’s Up. It’s impossible to forget the horrible tragedy that took the life of this talented 26-year-musician. More than a year has passed since that fateful October morning in 2013, when a drunk driver, traveling the wrong direction on I-95, smashed head on into the Ford Explorer carrying Jackson and two other members of his upstart indie rock band Ghost Cast.

Jackson would pass after a tractor trailer smashed into the Explorer later on, ejecting him from the vehicle. This immeasurable tragedy caused Treasure Coast’s close-knit musical community to unite, and with the help of the surviving members of Ghost Cat, and Fort Pierce folk-rock group Gravel King’s lead singer Zack Jones, a benefit show for Jackson and his family was announced.

For the second iteration, Jones has staged a show that will play tribute to Jackson, but will also shine a much needed spotlight on the burgeoning music scene that encompasses the Treasure Coast. “It’s going to be much more of a celebration than last year,” explained Jones to Purehoney. All but two (Sweet Bronco and Wake Up) of the scheduled 20 plus bands are from the area.

Jones hopes to create a model for other local bars in the area to follow too. ”I’ve implemented a few very simple things that bar owners should note; I’ve set up a really good stage, parking close to the stage, that’s convenient for bands to set up their gear, and created ample space for them to sell their merch.“ The vision has been accomplished with excellent support from Bottom’s Up and it’s ample back patio area, where he has set up the larger of the two festival stages. The lineup is truly eclectic, ranging from the heavy riffs of the Prescription, to punk revivalist Church and State, and closing sets from his band Gravel Kings and, of course, Ghost Cat. With a 30 minute time limit, Jones promises, if you don’t like the type of music the current band is playing, you won’t have to wait long until a completely different group will take the stage.

Much more than music to offer, Jones tells us there will be over 30 artisans displaying and selling their artwork, a Kids Corner and mobile bar set up outside. Half the proceeds raised will go to benefit Read of St. Lucie County, a local charity chosen by the members of Ghost Cat. Jackson was an ardent fan of local music, and would be ecstatic at such a massive show set up in his honor. Bryan Jackson Music Festival: January 10 at Fort Pierce beachside bar, Bottom’s Up. ~ Alex Rendon

INSPIRIT IS GIVING For 14 years, Inspirit have been doing their part keeping Live Music alive and at the same time cheering up a lot of people Year-Round, not just during the Holidays!

They have also paid local musicians more than $100,000 over the years. Here’s a heartfelt note from Jeff Chafin, owner of Chafin Musicenter and an Inspirit Performer and Board Member.

As a professional musician, I know that music is a gift that gives in every way.

Yet during this holiday season, it’s especially Renee & Troy Solis important to know that Inspirit provides the at the VA Medical Center gift of live music - for the less fortunate, and sometimes forgotten, people who are in restricted environments and therefore can’t get out to experience it ~ year-round!

Making a holiday donation to Inspirit will help the organization send quality live performers to entertain military veterans, the elderly, Alzheimer’s patients, developmentally disabled children, and others restricted to hospitals, pediatric centers, rehabilitation centers and more.

Music can fill a void in a lonely heart; trigger a memory that can take you back decades, bring comfort in times of sorrow, and convey joy and happiness. It’s a timeless energy that can bridge generations and bring people together. With more than three decades of service in all kinds of musical situations, I have seen this many times. Giving the gift of music through Inspirit can often mean seeing immobile people clap their hands and tap their feet, and people who can’t speak sing along to a favorite song. Those who can’t walk find a way to dance; those who show no emotion find it within themselves to smile.

There are TWO ways to GIVE to Inspirit this holiday season: Donate directly to Inspirit like in years past or participate in the Honda Classic Birdies for Children Program where Inspirit will receive a 10% matching bonus, and you will have the opportunity to win a brand new Honda. With your donation of $20 or more, you will receive the opportunity to make a guess, or guesses, on the number of birdies made at the 2015 Honda Classic. The person coming closest to the actual number wins a new car! The Honda Classic collects all donations, and then writes checks back to Inspirit for 100% of the money plus a 10% matching bonus.

Please consider a tax-deductible donation to Inspirit to help us continue our mission to serve the under-served through the gift of music all year-round. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. Happy Holidays! ~ Jeff Chafin Learn more about Inspirit and make your contribution at http://inspiritlive.org

NEDELLE TORRISI

You’re forgiven if you never discovered California’s Cryptacize during the duo’s brief existence circa 2007-2009. Its quirky mix of angular art rock and heavenly twee pop resulted in two singularly clever albums for Asthmatic Kitty but scant media attention compared to the acts it opened for, like Sufjan Stevens and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (I wouldn’t have heard Cryptacize, either, except I was lucky enough to catch its show-stopping half-hour set at the 2008 Athens Popfest). Its music echoed from canyons of obscurity.

But, reflecting on the band today, singer-songwriter Nedelle Torrisi says she didn’t expect much more.

“I think everything I’ve ever made is for a very specific listener, and the average person isn’t this type of listener,” she says. “To enjoy Cryptacize you might also enjoy musical theater, earnestness, asymmetry, and have a sense of Nedelle Torrisi humor. There seems to be a lack of humor and light-heartedness in music today. That really annoys me. Music can be good and happy.”

Nonetheless, happiness began to elude Torrisi in her love life. When she split with her partner and bandmate Chris Cohen, Cryptacize went down with the ship. It didn’t take long for Torrisi to start working on new material as a solo artist, which quickly became more ethereal, electronic and radio-friendly than her previous projects.

“I wanted to make more pop-y music with bigger, catchier hooks and strings and such,” she says. “I’m not sure Chris was really into that. A solo person can have their way all the time. It’s a monarchy, not a democracy!”

Torrisi recorded a batch of songs in 2011 with producer Kenny Gilmore, which would become, two years later, her self-titled album, whose 12 rich, layered, plaintive confessionals have gradually accrued an audience despite an online-only release (the physical LP will finally be issued in March by the Ethereal Sequence label, which will be distributed by Drag City).

It’s no coincidence that Nedelle Torrisi is the first album released using her full name. It’s a complete and proper debut—a rebirth and a reinvention—with music that both reaches back and leans forward. The album, which she’ll perform Jan. 18 when she opens for Of Montreal at Grand Central, is a hardto-classify mixture of the old and new—‘70s R&B and soul paired with ‘80s pop, ‘90s indie, and a sparkling electronic sheen that wouldn’t sound out of place on a top 40 hit today, all of it connected by her direct and relatable lyrics.

“I had been wanting to make something more shiny and new (to me, that is),” she says. “I never used many synthesizers in past records, and when Kenny and I decided to work together, I thought it was the perfect time to experiment, because he is a master of all things keyboard. That said, I do feel like all of my albums are very similar. I pretty much write the same song over and over. Lyrics are thematically similar, too. I don’t think it’s a departure like a jumbo jet crossing the Atlantic … more like a jump over a puddle. Excuse the poor metaphors.”

As the album has made its unusually lengthy march toward a commercial release, Torrisi has kept herself busy, thanks to tours with the reunited Rentals and her old friend Sufjan Stevens. Her most surprising venture, however, is her dating/relationships column, Advice from Paradise, which she launched on her website in 2013.

She fields questions from readers in the vein of Dear Abby and Savage Love, and there’s nothing ironic about it. She genuinely helps readers on topics such as “The Friend Zone,” “Does He or She Like Me?” and “Casual Sex/Booty Calls/Hookups.”

“I love gabbing to my girlfriends about relationships, and talking to anyone about anything, for that matter,” she says. “I always wanted to have a love advice column, and thought, with the advent of Tumblr, nothing is in my way now! Let’s do this!

“I didn’t know [if I would be qualified to write it], and still don’t know,” she adds. “Even if I had a Ph.D. in psychology, I still wouldn’t know. I think you either have good instincts about these things, or you don’t. I thought a long time about being a social worker—this sort of work runs in my family—but decided I love being a poor musician too much to trade it in for being a poor social worker.”

Nedelle Torrisi performs with Of Montreal at 8 p.m. Jan. 18 at Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Tickets run $12-$20. Call 305-377-2277 or visit grandcentralmiami.com. Also, check out Nedelle at advicefromparadise. com. ~John Thomason

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25

RESPECTABLE STREET: Scarecrow Jenkins Brimstone Jamboree

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26

POORHOUSE: Sweet Bronco, Minimalist Blasphemist, Suede Dudes, Giraptor

VINTAGE TAP: Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howl SOUTH SHORES TAVERN: Equinox

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27

VINTAGE TAP: Slip & the Spinoutsz DADA: Shotgun Betty KYI: Cog Nomen PROPAGANDA: Astrea Corp, Bleubird, JABRJAW, KABODVEINS RAILROAD BLUES: Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howl SOUTH SHORES TAVERN: The Natty Bo’s FUNKY BUDDHA: Fireside Prophets CD Release

RAILROAD BLUES: The Motet, Kung Fu FUNKY BUDDHA: Scholars Word, MH The Verb CHURCHILL’S PUB: Ruckus Festival: The Drip Effect, Behind The Houses, Shadows Reborn and more.

WILL CALL: Roosevelt Collier’s Jimi Meets Funk THE STAGE: Electron TERRA FERMATA: Nouveaux Honkies

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4

FUNKY BISCUIT: Dragon Smoke JAZID: Red Lyte & Sound Movement, DJ Mucho, Vision, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok TERRA FERMATA: Afro Man

MONDAY, JANUARY 5

DADA: Basement Jams

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6

TERRA FERMATA: Blues Crusaders

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7

MONDAY, DECEMBER 29

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30

DADA: Louie Pinion KYI: Bloomfield MAX’S GRILL: Joel DaSilva Acoustic TERRA FERMATA: Ben Childs

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31

RESPECTABLE STREET: The Psymatics

REVOLUTION LIVE: Blue October SOUTH SHORES TAVERN: The Saw Grass Kin BLUE JEAN BLUES: Joel DaSilva Acoustic SOUTH SHORES TAVERN: Mark Telesca Band

RESPECTABLE STREET: Beach Day, Snakehole, Wake Up, the Band in Heaven VINTAGE TAP: Fusik BAR STACHE: Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howl SOUTH SHORES TAVERN: NYE GALA

PROPAGANDA: 3rd Annual NYE J. STREET BLOCK PARTY ft. Scratch-D of Dynamix II, Hyde of Jackal & Hyde, Whole Wheat Bread, Everymen, Raggy Monster, Commonwealth, The Drip Effect, Mylo Ranger, The Romantix, Lftd Lvls, Fuzzhound, The Sawgrass Kin, First Last & Always, Rats Mouth, Innerlight, Big DWM, Joseph Calderon WILL CALL: The Heavy Pets RAILROAD BLUES: The Main Squeeze GRAND CENTRAL: Phish After Party feat. Particle

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 3 AMERICANAIRLINES ARENA: Phish

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1

DADA: Jahzilla PROPAGANDA: LOWR LVLS GRAND CENTRAL: Phish After Party feat. Particle VINTAGE TAP: JP Soars, Rockin’ Jake Band FUNKY BUDDHA: Daryl Hance BARDOT: Tremends RAILROAD BLUES: Roosevelt Collier, George Porter Jr, Greenhouse Lounge WILL CALL: Bobby Lee Rodgers TERRA FERMATA: Freak Bass

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2

DADA: Madd Jazz SOUTH SHORES TAVERN: Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howl GRAND CENTRAL: Dopapod, New Mastersounds VINTAGE TAP: The Psymatics, Killmama FUNKY BUDDHA: Public Sounds WILL CALL: Juke TERRA FERMATA: Ellameno Beat THE STAGE: Electron

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3

PROPAGANDA: DJ Needlez Presents. Rock The Mic THE BRASS TAP: Joel DaSilva Acoustic VINTAGE TAP: The Punkabillys, Snake Blood Remedy DADA: Wilkes Oswald KYI: StrangeWave GRAND CENTRAL: Dopapod, The New Mastersounds

RESPECTABLE STREET: Industrial Grade Wednesday

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8

VINTAGE TAP: Bobby Nathan Duo DADA: Craft Bazaar PROPAGANDA: 93.5 The Bar Local Brew Kick Off Party FUNKY BUDDHA: Darville Duo TERRA FERMATA: Minus Turmoil

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9

DADA: Moran Levi & The Good Ones PROPAGANDA: PEEP SHOW! (Burlesque) VINTAGE TAP: The Old Fashioned, The Shakers FUNKY BUDDHA: JL Fulks Band TERRA FERMATA: Lili Lavon

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10

BOTTOM’S UP: BRYAN JACKSON MUSIC FESTIVAL: Cerveza, Sweet Bronco, Gravel Kings, Ghost Cat, Wake Up, StrangeWave, The Alleys, Church Girls, Beartoe, Cody & the Qualified, The Inverted, Break the Hero, The Prescription, In Motion, Minus Turmoil, Hidden Tree Houses, Spicoli, OSF, Church & State, Flying Sharks, The Pub Reckers, Down Coyote REVOLUTION LIVE: Raury VINTAGE TAP: The Deadly Blank

RESPECTABLE STREET: Dharmata, The Drip Effect DADA: Mylo Ranger KYI: Flashback Saturday

THE STUDIO 1016: The Space Between ft. the Artwork of Melissa Smock FUNKY BUDDHA: Sawgrass Express TERRA FERMATA: Bath Salt Zombies

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

PROPAGANDA: Acoustic Showcase / Open Mic DANIA BEACH BAR & GRILL: Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howl REVOLUTION LIVE: Lettuce, Break Science TERRA FERMATA: Killbillies JAZID: Innasense, DJ Fiyah Vibez, Natty Remo, Lance-O. Kulcha Shok

MONDAY, JANUARY 12

FUNKY BISCUIT: Jam Cruise Post-Party ft Snarky Puppy DADA: Basement Jams

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13

TERRA FERMATA: Signal Fire

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14

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DADA: Melissa Sandoval KYI: Hoy Polloy TERRA FERMATA: Letters to Abagail REVOLUTION LIVE: Periphery, Nothing More, Wovenwar, Thank You Scientist

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15

KRAVIS CENTER | PEAK: Well-Strung RESPECTABLE STREET: The Riot Act

VINTAGE TAP: Holidazed Duo DADA: Chucka Riddim FUNKY BUDDHA: Nigel Egg TERRA FERMATA: Wilder Sons ARTHOUSE 429: 2 Years: Save Lolita Group Show/Benefit STACHE: The Moon Caravan, Bedside SUNSET TAVERN: Nil Lara

CHURCHILL’S PUB: Sound Sleeper, Heavy Drag, The Band in Heaven, Ex Norwegian

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16

PROPAGANDA: Konkrete Jungle REVOLUTION LIVE: Led Zeppelin 2 FUNKY BISCUIT: Edwin McCain TERRA FERMATA: Spred the Dub VINTAGE TAP: Dirty Skirty, Octo Gato DADA: Bluejay BARDOT: Krisp/ Millionyoung FUNKY BUDDHA: Problem Kids

SATURDAY, JANUARY 17

PROPAGANDA: Mylo Ranger CD Release Party w.

Raggy Monster, Chain Smoking Hags, Tame the Lyons, Cult Love DADA: Big Chief

SLUSHBOX GALLERY/INK & PISTONS: Fairy Tales & Robots Group Show KYI: Grey 8’s & Perro Negro THE GARRET AT GRAND CENTRAL: Giraffage, Spazzkid

CHURCHILL’S PUB: King Tuff, Ex Hex, Jacuzzi Boys TERRA FERMATA: The Robbie Hunter Band SOUTH SHORE TAVERN: Jangle Leg VINTAGE TAP: Slip & the Spinouts FUNKY BUDDHA: Comedy Show

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18

GRAND CENTRAL: Of Montreal, Nedelle Torrisi

PROPAGANDA: Acoustic Showcase / Open Mic JAZID: King Mello D Earthstrong Celebration w. Freddie McGregor, Exit Sound, Rythmadix, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok TERRA FERMATA: JP Soars & the Red Hots

MONDAY, JANUARY 19 DADA: Basement Jams

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20

DADA: Comedy Open Mic PROPAGANDA: Wise Tuesdays College Night

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21

DADA: Jill Juire & Tom Regis Duo KYI: Bearhead GRAND CENTRAL: Municipal Waste, Torche, Night Birds TERRA FERMATA: Tree House

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22

RESPECTABLE STREET: Birthday Candles FUNKY BUDDHA: Joel DaSilva Acoustic VINTAGE TAP: Lara Hope & the Ark Tones BARDOT: Bluejay DADA: Naturez Klassroom TERRA FERMATA: Ben Prestage

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23

KRAVIS CENTER | PEAK: Zap Mama, Antibalas

VINTAGE TAP: Swamp Ratz, Coondoggin’ Outlaws, Koffin Varnish DADA: Tomcat Joe PROPAGANDA: Lara Hope & the Arktones, Banditos, Los Bastardos Magnificos, Jangle Leg STACHE: Screaming Jays TERRA FERMATA: Still Misbehavin

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24

PROPAGANDA: The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Everymen, Que Lastima REVOLUTION LIVE: Keller Williams VINTAGE TAP: Juke KYI: Stratolites TERRA FERMATA: Unlimited Devotion FUNKY BUDDHA: Electric Kif

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25

PROPAGANDA: Acoustic Showcase / Open Mic TERRA FERMATA: Slip & the Spinouts JAZID: Innasense, DJ J5, Ambelique, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok

MONDAY, JANUARY 26 DADA: Basement Jams

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27

PROPAGANDA: Wise Tuesdays College Night GRAND CENTRAL: Napalm Death, Voivod, Exhumed, Iron Reagan, Ringworm, Black Crown Initiate DADA: Comedy Open Mic TERRA FERMATA: Rich Lyons

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28

PROPAGANDA: Beating Arts Open Mic Showcase DADA: Joey Calderaio KYI: The High Ministers TERRA FERMATA: The Grass Satchels

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29

RESPECTABLE STREET: Sound Sleeper DADA: The Holidazed VINTAGE TAP: Mylo Ranger FUNKY BUDDHA: Sole Mark TERRA FERMATA: Passafire

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30

HOLLYWOOD ARTSPARK EXPERIENCE: Galactic

PROPAGANDA: I-Resolution, LW LongShots, Fireside Prophets BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Joel DaSilva Acoustic VINTAGE TAP: Southern Misconduct, Camel Toe GRAND CENTRAL: Turquoise Jeep Records DADA: Tailored Soul TERRA FERMATA: Radio Birds / Simplified FUNKY BUDDHA: The Accomplices, The Frontier Needs Heroes

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31

RESPECTABLE STREET: False Flags EP Release PROPAGANDA: Bonnie Riot CD Release, Shotgun Betty, The Zoo Peculiar, Killmama DADA: Mandy Moon KYI: The Addictive Guilt GRAND CENTRAL: Andrew W.K. TERRA FERMATA: 24th Street Wailers VINTAGE TAP: Living Daylights SWAMPGRASS WILLIES: The Drip Effect FUNKY BUDDHA: Parker Urban Band

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14

KRAVIS CENTER | PEAK: Camille A. Brown & Dancers: Black Girl HOLLYWOOD ARTSPARK EXPERIENCE: New Orleans ft. George Porter Jr. & The Running Pardners, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha’s, Dillard High School Jazz Band BRYANT PARK: B.E. Easy Music & Arts Festival ft.

Nahko and Medicine For The People, The Resolvers, Cope, Funkin Grateful, The Funky Nuggets, Sawgrass Express, Ancient Sun

REMEMBERING THOMAS It’s hard to accurately describe Thomas or our time together in 350 words or less.

Thomas was a lot of things. When I met him he was a dorky 18 year old kid and when he left us he was a 24 year old man, a husband, and a father. In that time frame, we went from working shitty jobs and playing music in his mom’s shed for fun, to playing enough gigs to not have to work at all. At first we did everything together. In the end all I knew was Thomas Warren, the singer of The Sweet Chariots.

Thomas turned into an amazingly polished vocalist and guitarist in such a short period of time. I can’t even to begin to imagine what he would be like at age 30. People The Sweet Chariots would often ask us if we were brothers. We always said yes. Because we were. The kind that loved each other but maybe had drifted apart, or maybe didn’t always see eye to eye, but that didn’t matter.

He was still as big of a part of my life two weeks ago as he was in October ‘13 when we last spoke. We packed up after a gig, hugged, and I moved to Nashville.

Some of my favorite Thomas moments were on the way home from gigs. We’d talk about everything, music related and not. Truth be told, if I still lived in Florida, there’s a good chance I would’ve been in the car with him.

Thomas was a family man. We loved our “job” because it didn’t keep us away from our family. More often than not, our kids could come to our gigs. Thomas did things his way. He lived an unconventional life. He was cheap. He didn’t drink.

He’d pack peanut butter sandwiches and stash them in his car. For two years straight he wore blue jeans, a plain black t shirt, and black dress shoes. I called it his uniform. These are the things I liked best about Thomas. I’m glad I was close enough to him for long enough to see all of these things. ~ Freddy Schwenk Thomas Warren was a beloved musician, friend, father, and husband. He had a kind heart and genuine soul. Unfortunately, he was taken from us much too soon in a tragic car accident. Not only did he leave many fans and friends, but also a wife and daughter. Thomas was a full time musician and used his remaining time rebuilding an old house with his wife, Sarah. This was not just a home in need of cosmetic work. This was a project that he took on that needed to be rebuilt from the bottom up. While Thomas completed much of this himself, there is still alot to be done. Thomas was my bud, my bandmate and my best friend, and our families are very close. I, Steve Satch and my wife Sarah have created this fundraiser to help Thomas’ widow, Sarah Doe, with financial help with the work that has been left to her along with other financial obligations. Any donations would be greatly apprecited. Anybody willing to donate time and labor would be helpful as well.

You can contact me through facebook if this interests you. Lets help take some of this financial stress off of Thomas’ widow, Sarah!

DONATIONS HERE: http://www.gofundme.com/i06jhw

KING TUFF There are very few moments in music that can be considered fortuitous and successful. Be it a cool show you accidentally stumble into, renewed interest in a record label you had long dismissed or even the incessant humming of a catchy tune you just heard that’s gotten you excited about a band. There has been a welcome resurgence in rock and roll over the last decade that has allowed for these parameters to be met.

It hadn’t seemed likely for some time there, but it’s a great time to experience rock and roll.

King Tuff’s been at it for a number of years now, knowing full well that his greatest appeal is the retention of that lo-fi charm that first endeared him to ears in America. His latest album, Black Moon Spell, has kept the attitude but traded some of the roughness for some welcome chunkiness that takes him from the garage sound to a dirty rock that borders on Blue Cheer heaviness and regional psych of yesteryear. Irreverent, King Tuff by Dan Monick filled with absurd juvenile bravado and blessed with an understanding for saccharine catchiness and head-bopping hooks. Vermont might be known for its artisanal products and those cute teddy bears, but the serene idylls of the forested state have been conducive for some righteous rock and roll.

Mary Timony’s been rocking since the early ‘90s with outfits like Helium and the supergroup Wild Flag. Now with the power pop trio Ex Hex and a debut album released this past October that even turned the heads of the stuffy suits over at the New York Times as a “feel-good, gut punch of a debut” she’s continuing a proud punk rock tradition the DC-native’s had in her veins thanks to the capital’s importance in the punk rock scene. A gig of this caliber couldn’t be complete without the addition of some locals of equal footing and weight, the Jacuzzi Boys. The trio has done nothing but rise and gain popularity since the release of their first 7” back in ’07.

Floridians, South Floridians at that, might be the kings and queens of complaining when it comes to touring acts but fans of rock and roll will have very little to bitch about when this bill blows up the Churchill’s stage on January 17. It doesn’t get any better than this for the price of admission – it truly is a great time to be alive and experience rock and roll. ~ Abel Folgar

ZAP MAMA + ANTIBALAS Two distinct voices in world music will join forces for a tour like no other, and it’s going to kick off in Florida. Zap Mama and Antibalas will join one another on stage to merge their two styles in two different sets.

Zap Mama is the brainchild of Congo-born Marie Daulne, who founded the vocal group in 1989 in Belgium. Mixing Euro-pop influences with classy jazz stylings and the rhythmic bravura of hip-hop, Zap Mama is all about the polyphonic sound of voices.

Their instruments are their pipes, and their early sound was strictly a cappella, not unlike Ladysmith Black Mambazo. That evolved over time, but they are most loved for using voice for both beautiful harmonies and skittering rhythms.

Antibalas, meanwhile comes from Brooklyn and Zap Mama features its own brand of fusion. Their name means “bulletproof” in Spanish and features infectious Latin grooves and doubly infectious African rhythms. Founded in 1998 by Martín Perna as “Conjunto Antibalas,” their sound is modeled after the hypnotic stylings of Fela Kuti with a distinct Afro-Cuban jazz quality. Songs often meander for over 10 minutes but never grow tiresome, filled with fluid horn solos and rhythmic breakdowns.

Zap Mama has not released an album since 2009’s Recreation. That album was a collaboration with various musicians that, as the title implies, was supposed to be a rebirth of sound. Daule collaborated on vocals with Bilal, G. Love, and even French actor Vincent Cassel. No album has been released since, but the aspiration for reinvention should make for a kinetic experience when Zap Mama joins Antibalas on stage in this new stage for both groups.

Antibalas Zap Mama & Antibalas will perform at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts as part of its Third Annual PEAK Series at the Gosman Amphitheatre – an open air facility on Friday, January 23, at 7pm Picnic baskets, lawn chairs, blankets and non-alcoholic beverages are welcome inside.

Every ticket comes with a complimentary drink ticket. Visit: www.kravis.org/peak.

The following day they play the South Miami-Dade Cultural Center in Cutler Bay, FL at 8pm Visit: http://www.smdcac.org/events/zap-mama-and-antibalas ~ Hans Morgenstern, IndieEthos (www.indieethos.wordpres.com)

THE SPACE BETWEEN Melissa Smock is always on the go. But despite leading a hectic life running her busy advertising business, MAS Creative, she always stops to observe and document the world around her. One of Smock’s artistic tools is the iPhone, and her subjects are the pedestrians of West Palm Beach. She snaps photos nearly every day in neighborhoods including downtown Lake Worth, Belle Glade and Northwood. Sometimes, she hangs outside the passenger window in a friend’s car, capturing a perplexed man seated on a park bench. Other times, she dabbles with portraiture. “Hey, can I take your picture?” she’ll ask, leaving the person flattered as if they’ve never had a stranger express such an interest.

Bottom Heavy by Melissa Smock

Photography is Smock’s primary creative focus, yet her only camera is an iPhone.

And that serves her well. She wants access, and the iPhone is inconspicuous.

“People are so desensitized to cell phones that they don’t notice them when you use them in public,” she says. “I act like I’m just scrolling through my phone, going unnoticed, and I capture so much great stuff that I wouldn’t be able to do with an actual camera.”

PureHoney caught up with Smock in time for her first solo show, The Space Between, opening in January at The Studio 1016 in West Palm. Works on display will feature 60 to 80 images, as well as a series of acrylic abstract impressionist paintings; pretty heady stuff for someone who picked up a paintbrush six months ago.

PH: The Space Between?

Smock: The Space Between contemplates the ongoing dialogue of the overlapping of “public” and “private” spheres.

What compelled you to pick up a brush?

There is a physical aspect of painting with less concern about exact representation, often in the digital world things tend to be precise, and I enjoy releasing myself of those constraints.

Do you prefer painting or taking pictures?

For me, they are two completely separate processes but merge when one helps to inform the other.

The Space Between featuring the artwork of Melissa Smock opens on Saturday, January 10, 2015 from 7 to 10pm at The Studio, 1016 Clare Avenue, Building 5, West Palm Beach. Visit melissasmock.com and thestudio1016.com. No cover. ~ Andrea Richard