********************************************************************** Swing News, Tuesday 8/10/99, Issue #41, (Next Issue, 8/24/99) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A warning to all readers: A rockabilly invasion is coming to Tampa Bay the next two weekends. Be on the lookout for the Blue Moon Boys, Cigar Store Indians, Belmont Playboys, and several others. There's still traditional swing to be had, if you know where to look (and the Swing News is the place to look), but the invasion starts Friday the 13th at Ybor Square's Rockabilly Rumble. If you're feeling lucky, check out the different flavors of rockabilly -- mild, medium, and psycho. Enjoy them all. Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UPCOMING TWO WEEKS This Fri (Aug 13), the Rockabilly Rumble hits Ybor Square. Six bands: * Blue Moon Boys: Indiana quartet & national touring artists; played Skipper's & Sugar Palm earlier this year. See www.bluemoonboys.com * Belmont Playboys: Hard-driving NY band; nationally known; played WMNF's Tropical Heatwave. See members.tripod.com/~belmontplayboys * Vipers: 3 Rocket-88 band members (bass, drummer & old lead singer) * Skirt Lifters: Orlando rockabilly trio; played Fortunate One * Skinny MacGee & His Mayhem Makers: Orlando; played Fortunate One * Thrusters: Local surf-rock band. Played WMNF's Tropical Heatwave. Details: * Doors open at 7pm; Show runs 8pm - late * Admission $8 * Ages 18 and up * DJ's Vincent Vega & Skinny of The Mayhem Makers spin between sets * Held outdoors in Ybor Square * E-mail Vince (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) for more info Also this Friday (Aug 13), the Gulfport Casino hosts the second of its No Frills Friday swing dances. It runs 7pm-1am, with free lesson from 7-8 and dancing from 8-1 to the selections of DJ Jumpin' James Norman. Admission is $7. It's all ages, smoke free, and features the Casino's huge dance floor. The Casino's located at 5500 Shore Blvd in Gulfport. Phone 727-893-1070 for more info or directions. This Saturday (Aug 14), the Blue Moon Boys open the new Saturday "Swing-a-billy Bop" night, downstairs at the Blues Ship, 1910 E 7th Ave in Ybor City. Details: * The Blue Moon Boys take the stage 9:00pm-12:30am * Free beginning dance lessons 8-9pm with Angel & Jim * DJ Paul Mallett spins the breaks * Ages 18 and up * Admission $7 * Smoking allowed * Soul Food Menu Available * Phone 813-248-6097 for more info Also this Saturday (Aug 14), the Belmont Playboys play Yeoman's Road Pub, 236 E Davis Island Blvd, Davis Island. This all-ages show starts at 9:15pm and has a $5 cover. The Pub will move some tables to allow for dancing. Smoking's permitted. Phone 813-251-2748 for more details. This Saturday (Aug 14) in Pinellas, the 2nd-Saturday-of-the-Month swing dances continue at the Garden Crest Presbyterian Church, 5901 9th Ave N in St Pete, 7-10+pm. Admission is $3/person or $5/couple. James & Arleene teach 7-8pm and Jumpin' James DJs the rest. It's all ages, no smoking or alcohol, and refreshments are included. Phone 727-381-7498 for more info. The next two dances in this series are Sep 11 and Oct 9. Next Friday (Aug 20), Dan Electro & the Silvertones play Wilson's Dancesport Center in Sarasota. Lori Whittle writes: "Hi. I would like to specially note an upcoming event -- in Sarasota, of all remote places. It's 8-11pm at 2272 Main St (off Lime Ave, east of US 301). It's a non-smoking place and has a wooden dance floor that I hear is big. If some of the Tampa folks would come on down, it could be a really fun time. Wilson's would be thrilled to have y'all and, Dan assures me, would treat us all very well. Admission is $10 or $12 -- it may be $10 in advance and $12 at the door but I'm not sure. Their number is 941-955-8558." Next Saturday (Aug 21), the Cigar Store Indians, rockabilly dance band from Georgia, return to Tampa Bay, this time to Club More in downtown Clearwater. (Last visit, they played Sugar Palm & Skipper's.) Check out www.cigarstoreindians.com for info on the band, including their style of music, their recent CD, and their impressive credentials. Warmup act will be locals, the Leonard Croon Band. Admission is $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Smoking is allowed. For those who haven't been lately, Club More has renovated and expanded their dance floor. It's at 703 Franklin St in downtown Clearwater, a few blocks south of Cleveland St. "Most shows start at 9pm." Ages 18+. Phone 727-466-6673. Next Sunday (Aug 22), Harry Connick Jr & his big band give an 8pm show at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (813-229-7827). It's sold out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Aug 27: Bombed Out Cat at Gulfport Casino's Swing Dance & Lifestyle Expo; 727-893-1070 Sat Aug 28: Bus Trip to Atlantic Dance in Orlando to see Bim Bam Baby; Phone 813-936-0933 or e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Tue Aug 31: Vipers at Skipper's Smokehouse; 813-971-0666 Fri Sep 3: Atlanta Swing Dance Weekend; Sep 3-5; 3 nights of dancing; 2 days of classes; 1-877-SWINGDA; www.everybodydances.com Fri Sep 3: Swingin' Mooks at Skipper's Smokehouse; 813-971-0666 Fri Sep 17: Dan Electro & the Silvertones and two other bands at WMNF Birthday Bash at Coliseum; 727-892-5202 Fri Sep 24: Swing Dance & Expo at Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Sat Sep 25: Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Skipper's; 813-971-0666 Sun Sep 26: Jive Aces & Guests TBA at Coachman Park in Clearwater Wed Sep 29: Jive Aces at Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Oct 8: Swingerhead at Coliseum; 727-892-5202 Fri Oct 15: Swing Dance & Expo at Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Sat Oct 16: Bellevue Cadillac at Clearwater Jazz Holiday; 727-461-5200 Sat Oct 16: Lindy Hop Night at Pinellas Park Auditorium; 727-799-7096 Fri Oct 29: Swingin' Mooks at Skipper's Freaker's Ball; 813-971-0666 Fri Nov 5: Frankie Manning Workshop & Dance at Casino; 727-893-1070 Sat Nov 6: Southeast Savoy Swing Dance Competition in Sarasota, featuring Frankie Manning & the Visual Impact swing band; 941-954-8696 or XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Fri Dec 3: Swing at Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Planning on going to Atlanta's Labor Day swing weekend? Want to share transportation and lodging? E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and mention Atlanta. I'll put you on a temporary "Atlanta" e-mail list so that you can directly e-mail to and receive e-mail from everyone else on this "Atlanta" list. You'll be able to arrange your own transportation & lodging with other interested parties. To avoid doing too much work, I will only honor addition, not deletion requests. After Labor Day, the entire list will be deleted. The Jive Aces from the UK are embarking on a new US tour, playing such famous venues as The Derby in Hollywood CA, the Hollywood Palladium, The Supper Club in NYC, and the Gulfport Casino (Wednesday swing night on 9/29). In addition, they'll be giving an outdoor concert at Coachman Park in Clearwater as part of 9/26's Swingfest. Visit www.jiveaces.com for more info on the band. "Dear swingers, hepsters, dancers and music lovers alike, This is the Jive Aces writing and we just wanted to let you know about our upcoming US tour starting mid August '99. We had such a good time on our last trip earlier this year that we wanted to do another one before the millennium..." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING VIDEO AVAILABLE Rachel Perry writes: The official "Tampa Bay Swing Cam" is currently in action. I've captured our hot swing scene and the footage is great. The Swing Cam will be with me at all the upcoming events, so if you'd like to see yourself in the footage, just grab me and let me know. Copies of the first tape will be made for anyone who wants one. If you'd like a copy, just bring a good quality blank tape in exchange. A donation to the Suncoast Swing Gang would also be appreciated. In the future, I'll be working on purchasing blank tapes in bulk so they'll be cheaper. The current video includes: * Scenes from the Suncoast Swing Gang's first event on June 25th at the Casino, including Christian Perry's Hollywood-Lindy with Angel * Sunday, July 25th at Atlantic Dance * Wednesday, July 28th at Gulfport Casino * Thursday, July 29th at Atlantic Dance * Saturday, July 31st at The Fortunate One If you'd like more information regarding tapes, e-mail me at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . --Rachel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEKLY SWING NIGHTS 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: Blues Ship in Ybor City; 813-248-6097; Smoking Abdel writes: Fortunate One will be open this Saturday. Yes, Bombed Out Cat is scheduled to play there. The deal is anyone coming from the Blues Ship will only have to pay $1 for admission to Fortunate One. Around 1:30am the cover drops completely. Our first Friday should be the 20th. Thanks a lot! James Norman writes: Howdy, Swingsters! Another Tuesday swing night is going on the endangered list! We have been getting a few (15-30) stragglers (mostly MEN) for our Tuesday night swing dance at Dancelover's Ballroom in Clearwater. Come try it out -- it's an early evening, brought to you by the same folks who sponsor the Wednesday dance at the Gulfport Casino. We understand the Tuesdays are rough (we used to sponsor that dance at the Tamiami Bar), but please come give it a try. Our goal is only 160 admissions for the month of August -- nothing compared to 1000 at the Gulfport Casino. If you can show up even one Tuesday this month, you will be helping to save a high-quality dance venue for months to come. Here's the scoop: * Dance Lover's Ballroom, Belaire Place Shopping Center, 1704 Clearwater-Largo Road (at Ponce de Leon), Clearwater, 727-582-9499 * $4 Includes Lesson * All Ages * Smoke Free! * Very Large Floating-Wood Dance Floor * 7:30pm East Coast Swing Lesson with Arleene from Right Step * 8:00pm-10:30pm Public Dance with DJ Jumpin' James * Ample, Free, Safe Parking * BYOB The Tuesday night Swing Jam at the Sand Bar in Tierra Verde has finished its current run and will resume the first week in October. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USF SWING CLUB Dan Parshall writes: Attention All USF Swingers, If you would like to be involved with USF's on-campus swing organization, the USF Swing Club, e-mail "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" and we will add you to our e-mail list. Current plans for the upcoming semester include monthly dances on campus, as well as a carpool to help get everyone to local events. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- YBOR SAFETY Sean writes: This is just a note to everyone frequenting swing nights in Ybor: Be careful. I got jumped by three guys on the way back to my car. Luckily, Corinne and Natalie were there with their car and we were able to get away after only a few beats. So remember, everyone -- travel in groups; have at least two males with you to be a little safer. Laytre, Sean, the canuck. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL BANDS IN AUGUST Bombed Out Cat: Tuesdays: Cadillac Jacks, Treasure Island, 9:30-1:30 Wednesdays: Ringside Cafe, St Pete, 9:30-1:30 Thursdays: Rare Olive, Ybor City, 9:30-1:30 Fridays: 20: South Beach Grille, St Pete Beach, 8:30-12:30 27: Gulfport Casino, Gulfport, 8:30-12:30 Saturdays: 14: Fortunate One, Ybor City, 10:00-2:00 21: Saddlebrook Resort, 6:30-11:30 28: Don CeSar Hotel "Hey Everybody, Bombed Out Cat is back from Vegas, and man what a great time we had! We ended up playing in the 'Catch A Rising Star' Theatre at The MGM Grand (2pm matinee shows) and had 300-400 people every day. We saw a lot of great shows; made a lot of friends & met some great people (including Jermaine Jackson); and even ran into the inimitable 'Swingerhead' who was playing at The Golden Nugget. Well, we've got a great month ahead and look forward to seeing everybody and boring you with our Las Vegas stories. Also this month, you can look forward to some more of our take on some classic stuff as well as the first 'Bombed Out Cat' stuff trickling out. Be sure to check the Hotline at 813-960-1426 for any updates. See ya soon, Billy." Swingin' Mooks: Wed 11 Club More, 10:00pm Thu 12 Storman's Palace, 9:30pm Fri 13 Neptune Lounge, 10:30pm Sat 14 Gators, 5:00pm Fri 20 Club More, 10:00pm Sat 21 Gators, 5:00pm Wed 25 Club More, 10:00pm Thu 26 Storman's Palace, 9:30pm Sat 28 Gators, 5:00pm Sat 28 Planet 9 Ball, 11:30pm Dan Electro & the Silvertones: Fri 13: Beach Club, Siesta Key, Sarasota, 9:30pm-2:00am, 941-349-6311 Sat 14: Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 3:15-4:30pm, 941-480-9600 Sat 14: Beach Club, Siesta Key, Sarasota, 9:30pm-2:00am, 941-349-6311 Fri 20: Wilson's Dancesport Center, Sarasota, 8-11pm, 941-955-8558 Fri 27: Five O'Clock Club, Sarasota, 9:30pm-1:30am, 941-366-5555 Sat 28: Main St Bank & Blues, Daytona Beach, 904-257-9272 Sun 29: Pleasure Island Jazz Co, Downtown Disney, 407-934-7829 Mon 30: Pleasure Island Jazz Co, Downtown Disney, 407-934-7829 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEW: BOMBED OUT CAT James Norman writes: Thursday, July 29th marked the triumphant return of Bombed Out Cat to the Tampa Bay swing scene. The band had been in Vegas as part of a gangster-swing musical review. The Rare Olive, Bombed Out Cat's unofficial home base, was the site of a rollicking welcome-home party that included hors d'oeuvres, free (non-alcoholic?) champagne, the Bacardi Girls, three-dozen swingers that I know, and at least that many again that I don't. Bombed Out Cat's Vegas engagement did wonders for their act. They have a new polish, and a higher level of showmanship that would have taken years to achieve here in the entertainment backwater of Tampa Bay. The band is tighter, their sound is bigger, and their tempo is becoming ever more "Lindy friendly." If you haven't seen Bombed Out Cat recently, go see them -- you won't be disappointed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWING NEWS DISPLAY Many thanks go to volunteer Barb Bayliss for designing & constructing the Suncoast Swing Gang display, which debuted July 30th at the Gulfport Casino. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWING TRIVIA: KING OF SWING J Wells writes: I am trying to find an answer to this trivia question. Could you please help? Who was the "King of Swing" in the 1930's? Thank you, J Wells. E-mail any answers to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 . **********************************************************************