********************************************************************** Swing News, Tuesday 11/10/98, Issue #23 Send submissions to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Send addition/deletion/address-change requests to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Send all other e-mail to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear gang, This Friday, a new swing band shows up in the Tampa Bay area; check it out below. Sarasota and Orlando are also hopping. Thanks to Vince and Lex for sending in the reviews -- it's a great way for those who don't make it to an event to share in the experience. Welcome to all new subscribers and an apology to those who had to wait. See you all on Friday. Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEKEND The Delegates, a swing band from New York City, make their local debut this Friday and Saturday (Nov 13 & 14) at the Sugar Palm. A swing show-off takes place both nights -- up to five couples can sign up at the DJ booth to dance to their favorite song for the crowd. Details: * Beginners lesson 8-9pm * Doors open at 8pm and close at 2:30am * Ages 18 and up * A moderate dress code is enforced * Large wooden dance floor * Nonsmoking ballroom (with adjacent rooms provided for smokers) * Corner of Palm Ave and 15th St in Ybor City. (Take I-4 to Exit 1, go south about 2 blocks, turn right on Palm Ave, and go to 15th St. The Sugar Palm's on the left.) * Call 813-248-5549 for more info. On Saturday Nov 14, a new batch of Lindy Hop classes will begin at the Sugar Palm, and continue for the next few Saturdays. Roy Rydbeck and Kristine van Ingen will teach. Beginning is 7-8pm; intermediate, 8-9pm. $5 gets you into either or both lessons. Mario Drobney writes: Bayou Dance Club is holding its first SWING DANCE NIGHT on Saturday (Nov 14) 8-11pm. Cover is $8.00 per person, all ages are welcome, and no alcoholic beverages will be served. GREAT MUSIC/ATMOSPHERE! It's at 9101 Belcher Rd in Pinellas Park, opposite the Bayou Club. Call 727-548-6511 for more info. Sunday is all-ages swing night at the Sugar Palm and runs 6-10pm, with swing DJ, swing show-off, and a free lesson 6-7pm. $7 cover. Kids 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND Fri Nov 20: Rocket 88 at Sugar Palm; 813-248-5549 Sat Nov 21: Rocket 88 at Sugar Palm; 813-248-5549 Sun Nov 22: Cherry Poppin' Daddies at Jannus Landing; 727-896-1244 Sun Nov 22: Blue Flame Combo at Sugar Palm; 813-248-5549 Fri Nov 27: Dan Electro & the Silvertones at Sugar Palm; 813-248-5549 Sat Nov 28: Dan Electro & the Silvertones at Sugar Palm; 813-248-5549 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SARASOTA Pam Callender writes: SPATS in Sarasota is attracting a whole new breed of "alligators". (If you read the Swing Network of Florida web article on the evolution of Swing, swing kids were referred to as alligators. I wonder if that's where the term "see you later alligator" came from, hmmmmmm.) SPATS is smoke and alcohol free, so the kids are getting younger and younger, with more and more energy. High school juniors and seniors are coming in, and it's so cool. Anyway! SPATS monthly finals dance-off takes place the second Saturday of every month, with Darren Fernandez returning for more demos and workshops. This Saturday, November 14, Darren will conduct a Lindy workshop from 2-4pm, $35 per couple. (If you don't have a partner, your name will be placed on the waiting list for an even number of applicants.) Then the Swing class at 8pm with Darren for $12 gets you in for the evening pro-show and monthly dance-off; $10 after 9pm. The pro-show this month will demonstrate Jive, Lindy, Argentine Tango, and Romantic Swing Adagio. Nov 11 (Wed): Dan Electro Band Nov 18 (Wed): Dan Electro Band Nov 25 (Wed): Thanksgiving celebration with Mo Town band, The Worx. Lessons in West Coast Swing and Hustle at 8pm, $8 for the evening, $6 after 9pm. Spats is located at the Town and Country Plaza, corner of Fruitville and Beneva Rd, in Sullivan's Courtyard, Sarasota. Call (941) 954-8696. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ORLANDO Dara DeHart writes: I just got a calendar for the House of Blues in Orlando, so here are some dates. Cherry Poppin' Daddies will be there on Friday Nov 20, with ticket prices at $15 apiece. On the 23rd and the 30th, there are Krazy Kats swing nites: on the 23rd it will be Swingtown 8; on the 30th, Rocket 88. Both dates are $5. There are no times, but you can check out the House of Blues web site at www.hob.com, or ticketmaster.com for more info. All dates are all ages. Just thought I would pass on the info. I hope I can get some more dates for Dec. I will keep you updated if I can. If anyone would like to go, maybe we can carpool. I can be e-mailed at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Michelle Gilbert informs us that the Love Dogs will be playing Wed 12/30/98 - Sat 1/2/99 at Pleasure Island Jazz Company, as well as Sun 1/3/99 - Mon 1/4/99 at Atlantic Dance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEW: SWINGFEST '98 IN MELBOURNE Vince Gudzinskas writes: Here's the show as I saw it in Melbourne: Initially I thought (hoped?) that this show was going to be held in an auditorium or theater or something. But as we approached the Space Coast Stadium in Melbourne, it turned out to be a baseball field. The setup was peculiar at best. The stage was set up at second base. A twenty-by-twenty dance floor was set up at first and third base. These dance floors were set up for the "hired" dancers, and the audience was expected to dance on the concourse of the stadium. We arrived in the middle of the first act, the Melbourne Municipal Swing Band. This group of all-volunteer musicians did fairly rote versions of big band classics, but did do them well. We only heard about three or four songs, and since I was still dumbstruck over the way things had been set up, I can't really give an honest opinion on them. After their set, the MC's, a pair of local DJ's, did their bit to entertain and inform while equipment was run on and off the stage. Next up was the Woody Herman Orchestra. After one or two songs, we Tampa kids decided to show our not-give-a-damn attitude and jumped the fence to dance at the first base stage. We found that the Orchestra played a lot of stuff a little too fast to dance at length to, but played rather well. They did the requisite "Woodchoppers Ball", and a way too long "It Don't Mean a Thing". The band sounded excellent, and a lot of the old timers in the audience got a kick out of watching us "youngins" dance to the tunes they used to. The local DJ's hit the stage again. The "hired" dancers did some silly routine to Louis Prima's "Just a Gigolo" (which was poorly edited in length) and "Oh Marie". While most of the dancers ran out and danced on top of the dugouts, we crashed the party and danced out on first base again. Then "Sing Sing Sing" started and they all returned to the stages to do all their big aerials and fancy moves. The next band up was the Lost Continentals from Atlanta. They are a rockabilly-swing outfit with a wonderful lead singer. (She ran from the outfield to the front gate just to bring one of our party some CD's and t-shirts to buy at the end of the night.) This time we really got brazen and the five of us sat in the infield to watch them. The Continentals did some rockabilly, some swing, some western swing, even some lounge with a Dean Martin and a Bobby Darin song. It was cool that it seemed almost like a private show for the five of us, all alone at the foot of the stage. The band told us afterwards they were glad that we were down there to feel some kind of connection. The "hired" help during this break performed a tribute to drug abusers, by dancing to "Minnie the Moocher". Cheesy? Yes. I spent the time chatting with Morty from NMS, who was upset that more people didn't come out, the show being for such a good cause, and such a great deal -- $15 for four great bands -- how can you beat that. So finally, the band I drove across the state to see took to the stage. Some have said that the closest you will probably get to Louis Prima's Vegas act is to see the New Morty Show. All the musicians are top notch. Vise is a howl to watch bother the other players and verbally berate Morty. Kat Starr is a fabulous singer, and a character in her own right. The whole thing gels in a way that puts a huge smile on your face, and gets you dancing. What started out as five people on the infield turned into fifty or sixty as others followed in our footsteps to come down closer to watch the band, and they were in place for a great show. Vise said he had a bit of a flu before the show started, but that was not evident at all when they got under way. New Morty did most of their debut album "Mortyfied", along with their usual bits of Louis Prima and Sid Vicious. (Don't ask; just go see.) The play between Morty, Vise, and Kat is a show in itself, but the rest of the band pulls in their share too. During their cover of Nirvana's teen spirit, the bari-sax man jumped off the stage and ran the bases. We talked with John, NMS keyboard player, and he thanked us for entertaining them as much as they entertained us. He was really happy to see some fans who wanted to see and hear the musicians. Vise and Morty also both thanked us for leading the way down to the stage. From my point of view, I thought the day was going to be bad, but after we stuck our foot in the door and took the field, the day swung up. The Melbourne people were happy to see some representation from Tampa, and half-chidingly commented on our look and style. The local turnout was poor at best, the stadium maybe one-quarter full at its high point. One major problem may have been the fact that Royal Crown Revue was playing Orlando that night also, and many of the O-town kids may have gone to that. We made a good impression on the locals, representing that west-coast Florida style in our own way: shirts untucked, hair greased up, dames looking pretty and full of moxie, and not giving a damn ... -- Swingfest 98, as witnessed by Vince, Tim, Carman, Katie and Jessica ---------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEW: LINDY CLASS AT THE RIGHT STEP STUDIO Lex Thompson writes: Hey, this is a little tardy but oh well. I just wanted to drop in a good word for the Lindy Hop Class taught by the Normans at Right Step Dance Studio in St Pete. It was great. I belong in remedial dance classes, but with their skill and patience even I was able to learn Lindy. Next time they offer the class, I highly recommend everyone go. It was well worth both the time and the money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Submissions are not only welcome, but required to keep this newsletter going. Send them to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . The deadline for each Tuesday issue is Sunday at 2pm. Editors reserve the right to edit submissions or to select based on relevance. Be sure to call and confirm events before going! The SWINGANG is a network of swing dancers and other swingsters, committed to promoting swing events in places with large, smoke-free or open-air dance areas; to encouraging great music & instruction; to building a united swing community; and to publishing this newsletter! 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