PUREHONEY 68

Froth, Outside (Briefly) Like a lot of great bands, Froth started as a name and daydream. The fellas in Froth dreamt of putting out a blank record that would spin silence for 20 minutes in an Andy Kaufman-esque display of chicanery. However, it’s the people who dream the hardest that seem to be able to harness that ethereal energy and have it coalesce into an actual musical entity.

Jeff Fribourg, bought an omnichord on Ebay and stared at it in his house until he and Joo-Joo Ashworth were called to make Froth a reality, due to fate and a sense of duty. Whatever the case, it was FROTH kismet that Froth would come together to make dreamy-psych, rock. Lolipop records mentored the group through the Echo Park scene, championing Froth and motivating them to continuously move forward with their progress. The self-released e.p., “Gas Money” sold out its initial run and the band was picked up by Burger Records; the label du jour for psych and garage rock kids in the know. In a pretty short period of time, Froth went from a concept, to a band, to a band that would record an extended track for the Saint Laurent 2014 Men’s Fall line. By the time the band was ready to record their second album, Fribourg had left the band and the group began to explore more guitar rock territory, changing the sonic palette of the groups sound. No matter, the inclusion of more guitars only helped to make the bands sound more cohesive.

Not that they have much in common, other than some pretty decent songwriting, but Froth’s story is reminiscent of bands like: Ween. Dreamers with a concept and the passion to try and follow through, without the actual chops in place to make things happen; those come later in the story. The punk band, the Dicks, from Texas are another group who were an idea of a band before they were an actual band.

It’s fascinating to see players with the musical acumen to regurgitate intricate songs, note for note, but when it comes to having the passion to write and record music, they fall short. Being an artist isn’t about being technically good at all, it’s about seeing the potential of a blank canvas, or knowing how to make sense of a mess; listening to things and hearing the notes that are being over-looked by others and realizing that in-between those notes is where the melody is. It’s not rocket science, it’s born of curiosity, patience and a willingness to try and make sense of the world. It’s not so much that dreamer’s make better music, but those songs have been rolling around their skull for god knows how long? They’ve been marinating long enough for the artist to know exactly what it is, even if they aren’t entirely sure how to get there. It’s a destination, without a defined, mapped out route… in other words, an adventure!

Their latest effort, the gorgeous synth driven record Outside (Briefly) was released late February and the yellow vinyl has already sold out.

Froth play Respectable Street, April 20 at 9pm with Dead and Loving It, The Water Colors, Wake Up,The Dewars and Gramps April 19.~ Tim Moffatt

The Vulture

Everymen Album Release Fame, fortune, and a private jet. The goals of many rock and roll bands include a life of celebrity and excess. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way and for some groups, that’s just fine for them. Case in point, Lake Worth’s Everymen.

The folk-punk outfit are a staple of South Florida’s music scene and perhaps some of the most humble, down to earth musicians to grace the stages of venues such as Culture Room, Propaganda, and Respectables. We spoke to frontman and lead singer, Sergio Witis, better known by his alias, Captain EVERYMEN Bobo, about the formation of the new LP. We start by talking about the title and the concept of May Your Ashes Have Stories, a project Witis describes as being “cohesive” and clearly an album that found the group settling down for a minute and trying their hand at taking this whole music making thing seriously.

“It’s literally the first record we sat to write to make a record. Usually we just play for fun on stage, and we’ve been touring a lot, and I never have time to sit and write. We took time off from touring and everyone is just trying to get their lives together. I’ve been touring for like 5 or 6 years straight. Everybody was really struggling with work and school and everyone wanted to do something else; obviously the band’s not going to pay our way through life (laughs). The whole record is about the inner struggles we have. The itty, bitty, shitty committees we have in our head that tell us like, ‘oh, it’s okay to do this,’ justifying certain actions, whether they’re good or bad.”

An early listen to the record reveals precisely what he means. The lead track, and possible lead single, “Shake Your Bones,” is a bouncy, bar rattling jam that includes the line, “kill your demons and give them hell!” It’s a sort of rollicking, carnival punk that sounds like Gogol Bordello fronted by a young Tom Waits. “It’s about the insanity that goes on in my head,” he continues. He goes on to explain how the record resulted after taking a look at not his own past struggles, but of the band’s as a whole. Between past drug addiction and tragedy befalling one of their own, Witis and Everymen have plenty of experience to draw upon. And yet, for anyone that’s ever been to one of their shows is aware of how exuberant and high energy those sets can be, with the band more often than not, winding up in the pit with the crowd surrounded by the pool noodles they themselves tossed into it. After listening to May Your Ashes Have Stories to Tell, which features a freshly recorded version of “Waking Up Hurts,” it seems that they finally have the record to accompany their live show that they have always deserved.

FillmoreMB

Fillmore MB

FillmoreMB

Purchase at FillmoreMB.com

On April 22 at 8pm, Respectable Street will host Everymen’s record release party with Howling Winds, Out of Sorts, Whiskey Walls, Menudo Death Squad and more. ~ Angel Melendez

Surfers for Autism Hangs Ten Hanging 10 with Surfers for Autism. Ten years ago, a group of local South Florida surfers banded together after seeing the impact of autism on the family of one of their crew. The first event held in 2008 included just a dozen kids and young adults with Autism who were taught how to surf by a group of volunteer instructors. Over some post-event pizza, the group decided to make it an annual event.

The National Institute of Health estimates that nearly one in 68 children in the United States falls somewhere on the autism spectrum.

For those with autism, it could mean difficulty with social interaction. Those physical and verbal cues most of use to connect -- facial expressions, eye contact, emotional expression-- can seem elusive. For children and adults, it usually leads to difficulty forming friendships, internal frustrations that can’t be expressed, and family members who see their loved one struggling in a social world that wasn’t set up for them.

Surfing may not seem like an intuitive companion to battling autism, but many of the things that tend to come naturally for people with autism-- solitary activities, determination, repetitive behaviors, rote memorization-- apply to surfing. Learning the process and sticking to it is key to the sport-- paddle, catch a wave, take off, repeat. Surfers for Autism allows kids and their families to participate in a community event with a band of volunteers who want them to succeed and understand how to communicate with them.

Communications Director, Dave Rossman says “The change over the years has been staggering. SFA has morphed into a philanthropic juggernaut hosting grand scale beach festivals.” That annual event has grown to 200 young people affected by Autism and a volunteer group over 300 strong. There are 10 events each season, and some out-of-state. This year’s 2-day event has attracted sponsors like Sun Bum and Global Surf Industries. Local fire stations and police officers take part along with local bands like Uproot Hootenanny, Fireside Prophets, ARTIKaL, Holidazed, The Copper Tones, Hello Elevator, Black Out Band and more!

The 10th Annual Surfers for Autism Beach Festival will be held April 21-22 at Municipal Beach in Deerfield Beach. The event is free, but you can support the event by purchasing merch, or making a donation or volunteering your time.

Learn more by visiting http://surfersforautism.org/. ~ Jessica Chesler

Surfer Blood, Snowdonia

SURFER BLOOD

band that has paid its dues and suffered for its fame.

The thing about success is that it is not easy. Gained through hard work and perseverance, once achieved, it needs looking after— jealousy-guarding even.

No one escapes this clause.

West Palm’s Surfer Blood might’ve not enjoyed a meteoric rise but with the wellearned modicum of success and appreciation that it received early in its career, it certainly is a

Founders John Paul Pitts and Tyler Schwarz have been playing together for many years and found their identity upon meeting and working with Thomas Fekete. This idyll netted their first album an A- rating from critic Robert Christgau, TV appearances, opening for The Pixies, and world-wide touring. After eight years and hot on the release of their fourth studio album, Snowdonia, the band can take a moment to inventory itself and where they stand. 2010’s debut, Astro Coast, was an immediate critical and fan favorite and its single, “Swim,” on the minds and lips of music fans across the globe. For an indie rock outfit coming out of the “Orchid City,” things were looking great. Fekete’s sarcoma diagnosis in 2014 which had spread to his lungs and spine was a game changer in many regards. After fighting over a year and garnering support of his bandmates and friends in the music scene, he passed in the early summer of 2016.

Along with Mike McCleary and Lindsey Mills, Surfer Blood sits at a different place these days. Snowdonia is not the redemptive epic fans and critics will expect—it is a natural and organic spiritual follow-up to their debut. Flawless?

No. Nothing still in the works ever is. Because that is what Surfer Blood is, still in the works. This is a band that knows that there is work to be done, hard work, and is willing to do it.

PH: What have been the greatest lessons learned in the course of eight years as a band?

John Paul Pitts: 1. Take the time to get everything right in your practice space before you start worrying about recording, merchandise, or your Instagram account.

2. Write a lot and don’t be afraid of writing something you don’t immediately love, you can always come back to it later. There are no bad ideas.

3. Don’t go through the drive thru with your band unless everyone has exact change. It can be a nightmare.

4. Eat whenever you can, sleep whenever you can. Be really nice to everyone.

PH: From WPB and into the world, what has this success meant to you?

JP: I’m just grateful for the opportunity to travel. Its something that I’ve always wanted and I’m lucky I was able to do it with my best friends.

There have been a lot of ups and downs through the eight years we’ve been doing this, but I wouldn’t trade the memories for anything.

PH: This is your first release since Thomas’ passing and it is filled with hope and a genuine feeling of fun, a return to form, was this deliberate or a byproduct of grieving?

JP: I don’t know, there’s not a whole lot that’s deliberate about my writing.

I never start a record by thinking “we SNOWDONIA need to go in this direction” I just write a ton of songs and see what sticks. I will say that it wasn’t easy writing without Thom, he had come up with ideas that were eventually turned into Surfer Blood songs and helped me finish a lot of my own ideas. He was on my mind while I was writing Snowdonia, I was listening to a lot of music that he’d introduced me to and trying to write songs I think he would have liked. I miss him everyday.

PH: Three albums down, what are your hopes for this record and what kind of support (tour, videos, etc...) will it receive?

JP: We have tours lined up for the next three months at least, trying to play as many shows as possible and find new places to play. We’re in Europe right now (in March 2017) and heading up and down the east coast in April (when we’ll be playing Respectable’s :). We’ll be heading to the midwest in Canada in June and are already making plans for the fall. We just released a video for the song “Six Flags in F or G” that was produced and directed by Liam Milano and Tommy Coleman. Its one of our weirder videos yet, lot of crazy animation. Its a long song and the video really takes you on a journey.

PH: Where does the band go from here musically? Anything musically that you’d like to explore in the future?

It’s still too early to tell what we’re going to do next. I’ve been working on demos and home and am starting to get the raw material together for another release. So far its a little more fast and furious than the stuff on Snowdonia, but not too much of a leap. Hopefully I’ll have some time later this year to finish up some new songs.

Surfer Blood close their tour with guests Boytoy, Chaucer and The Hey Fellows on Saturday, April 29 at Respectable Street. Tickets cost $12 advance, $15 at the door. Visit surferblood.com. ~ Abel Folgar

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

PROPAGANDA: Askultura, Rude Hecklers

BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Brett Staska Record Release, The Citadel, Holy Dances SWAMPSPACE: FACEVALUE ft. Pocket of Lollipops

DADA: Pans Permia KELSEY THEATER: Afroman CHURCHILLS PUB: Miami Punk Rock High “80’s Club Reunion Night” ft. Z-Cars Tribute, Charlie Pickett, Cats on Holiday Tribute, The Chant/The Essentials, The Preachers, The Sleep of Reason, Larry Joe Miller, Milk Spot MIAMI RIVER: Nil Lara Miami River Day GRAMPS: Views from Mt. Fuji, Wilkes Oswald, Birthday Wish, Salas CWS: The Copper Tones LAS ROSAS: The Takers and Leavers

SUNDAY, APRIL 2

DADA: Ella Herrera PROPAGANDA: Afroman, Fireside Prophets, Weird at First KILL YOUR IDOL: Baseline Miami CHURCHILLS PUB: Miami Punk Rock High “Cameo Reunion Night” ft. Cheetah Chrome (Dead Boys), Amazing Grace, Z-Toyz, Broken Talent, Hamerhed, Vagrant Stomp REVOLUTION LIVE: We The Kings CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr.

FRIDAY, APRIL 7

DADA: Del Pelson PROPAGANDA: Migrate, Clockouts, Goalkeeper LAS ROSAS: Carly Jo Jackson KELSEY THEATER: Blues Crusaders CHURCHILLS PUB: Armada!, That Summer, Dorothy’s Surrender BOWERY LIVE: Quiet Riot GRAMPS: Fat Sun, The Velocity Gospel, analog, FTMF CWS: Solemark, Ella Herrera

SATURDAY, APRIL 8

FILLMORE MIAMI BEACH: Golden Sounds from Hollywood

DADA: The Water Colors KILL YOUR IDOL: Keep It Deep RESPECTABLE STREET: Deaf Poets, Peyote Coyote, Viniloversus PROPAGANDA: Del Pelson, Safehouse, Anastasia Max, Flower City Conspiracy BOWERY LIVE: Drew Tucker and the New Standard BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Acoustic Soul O’MALLEY’S: Xavier Wulf CWS: Guavatron CHURCHILLS PUB: The Kitchen Club

SUNDAY, APRIL 9

TUESDAY, APRIL 4

DADA: Spoken Word Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic O’MALLEY’S: Poured Out, Absolute Suffering, Wolf Down

DADA: Joel DaSilva CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr. KILL YOUR IDOL: Local Love PROPAGANDA: PropaDomingos CHURCHILLS PUB: Subhumans, After The Fall, Everymen, Menudo Death Squad

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5

MONDAY, APRIL 10

RESPECTABLE STREET: Narvee, Re-Current, Sleeper Hold

DADA: Nyne2Five KILL YOUR IDOL: This Electric Heart PROPAGANDA: DugRocks, Drag Show CWS: Crazy Fingers CULTURE ROOM: Shovels & Rope, Matthew Logan Vasquez

THURSDAY, APRIL 6

RESPECTABLE STREET: Knight Arts Challenge Community Conversation w. Lindsey Mills & the Lazy Lovers, Jesse Kunerth | Dose Creative, Metropolitan

DADA: Bearhead CHURCHILLS PUB: Black P, Cave of Swimmers, Armageddon Man PROPAGANDA: The Sensbles POMPANO AMP: Buddy Guy & the Rides CWS: Big Harvest

DADA: Open Mic CULTURE ROOM: Portugal, The Man w. HdBeenDope

TUESDAY, APRIL 11

DADA: Comedy Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic CHURCHILLS PUB: Horseburner, Armageddon Man, Iron Buddha

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12

DADA: Don Capi & Jacob Takos KILL YOUR IDOL: Chan A-V PROPAGANDA: DugRocks Wednesdays O’MALLEY’S: FeroLux, In Angles, Modern Day Outlaw CHURCHILLS PUB: I like it Soft w. Rodrigo Gonsalves, Sean Wouters, Austin Paul, Lhams, Raffa Jo Harris, Danielle Steele, OGC, Sofilla

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 DADA: Craft Bazaar

RESPECTABLE STREET: The Water Colors PROPAGANDA: Ladies Night, Booze Brothers CULTURE ROOM: Testament, Sepultura, Prong REVOLUTION LIVE: Chronixx CWS: Future Prezidents CHURCHILLS PUB: FUTURO, Subliminal Control, Dome of Obedience, Screaming Daggers, & Vagrant Stomp

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

DADA: Migrate PROPAGANDA: A New Way To Live Forever, In motion CULTURE ROOM: Dick Dale, The Riot Act, Octo Gato BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Ella Herrera GRAMPS: Bath Salt Zombies, Zoo Peculiar, Sandratz, Jaialai CWS: Electric Kif

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

ARTSUP CONCEPTS: Mo’Booty, Alexander and the Venus, Womanmay

DADA: Xotic Yeyo KILL YOUR IDOL: Breaks Yo PROPAGANDA: Space Coast Ghost, Octo Gato, No Name Ska Band CWS: Spider Cherry LAS ROSAS: Olde Time Religion CULTURE ROOM: Fortunate Youth, Josh Henrichs & SkillinJah BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Fort Defiance, Sprockets & Spokes

GUANABANAS: Brett Staska TWO&: The Copper Tones CHURCHILLS PUB: F, The Gazms, Vagrant Stomp, Milkspot

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

DADA: Ella Herrera PROPAGANDA: PropaDomingos INKWELL PUB: Losing Teeth, Second After, Diamond Aces CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr. CHURCHILLS PUB: Hexxus, Livid, Holly Hunt

MONDAY, APRIL 17

DADA: Open Mic CHURCHILLS PUB: Miami Jazz Jam 17 Year Anniversary

TUESDAY, APRIL 18

DADA: Comedy Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic CULTURE ROOM: Periphery, The Contortionist, Norma Jean CHURCHILLS PUB: Cellular Chaos

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19

RESPECTABLE STREET: Ether, Seven Serpents, Sounds of the Rodeo, Iron Buddha GRAMPS: Froth, Plastic Pinks, Fat Sun, Seafoam Walls, Similar Prisoners DADA: Chasing Lizards KILL YOUR IDOL: People Watch PROPAGANDA: DugRocks Wednesdays

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

RESPECTABLE STREET: FROTH, Dead and Loving

It, The Water Colors, Wake Up, The Dewars

DADA: Matthew Joy

FILLMORE MIAMI BEACH: Big Sean: I Decided Tour PROPAGANDA: 420 ReggaeFest Kick Off, Franscene TERRA FERMATTA: Roots Shakedown, Smoking Section O’MALLEY’S: Garden, Fat Tony, Odd Sweetheart, Hey Fellows KELSEY THEATER: Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow Revue CWS: Reggae Force ARTS GARAGE: Antony Payne CHURCHILLS PUB: 420 Fest with Layzie Bone & Lil Eazy-E

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

BRYANT PARK: Lake Worth Reggaefest ft. Maxi Priest, The Original Wailers

DEERFIELD BEACH: Surfers for Autism w. Black Out Band, Hello Elevator, Copper Tones, tba DADA: The State Of

RESPECTABLE STREET: Sirens Yell, Killmama, Sada, Lori Garrote, Ella Herrera, Papaya Whip, Hello Elevator, Black & Creme, Lavola PROPAGANDA: Reggae Fest After Party, Taco & Mofos, DJ HiGrade CWS: Mike Mineo Band BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Rogue Theory CHURCHILLS PUB: 420 Headbanger’s Bowl Music Festival REVOLUTION LIVE: Alter Bridge

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

FROST ART MUSEUM FIU: Aesthetics & Values, Live Music by Mo’Booty BRYANT PARK: Lake Worth Reggaefest ft. Long Beach Dub All Stars, Passafire, The Supervillains, Tenelle, Moska Project, Karlos Marz Band

DEERFIELD BEACH: Surfers for Autism w. Holidazed, Uproot Hootenany, Fireside Prophets, ARTIKaL DADA: SloFunkPump PROPAGANDA: Reggae Fest After Party, Roots Shakedown, Non-Stop To Cairo, LFTD LVLS, DJ HiGrade KILL YOUR IDOL: The Wire Hip Hop Party

RESPECTABLE STREET: Everymen Album Release, Howling Winds, Out of Sorts, Whiskey Walls, Menudo Death Squad, Hillside Spirit Revival, Wax Wings, Sinners & Saints, Puddle Jumper REVOLUTION LIVE: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

CWS: Spred the Dub BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Summer Gill & Deal James KELSEY THEATER: ZOSO – Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience CHURCHILLS PUB: Record Store Day Block Party LINCOLN’S BEARD: Prince Trib: Xotic Yeyo, Anastasia Max, Citadel POORHOUSE: The Copper Tones, The Holstered

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

BRYANT PARK: Lake Worth Reggaefest ft. Collie Buddz, KBONG, The Holdup PROPAGANDA: Reggae Fest After Party, DJ HiGrade DADA: Lil Chief CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr.

TUESDAY, APRIL 25

DADA: Comedy Open Mic KILL YOUR IDOL: Open Mic CHURCHILLS PUB: All Folk’d Up

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

RESPECTABLE STREET: Comedy Night GRAMPS: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah DADA: The Quax KILL YOUR IDOL: Viceroi

THURSDAY, APRIL 27

PROPAGANDA: The Kinected DADA: Octo Gato

RESPECTABLE STREET: Ghost Cat, Bearhead PIPERS: Sada CULTURE ROOM: Desiigner, Rob Stone, Ski Mask, The Slump God CWS: ARTIkAL Soundsystem

FRIDAY, APRIL 28

FILLMORE MIAMI BEACH: Umphrey’s McGee RESPECTABLE STREET: Dharmata, Falseta, Raised By Wolves

DADA: Steve Pomeranz Band KILL YOUR IDOL: Shameless Burlesque PROPAGANDA: Sinners & Saints, ECHO O’MALLEY’S: Upon A Burning Body, Within The Ruins, Kublai Khan CULTURE ROOM: Book of Love, Astari Nite SONS & DAUGHTERS WINERY: The Copper Tones CWS: Wilkes Oswald, Victoria Cardona CHURCHILLS PUB: Judge

SATURDAY, APRIL 29

RESPECTABLE STREET: Surfer Blood, Boytoy,

Chaucer, The Hey Fellows

PROPAGANDA: Incited, Old Habits KELSEY THEATER: Boxelder, Moska Project O’MALLEY’S: Afterlife, Adaliah, Stepdad, Deviant, Imaginer, Fame On Fire CULTURE ROOM: Fuel GUANABANAS: Roots Shakedown CWS: Juke Joint Swingers, Marcus Amaya

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

DADA: Lil Chief O’MALLEY’S: Volumes, Sounds of the Rodeo, Locusts & Liars CWS: Joey Tenuto Jr.

Lake Worth Reggaefest 21st Century Artists Inc Courtesy

19th annual Lake Worth Reggae Fest British pop-reggae crooner Maxi Priest has always brought the heaviest Rastaman vibrations to his ‘80s and ‘90s hits, braiding swirls of reggae rock, R&B and hip-hop into crossover success. Not that he’s any kind of pretender: jams such as “Sure Fire Love” capture his feel-good rhythms, while another ‘90s gem, “Just a Little Bit Higher,” is a bouncy, spiritual proclamation of his Rastafarian faith.

It is Priest’s career of crafting a righteous hybrid of sounds that should dovetail perfectly with the spiritual tone set by this year’s Lake Worth Reggae Fest, which has long built a reputation on colliding dancehall riddims and Afro-Caribbean grooves for all reggae fans.

Priest will lead the bill of 11 reggae acts holding court April 21-23, as always, at the foot of the Lake Avenue Bridge in Bryant Park. Priest (also responsible for ‘Wild World,” “Close to You”) will co-headline Friday’s lineup alongside the Original Wailers, the five-piece troubadours cofounded by guitarist Al Anderson, who toured with Bob Marley and the surviving Wailers in the 1970s and 1980s.

MAXI PRIEST

If those reggae bona fides aren’t enough, Saturday’s lineup at Reggae Fest, a get-down celebrating Caribbean food, music and island pride, will boast music no less diverse. California’s punky ska-rock crew the Long Beach Dub All Stars, led by ex-Sublime affiliates Jack Maness and Marshall “Ras MG” Goodman (fun fact: he’s a city councilman in La Palma, Calif.), top the afternoon’s bill alongside Savannah, Ga. reggae-rockers Passafire, Orlando’s kazoo-toting ska songstress Michelle Beebs and Her Money Makers and rising Los Angeles singer Tenelle. Rounding it out are local stalwarts Moska Project, a Jupiter Latin reggae sextet, and Karlos Marz Band, a soulful Palm Beach act that covers classic reggae. Sunday, meanwhile, belongs to headliner Collie Buddz, the dancehall-reggae crooner recently heard catching a buzz with his single “Wake and Bake,” off his compilation album “General Hydroponics Vol. 2.”

Also performing are San Jose, Calif. hip-hop-reggae trio the Holdup and KBong, the mellow reggae-dub solo project of Kevin Bong of Stick Figure.

Lake Worth Reggae Fest will run 7-10 pm Friday, April 21, noon-10 pm Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23, at Bryant Park, 30 S. Golfview Road, in Lake Worth.

Tickets are $15 daily, $65 for VIP via Eventbrite.com. ~ Phillip Valys

Brian Mahar

Aesthetics and Values @ Frost What started in 2006 as an exhibition in the Florida International University Wolfsonian Library has grown into a grand showcase of acclaimed Miami artists that has set a record for attendance at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Art. Beginning April 22 and over the next two months, the Aesthetics and Values exhibition, curated solely by 40 students in the Honors College at FIU, will showcase nine acclaimed Miami artists. There’s one catch: The majority of these students are not art majors.

The brainchild of Honors College MO’BOOTY professor John William Bailly, Aesthetics and Values is a two-semester course in which students from a variety of disciplines curate an art exhibition. They oversee all facets of the exhibition, from securing sponsors and artists to creating a catalog and planning the opening event.

Bailly, who is also a painter who is an artist-in-residence at the Deering Estate in Miami, wanted to get his students to understand contemporary art trends, and this inspired him to start the course. “We’ve been so fortunate from the first year of this seminar until now,” Bailly says. “The artists of Miami have been wonderful in working with students and opening themselves and their studios.”

Biology major Valentina Gamboa got the chance to work with multidisciplinary South Florida photographer Monica McGivern. “As a biology major, I entered this class with a closed-mind of what could be classified as art,” Gamboa said. “Working with Monica and visiting her studio has been delightful and something I never thought I would do, considering that I’m specializing in science.” McGivern will be showcasing her work at the exhibition and regularly documents the art and music culture in South Florida. Her photography has been featured in The Miami Herald, LA Weekly and the Sony World Photography Awards in Cannes. “I am honored to be showing original artwork alongside some of Miami’s most engaging contemporary artists,” McGivern says. “My work speaks to the viewer as it relates to their experience of lack versus need, and their identity in the role of modern societal hierarchy.” In addition to the exhibition of her original visual art, she will also play a set with her psychedelic surf-noir band, Mo’Booty, in which she plays bass guitar.

In the end, Bailly just wants art to become part of his students’ lives. “I want my students to see art not just as an object, but as an active part of the community,” he says.

Opening night for 2017 Aesthetics and Values Exhibition will take place Saturday, April 22 from 4pm-7pm at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University, 10975 SW 17th St. ~ Olivia Feldman

Hotbox Art Talks Knight Six empty row houses on Douglass Avenue in West Palm Beach that could have been bulldozed in an afternoon instead represent one of the big ideas in community improvement — that the arts are critical to turning around neglected neighborhoods. Today, the brightly repainted shotgun shacks in West Palm’s Northwest Historic District fly under the name Hotbox Art and are slated become functional studios for serious local artists — a repurposing aided by a $40,000 grant from the Miami-based Knight Foundation.

On April 6, Hotbox Arts board chairman and South Florida visual artist George Gadson will join Knight officials at Respectable Street in downtown West Palm to talk about how he won that matching money. The discussion takes place at West Palm’s very first Knightsponsored Community Conversation for artists and cultural organizations interested in getting similar grants from the annual Knight Arts Challenge. “Art is a means and a way that a community can be transformed,” Gadson told PureHoney in an interview. “I try to be a part of that catalyst and bring about that transformation.”

HOTBOX ART

Gadson is quick to credit the man who hired him, homebuilder Don D. Patterson, with the vision behind Hotbox Arts and for making a winning pitch to the Knight Foundation. But Gadson’s own unique background surely qualifies him to talk about the intersection of arts and economics. He spent a career in banking and then pivoted to fine arts, training himself as a sculptor, painter and photographer. He has commissioned works on public display in regional parks, libraries, community plazas and college campuses. “I’m not your typical artist,” says Gadson. “I understand the dynamics of economic development and community revitalization.”

That expertise is available on April 6 to anyone considering the Knight Arts Challenge, which in 2016 alone disbursed $2.8 million in matching grants to 44 different South Florida arts initiatives, Hotbox Arts included, in amounts ranging from $12,500 to $150,000. Submissions are accepted through April 28 and winners are announced in November.

The Knight Arts Challenge Community Conversation, sponsored by PureHoney, runs 6:30pm to 8pm on April 6 at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach.

Lindsey Mills and the Lazy Lovers perform afterwards. Digital Art demo by Jesse Kunerth of DoseCreative.com Visit https://www.knightfoundation.org. ~ Sean Piccoli

Chad Smith Photography

Umphrey’s McGee Known for melding covers together to make genrebending songs, in addition to playing two full sets at each show, unconventional jam band Umphrey’s McGee will keep the melodies flowing at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater on April 28.

Since their formation at the University of Notre Dame in 1997, Umphrey’s has achieved festival rock royalty and broken a couple of rules. They’ve miraculously kept UMPHREY’S MCGEE mainly the same lineup as well.

The six-man band has a dedicated legion of fans, dubbed “Umphreaks,” who in September 2016 flooded the “Saturday Night Live” Facebook page with comments urging Lorne Michaels to book the band on the comedy show. They’ve been recording under their independent label, Nothing Too Fancy (N2F) Music, since 2014, and they have a hefty tour ahead of them, including 24 tour dates this year and their first triple-header at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO). Their 2016 release, Zonkey, is their first collection of mashups, which have been performed many times live but have only just been recorded in the studio. They’ve managed to combine songs by Radiohead, Gorillaz, The Weeknd and, yes, even Phil Collins.

The band’s progressive rock, funk, metal and jazz influences set them apart from more traditional jam bands such as Phish and the Grateful Dead. Their psychedelic light shows and instrumental improvisation leave audiences bobbing heads and longing for more once they’ve walked off the stage. Fans in Miami will be able to see that each of the musicians flow well with each other: Guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger produce some mean licks while keyboardist Joel Cummins provides excellent piano accents.

In a May 2016 interview with Pop Matters, Cummins said that when it comes to band’s improvisational style, “listening is just so important, whether I’m leading or following, a lot of times we’re creating sections live… It’s just a constant process of challenging each other to come up with new ideas and also being able to listen and react to what’s happening.”

In a century when electronic influences are gracing many genres of music from pop to jazz, UM has managed to stick to good old musical prowess and keep their fans hungry for more slick guitar riffs. It’s about time some jam hit Miami Beach again.

Umphrey’s McGee will perform with special guest Big Something at 8pm Friday, April 28 at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. $27.50. umphreys.com. ~ Olivia Feldman