********************************************************************** Swing News, Wednesday 6/23/99, Issue #38, (Next Issue, 7/13/99) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi everyone, This newsletter covers the next three weeks in local swing. The main event is this Friday's (June 25th) Swing Dance and Lifestyle Expo at the Gulfport Casino. It's sponsored by us, the Suncoast Swing Gang, as a benefit for Swing News and for Tampa Bay swing in general. Proceeds will go toward sponsoring future live-music events and toward keeping the Swing News newsletter and website going. For anyone who hasn't yet been to the Casino, it's a huge, beautiful, and historic ballroom on the waterfront. (Despite the name, "Casino", it's a ballroom, not a gambling casino.) Some say it's the finest ballroom in all of Florida. It definitely has great ambiance, lots of quality dance floor, and it's quickly becoming the preferred locale -- and one of the most happening places -- for local swing. This promises to be a great event, with hours of exciting swing music and dance, lots of swing items (like CDs, vintage wear, and dance shoes) for sale, plus door prizes and a raffle! Most importantly, all your favorite swing people will be there. So if you only make one event over the next three weeks, make it this one. And please help spread the word, especially to those without e-mail. I'll see you there! Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UPCOMING THREE WEEKS This Friday (Jun 25), 7pm-1am, at the Gulfport Casino, you're invited to the Swing Dance & Lifestyle Expo, an event that promises to be the biggest, best, and most exciting yet in this series. This all-ages dance & expo features: * Five Hours of Nonstop Dancing 8pm - 1am DJ Paul Mallett Spins the Tunes * Free Beginner's Swing Dance Lesson 7-8pm Angel & Jim instruct * Swing Lifestyle Expo & Sale throughout the night! -- Swing CDs from DaddyKool.com -- Vintage Wear & Accessories from Squaresville & Painted Lady -- Dance Shoes -- Tickets to the next Sugar Palm production -- Lindy Hop workshops & Dance Lessons from Arthur Murray -- Food from Subway -- And more to come! * Fabulous Door Prizes -- to be awarded, on the spot, to the 50th, 100th, 150th, and 200th person to enter! * Full Bar Available * Smoke-Free Atmosphere * Admission $6 * Swing Raffle & Silent Auction. Many valuable items! -- Lindy Hop Seminar by Christian Perry, star of the GAP swing commercial. A ticket to all six sessions! Donated by Arthur Murray of St Pete. -- Two pairs of tickets to the next Sugar Palm production, July 30th at the Gulfport Casino with Dan Electro. -- Two series of three private lessons for 1-2 people by Forrest Lee Outman of Arthur Murray -- Lindy Hop, East or West Coast, Ballroom, ... Whatever! Choose the topics you want to cover. -- Several pairs of tickets to upcoming swing concerts at Skipper's Smokehouse. -- Intensive Lindy Hop & East-Coast Swing Workshops by Right Step Dance Studio. -- CDs and Video, donated by Sensuous Sound Systems and Sam's Summer Swing Series. -- Summer Swing Dance Workshops -- Choose any four! Donated by Sam's Summer Swing Series. -- Deluxe Coffee Mugs & Baseball Caps. Donated by WFLA-TV 8. -- More to come! Most items will be randomly awarded to raffle- ticket purchasers; a few will be awarded to the highest bidder at a silent-auction table. * For more info, e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX or phone 727-893-1070. It's not too late to become a vendor or donate an item. E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX or contact Liz at 727-821-2963 to do so. All vendors & donors will be recognized at the event and in the next issue of Swing News. * Address & Directions: 5500 Shore Blvd, Gulfport. If you're coming from the north, take I-275 south to St Pete's 22nd Ave S exit. (From the south, take I-275 north to the 26th Ave S exit and find your way to 22nd Ave S.) Head west. Turn left onto Beach Blvd. (55th St will be on the right.) Head south until the street ends at the Gulfport Casino, located directly on the water. Many thanks to our all-volunteer cast and our vendors for making this event happen, and to all businesses above for their generous donations to our raffle! This Saturday (Jun 26), local swing band Bombed Out Cat takes the stage at Skipper's Smokehouse. If you haven't heard the band lately, they've evolved from their earlier days, adding new tunes and making their tempos friendlier to dancers. Check 'em out if you can: * 8pm show * $5 cover * Ages 18+ (under 18 admitted if accompanied by a parent) * Outdoor concert area (aka The Skipperdome) features giant oak trees, covered tiki deck, benches, and picnic tables. Food from Skipper's restaurant (Florida/Carribean/Louisiana menu) can be brought in, as can drinks from the bar. * The main dance floor is a piece of plywood over sand next to the stage. Other dance areas are available on the wooden decks. * Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa * Phone 813-971-0666 or http://mbus.com/clubs/Skippers.Smokehouse This Sunday (Jun 27), the Swingin' Mooks give a free concert at Pier 60 Pavilion on Clearwater Beach. Many words have been used to describe the Mooks -- "high energy", "playful", "irreverent", and others that can't even be printed. Say what you will, but last year when the band played Pier 60, they packed the place and delivered a powerful, fun, and also very danceable concert. Details: * Outdoor, sunset concert on the beach * 5-8pm * Huge pavilion with wooden floor & chairs; the dance space should be next to the stage * Directions: Take 60 West until it ends at Pier 60. (You might have to cross a bridge or two.) Park somewhere. Walk to the pavilion. Next Saturday (Jul 3), the Swingin' Mooks play Skipper's Smokehouse. Details are the same as the prior week's Bombed Out Cat concert. Next Sunday (Jul 4), it's Independence Day and swing will be part of the local celebrations. Bombed Out Cat is playing in Straub park; Largo has a show/lesson/dance segment, 7:30-8:30pm, prior to the fireworks in Taylor park; check the local newspapers for more. The following weekend, no special events are on the calendar. So check out some of the regularly scheduled swing nights, listed below. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Jul 30: Dan Electro & the Silvertones at Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Sun Aug 1: Brian Setzer Orchestra at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center 813-229-7827 Sat Oct 16: Bellevue Cadillac at Clearwater Jazz Holiday; 727-461-5200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEKLY SWING NIGHTS Sun: Majestik Dance Club on Clearwater Beach; 727-443-2890; Teen Swing Tue: Dancelovers Ballroom in Clearwater; 727-582-9499; Nonsmoking; All Ages Wed: Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070; Nonsmoking; All Ages Wed: Club More in downtown Clearwater; 727-466-6673; Smoking Thu: Storman's Palace in Clearwater; 727-571-2222; Smoking Thu: The Rare Olive in Ybor City; 813-248-2333; Smoking Fri: Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking Fri: Luna Lounge in Ybor City; 813-248-3460; Smoking Fri: The Rare Olive in Ybor City; 813-248-2333; Smoking Sat: Fortunate One in Ybor City; 813-241-CLUB; Smoking Sat: Majestik Dance Club on Clearwater Beach; 727-443-2890; Smoking There are no changes from the last Swing News. A potential addition, the Platinum Vault club in downtown St Pete, has decided at the last minute not to go through with its previously announced swing night on Sundays. Apparently, the club discovered that swing night would not be the easy-money machine they had thought. But please don't take this news out on Forrest, who was to be instructor & coordinator at the swing night. The decision went against his wishes and was made solely by the club's management. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LINDY HOP SEMINAR Christian Perry, who starred in the GAP's swing commercial and in Brian Setzer videos, will teach a seminar in Lindy Hop this Saturday and Sunday, June 26th & 27th, at the Arthur Murray dance studio, 5098 66th St N in St Pete. He'll be assisted by local Lindy hopper, Kris van Ingen. Three sessions will be taught Saturday and three on Sunday. The schedule for both days, starting at noon, is approximately as follows: Beginner: Noon-1:30pm Intermediate: 1:45-3:15pm Advanced: 3:30-5:00pm Different topics may be covered on different days. The cost is $20 per session or $80 for all six ($100 for all six at the door). Some private lessons are also available. Phone 727-547-6673 to confirm details or to make reservations. Roy Rydbeck writes: Christian Perry is a very good Lindy Hopper from Los Angeles. He does both Savoy and Hollywood style Lindy Hop. I would recommend going to his classes. As someone pointed out to me last week in L.A., "You have nothing else out there in Florida". So, I am planning on attending his advanced sessions. It is always good to learn from as many people as possible, because each instructor will stress something different and then, when you put it all together, you create your own form of dance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GARDEN CREST CONTINUES MONTHLY SWING DANCES The Garden Crest Presbyterian Church (5901 9th Ave N in St Pete) holds its next swing dance on Saturday, July 10th. This event is open to the public and, according to DJ Jumpin' James, is totally secular. It's all ages, nonsmoking, $3/person or $5/couple, and features a 7-8pm lesson by the Right Step Studio with dancing 8-10pm. Call 727-381-7498 for info. Future dates in this series are Aug 4, Sep 11, and Oct 9. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWING JAM Randall Ierna writes: Hey Swingers, Check out the AllStar Swing Show open swing Jam, Tuesday nights 8-12 at the Sandbar in Tierra Verde at the Marina. When you come across the TV bridge, look to your right and the Sandbar is on the water. Bring your Ax and sit in. --Randall Ierna, Producer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IS SWING? James Norman writes: Hi Swing News readers! On Friday, at the last Swing Thing at the Coliseum, someone actually complained to me that Swingerhead was indeed not a swing band. He said that my recommending the band caused him to waste his time and money. It is for him I submit the following article. Keep Dancing! --James Norman, Instructor, Right Step Dance Studio Swing is a rhythm. One can find swing in any one of twenty, or so, styles of music. Very often, as I sit in the DJ booth, people will ask, "Could you play some swing music this evening?" "Help me out," I'll respond to them, "just exactly what are you hoping to hear?" "You know, swing," they reply, thinking that if they say it louder, perhaps I'll understand. "Swing. SWING! You know -- Glenn Miller?" "Oh! You'd like to hear some big band jazz from the 30's?" "Yeah!" they'll respond with relief, "Swing!" In the late 1960's, Time-Life Music published a series of hi-fi recordings called The Swing Era. This has caused a bit of confusion. The good folks at Time-Life started a misconception -- that there is such a thing as "swing music" -- one particular style or genre that stands alone as swing. Millions of WW II vets bought these fine recordings, and came to identify swing with only the handful of artists who Time-Life included in their series. Unfortunately, to those people who come expecting to hear music of only one style, I can safely say, "It's Time-Life's fault." Those who have devoted their lives to classifying music say that swing is a rhythm. This rhythm sounds like a car running with a flat tire: "flip-flop flip-flop flip-flop flip-flop flip-flop", and is audibly discernable in many styles of music. Like our flat tire, the rhythm can run fast or slow, and like cars, can come in many styles, hues and vintages. The swing rhythm can be identified as early as 1900 A.D., and distinguishes the majority of the following styles of music: dixieland, 1930's jazz, jump, jump blues, jump jive, jive, rhythm and blues (not to be confused with R&B), rock and roll (not to be confused with rock), rockabilly, boogie woogie, rebop and many, many other genres and sub classifications. The swing rhythm will rarely, or never be found in these styles: ragtime, rock, motown, beach, waltz (are you kidding?), Latin, jazz (straight, bebop, smooth, etc), r&b -- this list can go on forever. By the way, a swing dance is a dance done to music with a swing rhythm. A few of these are foxtrot, east coast swing and the Lindy hop. The following dances have been called swing, but are done to music without a swing rhythm: west coast swing, the shag, hustle, Latin hustle. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Know any upcoming swing happenings or other news? Send them in to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . The deadline for each issue, which generally comes out on a Tuesday, is the prior Sunday at 5pm. Editors reserve the right to edit submissions or to select based on relevance. Be sure to call and confirm events before going! The Suncoast Swing Gang, publisher of Swing News, is a network of swing dancers and other enthusiasts, committed to promoting events in places with large, smoke-free or open-air dance areas; to encouraging great music & instruction; and to building a united swing community! Send additions/deletions/address-changes to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Check out our companion website at http://www.SwingNews.com . **********************************************************************