********************************************************************** Swing News, Tuesday 7/13/99, Issue #39, (Next Issue, 7/27/99) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi all, Thanks and congratulations to the over 400 people who attended June 25th's Swing Dance & Lifestyle Expo at the Gulfport Casino -- who made this, our first event, a tremendous success! See the reviews and acknowledgments later in this issue for details. This weekend and after are jam-packed with swing action & adventure. Have fun! Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UPCOMING TWO WEEKS This Friday (Jul 16), the Gulfport Casino holds a swing dance. This is a new monthly event, in addition to the Casino's last-Friday-of-the- month Swing Dance & Lifestyle Expo, and its weekly Wednesday Swing Nights. Hosts James & Arleene Norman bill this first event in the new series as "No Frills Friday -- No Band, No Decorations, No Boutique -- It's all about DANCING, Baby!" The dance runs 7pm to 1am, with a beginner's lesson 7-8pm taught by James & Arleene of Right Step Dance Studio. Jumpin' James then DJs from 8-1. Cost is $7. The Gulfport Casino is located at 5500 Shore Blvd in Gulfport. For directions or more info, call 727-893-1070 or e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Also this Friday (Jul 16), the Swingin' Mooks give a free concert at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater, starting 7:30pm. This Saturday (Jul 17), Fortunate One features the Skirt Lifters, a live rockabilly/swing trio from Orlando. The band has previously appeared at Rat Pack's in Orlando, and plays a mixture of originals and covers. The folks around here who've heard them give the band excellent reviews and say it's well worth the $6 admission. Paul Mallett will DJ when the band's not playing, and will also teach a free swing dance lesson 9-10pm. Doors open at 9pm and close at 3am. The club has a medium-size wooden dance floor and allows smoking, but a combination of fans, open door, and the fact that most attendees don't smoke, keep the dancing air relatively clean. Fortunate One is located at the corner of 8th Ave & Republica de Cuba in Ybor City, on the same block (just south) of the Cuban Club. (Republica de Cuba is 1 or 2 blocks west of 15th St.) Phone 813-241-CLUB. Next Sunday (Jul 25), The Razorbacks, a rockabilly trio with stand-up bass, play Skipper's Smokehouse. According to Skipper's, the band hails from up east, has played around the world for 10 years, and has even recorded three CDs. Their shows include "originals, obscure and classic songs", and even some Brian Setzer stuff. Lynn Borisenko informs us that the dance floor at Skipper's, formerly a piece of plywood over sand next to the stage, has recently been upgraded: "It's still Skipper's style, but definitely improved." Of course, the wooden decks throughout the Skipperdome -- Skipper's outdoor concert area -- can also be used for dancing. The show's at 5pm, costs $5, and is open to ages 18 & up (under 18 admitted if accompanied by parent). Skipper's is located at the corner of Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa. Phone 813-971-0666 or http://mbus.com/clubs/Skippers.Smokehouse for more info. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Jul 30: Dan Electro & the Silvertones at Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Sun Aug 1: Brian Setzer Orchestra & BR5-49 at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center; 813-229-7827 Fri Aug 13: Black Cat Ball, Rockabilly Fest in Ybor Square, featuring: Blue Moon Boys, Belmont Playboys, Skirt Lifters, Vipers, Skinny MacGee & His Mayhem Makers Sun Aug 29: Vipers at Skipper's Smokehouse; 813-971-0666 Fri Oct 8: Swingerhead at Coliseum; 727-892-5202 Sat Oct 16: Bellevue Cadillac at Clearwater Jazz Holiday; 727-461-5200 Sat Nov 6: Southeast Savoy Swing Dance Competition in Sarasota, featuring Frankie Manning & the Visual Impact swing band; 941-954-8696 or XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Swing Band Set 'Em Up Joe, which played the Sugar Palm one weekend, is planning another trip to the Tampa Bay area, Aug 3-5, in conjunction with a four-night gig at Disney's Atlantic Dance. Stay tuned for locations. August is shaping up to be rockabilly month in Tampa Bay. After Friday the 13th's Black Cat Ball, look for some of the bands to play in town on Saturday the 14th. Tentatively, the Blue Moon Boys are scheduled for the Blues Ship in Ybor; the Belmont Playboys, for Yeoman's Pub on Davis Island. Also, look for the Vipers at Club More in Clearwater on Sat, Aug 7th. Pam Callender writes: The "Southeast Savoy" Annual Swing Dance Competition will be held Nov 6 in the Potter Building at Robarts Arena in Sarasota, FL. This contest serves as a stepping stone to the 17th Annual US Open Swing Dance Competition in California this November. Visual Impact, an 8-piece swing band from Sarasota, is one of the featured acts for the local dance competition. The main guest is Mr Frankie Manning, one of the original members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in 1937. Currently, Mr Manning conducts master classes in Lindy Hop nationwide, and attracts hundreds of swing kids at every appearance. There are two categories at the Southeast Savoy. The first is open to dancers everywhere. The four divisions within the Open category are West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, and Shag. Cash Prizes will be awarded to the winners of the Open category. There are also age divisions of under 18, and 18+ for each of the four swing styles. The second category is invitational. In order to qualify for the invitational, a couple must be a monthly winner at Spats Dance Club in Sarasota. Dance contests are held every Friday and Saturday night, and the winning couples from each weekend compete in the monthly contest, which takes place on the second Saturday of each month. Winners from the Spats Invitational in November will compete in the US Open National Swing Dance Championships in California. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEKLY SWING NIGHTS Tue: Swing Jam at Sand Bar in Tierra Verde; 727-867-2688; Open-Air Tue: Dancelovers 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 Fri: Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking Fri: Luna Lounge in Ybor City; 813-248-3460; Smoking Sat: Fortunate One in Ybor City; 813-241-CLUB; Smoking Sat: Majestik Dance Club on Clearwater Beach; 727-443-2890; Smoking Flash Gordon of Club More writes: I know that the only swing shows we have had lately are The Mooks (if anyone wants to put a show together for North Pinellas audiences with any other bands and thinks it will be beneficial to the both of us, please call Dave at 727-466-6673 to try and make it happen), but I'm not sure if the swingers out there know that we recently expanded, making the dance floor much bigger. And if it matters, the lights are pretty dang cool. That's coming from me, who didn't think I would be impressed by our recent expansion. --Flash Gordon You might notice that Rare Olive is no longer listed here. That's because when Bombed Out Cat's on tour, the Olive doesn't necessarily substitute a swing band. Check the Bombed Out Cat Calendar to see when the band's appearing at the Rare Olive. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL BANDS IN JULY [Please call clubs to confirm before going and for any other info.] Dan Electro & the Silvertones: Fri 16: Atlantic Dance on Disney's Boardwalk, 9pm-1am, 407-939-5100 Sat 17: Majestik on Clearwater Beach, 10pm-1am, 727-443-2890 Mon 19: Gator Club in Sarasota (Blues), 10pm-2am, 941-366-5969 Fri-Mon 23-26: Atlantic Dance on Disney's Boardwalk, 9-1, 407-939-5100 Fri 30: Gulfport Casino in Tampa Bay, 8:30-Midnight, 727-893-1070 Sat 31: Five O'Clock Club in Sarasota, 9:30pm-1:30am, 941-366-5555 Swingin' Mooks: Wed 14, 21, 28: Club More; 9:30pm Thu 15, 22, 29: Storman's Palace; 9:30pm Fri 16: Coachman Park; 7:30pm Fri 23: Neptune Lounge; 10:00pm Fri 30: Gasoline Alley; 11:30pm Sat 17, 24, 31: Gators; 10pm, 5pm, & 5pm, respectively Sat 24: Planet 9 Ball; 11:30pm Bombed Out Cat: Billy writes: Hey Cats, Bombed Out Cat is leaving for Vegas. We'll be playing at the MGM Grand July 11-25. The show is called "The Tommy Gunn Saloon". We will be staying at the Embassy Suites on Swenson, across from The Hard Rock Cafe. Come welcome us home when we get back. Tuesday, July 27th, we'll be at Cadillac Jacks on Treasure Island, 9:30pm-1:00am; Thu & Fri 29th & 30th we'll be at The Rare Olive in Ybor; Sat 30th, we'll be at Club Majestik on Clearwater Beach. Be sure to check the Hotline at 813-960-1426 for any updates. Thanks to everybody who showed up at South Beach (you made the owners very happy and it will now be a monthly event) & everyone who braved the July 4th rain in Straub Park; & I thought I just read somewhere that Swing is dead ... It don't mean a thing!!! --Billy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ORLANDO HIGHLIGHTS Thu Jul 29: Royal Crown Revue at House of Blues; 407-934-2222 Fri Jul 30: Royal Crown Revue at Central Florida Fairgrounds; 407-839-3900 (TicketMaster; $22.75) Sat Jul 31: Brian Setzer Orchestra & BR5-49 at House of Blues; 407-934-2222 Sun Aug 1: Swing Day at Atlantic Dance featuring Set 'Em Up Joe; 407-939-2444; http://www.atlanticdance.com Thu Aug 12: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at House of Blues; 407-934-2222 Thanks to Tad Kledzik for much of the above info. Tad writes: "Brian Setzer will be at the House of Blues in Orlando (the West End). This is sure to be a better show than the one at the TBPAC!" Details: 8:30pm, Sat Jul 31, All Ages, $32.50, 407-934-2222. Jeff writes: Hi all, My name is Jeff and I work as one of the swing DJ's at Atlantic Dance at Disney in Orlando. The reason I'm writing is because (as many of you know) the entire swing scene keeps getting bad press. In some way, shape, or form the media has convinced a lot of people that swing was a fad and it has died. I, however, see the numbers keep rising each night I work (and the club is swing seven nights a week). I am calling on every swing kid who believes that swing will never die to join the Orlando locals for Swing Day on Sunday, August 1, 1999 at Atlantic Dance. I have put together a website for the club at www.atlanticdance.com and you can check out the club, read up on Swing Day, or get directions if you're coming from out of town. I am going to invite all the media organizations I can think of, so we will hopefully get some good press for the swing scene for a change. If you need more information on the event, please e-mail me. Thanks again for all your help and I hope to hear from you soon. --DJ Jeff Rob Shrewsbury writes: I'd like to invite everyone to show their support for the swing scene by attending "Swing Day" at Atlantic Dance in Orlando. The Swing Day event invites both local and national media to see for themselves that swing is not only alive, but growing! It is also designed to show the media that swing is now, and always has been a permanent fixture in American culture. I encourage all who are able to attend to come out dressed in their best swing attire! Spread the word! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY Peter Danna writes: Do you have any dancers who would be interested in performing for the St Petersburg Woman's Club on 22nd Ave North? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEWS: JUNE 25TH SWING DANCE & EXPO, CHRISTIAN PERRY, AND MORE Diane Webber writes: If anyone missed Friday night, they really missed out on a good time. The energy in the room was really tangible! The DJ was incredible with his choice of music -- everyone was satisfied with the selection and I danced non-stop for hours before my "dogs started barking." There was a good mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced dancers and no shortage of dance partners. I taught a few, and learned some new steps from others. Thanks to everyone who had a part in putting this together -- can't wait til the next one! Carson Berry writes: The event was excellent. With the variety of tastes in music at the Casino, I think it was important to have a DJ, and Paul did an excellent job, as usual. I missed the lesson, although I heard there was a floor full for Angel and Jimmy. One of my friends who never goes to swing events was in awe of how much involved and how much fun everyone was having. How extraordinary it is, and how pleasant it is to see a huge, well-lit room full of dancers jumpin' and joyful. It was a very good feeling and the Suncoast Swing Gang did a great job of organizing and producing it. Jim Webb writes: To all who worked and all who came, congratulations! All of the reviews that I have heard have been positive. I am very happy about the level of support that the swing community can show when we all pull together. I am very sad that I could not be there, but our show also had to go on. I spent Friday night at "The Fortunate One" in Ybor. The regular Saturday night swing crowd was replaced by more than 400 screaming fans who came to support their favorite bands at the B.O.M.B. (Battle of the Media Bands). The bands who competed were: The Tampa Tribune, St Pete Times, Channel 10, Bay News 9, and WFLA-TV Channel 8. Our WFLA-TV band, "The All News Blues Band", finished 2nd. The event was staged to raise money for the Society of Professional Journalists' Minority Scholarship Fund. On Sunday I was lucky enough to catch part of the Lindy lesson at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio on 66th St N in St Pete. Owners Russle and Lisa Hicks were gracious hosts. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for bringing Christian Perry (from the Gap swing commercial) all the way from California to teach his brand of Lindy. What an inspiration! Keep Swing alive! --Jim Webb Roy Rydbeck writes: For those who missed it, Christian Perry showed up late at the Gulfport Casino last night. Boy, the guy can dance. He has his own style of Lindy Hop. It's sort of a mix between Savoy style and Hollywood style. He also has some of the best Lindy Hop footwork I have ever seen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RECAP & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: JUNE 25TH SWING DANCE & LIFESTYLE EXPO What can I say that hasn't already been said? The evening had many highlights. The place was hopping from beginning to end, the energy in the room was incredible, and the support from the swing community was overwhelming! There were many new and familiar faces. With the music and dance floor beckoning, door and raffle volunteers had to be physically restrained from leaving their posts. (Just kidding -- these folks did a great job of resisting the temptation!) When James & Arleene asked us to host July's Dance & Expo, I had no idea what to expect. It took a lot of preparation, and many people pitched in. Still, many of our biggest swing supporters were going to be away that night -- out of town at Lindy camp, for summer travel, and the like. We were giving away door prizes -- baseball caps -- to every 50th person; after we'd given most caps away during the beginner's lesson, I knew we were in for a good night! A total of 424 people came out for the Dance & Expo and to show their support for Tampa Bay swing, breaking prior records for this event. The doors opened before 7pm, and people started arriving for the free lesson. From what I saw, the lesson went well, with attendees filling the Casino's mighty dance floor. Jim & Angel kept it short and sweet, and everyone was dancing by 7:45pm. Paul Mallett DJed the event, and performed a stellar job, playing a lively mix and a wide variety of swing music. This all-ages event lived up to its billing, drawing folks from school kids to original 1940's swingers, plus everyone in between. Paul kept the music and dancers going until 1am. Those who took a break browsed & shopped the boutique of vintage clothes, accessories, and CDs on the side of the room; or they bid on silent auction prizes and bought raffle tickets; or they wandered over to the bar in back or to the side tables for food, drinks, and conversation. Around 10:30pm, we gave away the door, raffle, and silent auction prizes. Dancing resumed, but the best was yet to come. Two people celebrated their birthdays that night. Paul brought a little girl to the mic, who told us her name was Karen and it was her 7th Birthday! Just a little higher on the candle scale, but not quite as cute, was Tom, who graciously allowed us to do a birthday circle for him. The crowd gathered around Tom and Jean in a circle, while the two started dancing. One by one, other folks cut in and danced with Tom. Lucky for him, it was mostly women who cut in, although Jim tried putting him through an aerial, and Gilbert wasn't to be left out either. When the song ended, there was birthday cake for all. After midnight, a surprise visitor arrived -- Christian Perry, along with an entourage of Arthur Murray people. He'd just flown seven hours from California to pay us a visit. Despite the jetlag and lack of a partner, he gave us a preview of the next day's Lindy seminar. Partnering with Angel, the two gave a very impressive demo of Hollywood-style Lindy, to the tune of Jump, Jive, an' Wail, of course! Many thanks go to our all-star cast of volunteers, who donated their time and expertise to the event. This includes: - Paul Mallett, for DJing. If you're looking for a DJ for your next event -- swing, 80's, whatever -- e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . - Angel & Jim, for teaching the beginner's lesson and helping make the event a great one. Angel & Jim are available to perform and possibly teach at special events; contact Angel at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . - Liz Krebs, a.k.a. Bug, who organized and handled the press releases, despite the fact she was traveling around the continent for much of the time and had to miss the event! Let's all wish Liz the best as she moves to L.A. to take a new job with the L.A. Times. We'll all miss you! - Dan Parshall, for rounding up raffle items, publicizing and helping with the event -- especially for his unique style of selling raffle tickets! - Janet Kasper, for organizing the silent auction, decorating tables, making those great mug-of-candy prizes, and all-around help, plus handling finances as the soon-to-be Suncoast Swing Gang treasurer. And thanks to Sarah, for making the silent auction signs. - Bob Sutter, for videotaping the event, helping at the door and with cleanup, and maintaining the Swing News web site. - Gary, for helping set up, clean up, and work the door. - Liz Kozlowski, a.k.a. Raffle Girl, for carrying around those prizes and organizing the Lifestyle Expo part of the evening. - Teresanne Cossetta, for designing the new Suncoast Swing Gang logo. - Tom and Jean, for bringing birthday cake and letting us have fun dancing with Tom on his birthday. Hope it wasn't too embarrassing! - Jaye, for helping at the door and with cleanup. - Vanessa, for help at the door and with raffling items. - Josh, for help at the door and elsewhere. - Jim Webb, for getting us raffle prizes and helping promote the event, despite the fact that he had to play a gig in Ybor that night. Congratulations to Jim and the All News Blues Band for their 2nd Place finish in the Battle of the Media Bands! - Kim Neel, for photographing the event. - Carson, for the table cloths. - Arnold and Lance, for their help with publicity & coverage. - Laura and Lori, for helping spread the word about the event. - Rachel Perry, for finding a way to get out of work and to the event, and for videotaping part of it. - Christian Perry, for his surprise late-night appearance and demo. Thanks for dancing for us! - Angel, who although she'd never danced with the man, took about five minutes of practice before being Christian Perry's partner for a wild demo of Hollywood-style Lindy. - The following people, for helping at the door: Liz Kozlowski, Rich Katz, Rafe, Janet, Beth, Jaye, Gilbert, Carson, Diane, Bob Sutter, Gary, Josh, & Kimberly. - The following people, for helping with the raffle: Dan Parshall, Alexis, Janet, Melinda & Gary, Bob Sutter, Dennis, Joy, Bob Moseley, Liz Kozlowski, & Robin. - The Gulfport Casino & manager Johnny Green, for their co-sponsorship and help with the event. - James & Arleene Norman, for asking us to sponsor this Dance & Expo, for their constant support of swing in Tampa Bay, for helping promote the event before leaving for Lindy camp in Boston, and for donating the raffle tickets and loaning their headset. - The out of town dancers, who came from as far away as Miami and Tallahassee, for the weekend of swing & contra dance at the Casino. - All Swing News subscribers and Tampa Bay swingers, including people I've never even met, who took and distributed flyers, and helped spread the word about the event. - All who came out to the event, who gave this very strong show of support for Tampa Bay swing, and who made the event the incredibly fun time it was. Thanks also go to those who donated items: - Arthur Murray Dance Studio, 5098 66th St N in St Pete, 727-547-6673, for donating two packages of three, one-hour private lessons with instructor Forrest Lee Outman, and one ticket to all six Lindy hop sessions given by Christian Perry. - Tampa Friends of Old-Time Dance, Tampa Bay's contra-dance group, for donating all the armbands for the event, and helping coordinate the "weekend of dance" for out-of-towners. For info on contra dancing in Tampa Bay, visit http://innet.com/~bdudley/tampadance.html , e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, phone 813-852-9150, or subscribe to The Contra Blurb e-mail newsletter by sending a request to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . - Skipper's Smokehouse (http://mbus.com/clubs/Skippers.Smokehouse , 813-971-0666), for donating two pairs of tickets to see Bombed Out Cat, two pairs to see the Swingin' Mooks, and a coupon to see Gatemouth Brown. - Saturday Swing Night at the Fortunate One in Ybor City, Abdel, and Paul, for donating two packages of one-month passes for two. The Fortunate One features swing every Saturday, 9pm-3am, with DJ Paul Mallett and occasional live bands. A free dance lesson runs 9-10pm. E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX or phone 813-241-CLUB for more info. - Right Step Dance Studio, 2319 9th St N in St Pete (727-821-9420, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX), for donating two gift certificates, each good for an intensive 3-4 hour Lindy hop or East-Coast swing lesson. - Sugar Palm Productions, for donating two pairs of tickets to July 30th's concert & dance at the Gulfport Casino, featuring Dan Electro and the Silvertones. Also, thanks for setting up a great part of the vintage boutique -- it added a lot to the event. - Jim Webb and WFLA-TV Newschannel 8, for donating ballcaps & mugs. - Sensuous Sound Systems, 4216 E Busch Blvd in Tampa, 813-988-7059, for donating the "Swing This, Baby!" CD. Most of their CDs cost $12.99 and if they don't have it, they'll order it for you. - Sam's Summer Swing Series (http://members.aol.com/SwingSum99 , e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX), for donating two packages of four group lessons, plus a swing CD and video. A final thank-you goes to the Expo's vendors: DaddyKool.com (CDs), Arthur Murray of St Pete, Sugar Palm Productions, & Leslie's Vintage. If I left anyone out, let me know (e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) and I'll include it in the next issue. --Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEKLY PLANET MAG Steven writes: My name is Steven, most of you know me from the Sugar Palm, and I'm writing about the recent article in the Weekly Planet. I read this article in the dimly lit Luna Lounge on their Friday swing night with Matt Mikas. The dance floor was empty and Matt came over & asked where the handful of people that were there went. I had no answer, except "Does anyone know about it?" We then talked about the article. I was somewhat disgusted with it. In the article was no mention about Matt, or Belinda, another DJ from the Palm and a good friend of mine. I believe the reason that swing is losing to booty music is that most of Tampa has no class -- I mean, look at all the strip joints and XXX theaters. The other thing that upset me is that over lunch with Belinda she told me that the writer of the article spent 45 minutes on the phone interviewing her. "For what?" was her comment. I also saw in the article a lot of mention about Taylor and Paul. There are other people in the swing scene. What about the other Tampa swing scene regulars -- do they not have an opinion? I think everyone with an opinion on it, including me, should write this guy. [Editors Note: You can e-mail letters to the WP editor to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX , but if you're going to, do it now -- timeliness will greatly affect your odds of being published. The article in question, "Did Booty Kill Swing" by David Jasper, appeared in the July 1-7 issue. Letters must include your name (first & last), phone number, and city.] Sam writes: I was going to let that Weekly Planet (WP) article slip by without mention, until one astute reader brought it to my attention. Apparently, it upset a couple of people. The ugliest thing about the article? -- The WP writer chose to ignore the tremendous success of recent swing events -- July 25th's Dance & Expo at the Casino, the Swingerhead concert at the Coliseum, the Ray Gelatto show. It isn't that he didn't know about these events -- he quoted issues of the Swing News extensively, and even mentioned Taylor's boutique at the 25th Dance & Expo. It's just that he chose to ignore them since they didn't support his pre-drawn "Swing is Dead" conclusion. Instead, the writer focused on a Tuesday night gig at some bar in Ybor City, and pondered, gee, where are all the swing people? Probably at home sleeping, like everyone else. I don't think too many booty dance clubs or karaoke bars for that matter were thriving that Tuesday night. DJ "Jumpin' James" summed it up best at last Wednesday's Gulfport Casino swing night. Addressing the crowd of 200+ at intermission, he loudly admonished everyone for showing up that night: "What's the matter with you all? Haven't you heard that swing is dead?" -- to which the crowd responded with raucous cheers and applause. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRECTIONS A couple of people informed us that Clearwater Beach's Pier 60 Pavilion has been converted to an artificial ice rink, which means no more dance floor for now. Sunset concerts are still being held, but out on the sand. The Swingin' Mooks concert is being rescheduled for later in the year. Thanks to Tom Walbolt for e-mailing this in. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 . **********************************************************************