********************************************************************** Swing News, Tuesday 10/5/99, Issue #45, (Next Issue, 10/19/99) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear all, The big event these next couple of weeks is this Friday's Swingerhead dance and concert at the Coliseum. This is a rare opportunity to swing at the Coliseum, one of the largest and finest dance halls in all of Florida. The last Coliseum swing event was in June; 800 dancers of all ages made the place jump. The next Coliseum swing event? -- early next year if this one's successful. I had the pleasure of speaking recently with Lauren, who schedules swing events for the Coliseum. The Coliseum is more than willing to work with us on bringing in talent from across the country to play the next and future swing events, provided this event is as successful as the last. So bring your own drinks; bring your own feast if you'd like; and I hope to see you there! Just on the horizon, on Friday October 22nd, we (the Suncoast Swing Gang) are going to be holding our second-ever event, at the Italian Club in Ybor City! It starts at 8pm with a free dance lesson, followed by swing music & dancing the rest of the night. Our first event, held in June at the Casino, was just tremendous amounts of fun and was one of the most successful and best attended swing events of the year. So mark your calendars and read later in this issue for details. The Suncoast Swing Gang is a nonprofit network of local swingsters, run by you and the rest of us. We rely on everyone to help spread the word about events. So please help get the word out. If you'd like some half-sheet flyers to distribute, put out, or post, please pick some up at the Gulfport Casino Wednesday or at the Coliseum Friday; or e-mail the number of flyers you want, plus your postal address to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . The Suncoast Swing Gang, publisher of the Swing News, will be having its quarterly business meeting this Wednesday, October 6th, 7-8pm, during the beginner's lesson at the Gulfport Casino swing night. All who want to get involved in making swing happen in Tampa Bay are invited to attend. Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UPCOMING TWO WEEKS This Friday (Oct 8), the band, Swingerhead, from Orlando plays the Coliseum in St Pete. Hundreds of area swingsters of all ages came to dance at the Coliseum's last "Swing Thing" in June, creating an atmosphere of great energy and excitement. Details: * Swingerhead, an 8-piece outfit, considered by many to be the best swing band/orchestra in Florida. Has won national praise & honors, toured the country, played The Derby in CA, and opened for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Visit http://www.swingerhead.com for more info. * The largest and one of the finest dance floors in the Bay area. The historic Coliseum was built in 1924 but has been extensively renovated since. It features thousands of square feet of fine oak dance floor, plus extensive seating and a balcony. If you haven't yet been to the Coliseum, you just have to see it! * All Ages Welcome * 8pm - Midnight (Doors open at 6:45pm) * Free Beginner's Dance Lesson by James & Arleene, 7-8pm * Nonsmoking * Bring your own food and beverages! Snacks also available * Intermission music by DJ Jumpin' James * $10 in advance or $12 at door. Advance tickets are on sale now. * The Coliseum box office is open 10am-4pm M-F; phone 727-892-5202 * 535 4th Ave N in St Pete; Directions: Take I-275 to the I-375 exit downtown (Exit 10); it's at the bottom of the ramp where I-375 ends Also this Friday (Oct 8), the USF Swing Club will be holding its second dance of the semester, 8:00pm-12:30am. Dan Parshall writes: "The dance will be in the Marshall Center Ballroom, on the second floor. DJ Abdel will spin the tunes for us once again. Non-alcoholic refreshments will be available. We are asking for a $2 donation at the door. In addition to the free swing lesson at the beginning, Gabe will give a Lindy Hop lesson at 7:30pm. By all accounts, the last event was a smashing success, and we expect this one will be too." This Saturday (Oct 9), the Vipers, Orlando rockabilly quartet composed of past and present Rocket 88 band members, play a two-band concert with the Swingin' Mooks at Club More. Admission is $5 and smoking is allowed. Club More features a medium-size floorboard dance floor and a warehouse atmosphere. 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. Also this Saturday (Oct 9), the Garden Crest Presbyterian Church continues its monthly swing night. The dance runs 7-10+ pm, costs $3/person or $5/couple, and includes a 7-8pm beginner's swing dance lesson by James & Arleene. DJ Jumpin' James provides the music. This all-ages event is smoke- and alcohol-free, plus refreshments will be served. Garden Crest is located at 5901 9th Av N in St Pete. Phone 727-381-7498. Next Friday (Oct 15), the Lounge Cat, local 6-piece band, will play an all-swing show at the Gulfport Casino's Swing Dance & Lifestyle Expo. You may have seen Lounge Cat at this year's Tropical Heatwave, or they also played at Disney's Atlantic Dance. Admission is $10. The Gulfport Casino has one of the biggest and best dance floors in the area. * Free lesson by James & Arleene, 7-8pm * Dancing 8pm-1am to Lounge Cat (with DJ Jumpin' James between sets) * Vendors of swing items such as clothes and CDs * All Ages * Nonsmoking * Full Bar Available * Door Prizes * Phone 727-893-1070 for more info * 5500 Shore Blvd in Gulfport. Directions: 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. Next Saturday (Oct 16), Bellevue Cadillac plays a short, but free set, 5:45-7:00pm, at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, held in Coachman Park. The band hails from Boston and played the old Sugar Palm Club plus a promo at Hooters on their last visit in January. Phone 727-461-5200 or visit http://www.jazzholiday.com for more info. Next Saturday (Oct 16) is Lindy Hop Night, 7:30pm - 1:00am, at the Pinellas Park Auditorium -- an entire evening of music, instruction, & dancing devoted to the Lindy Hop. It's the first all-Lindy-Hop dance to be held in Tampa Bay, and it provides good practice before Frankie Manning's upcoming arrival in November. Details: * 7:30-9:30pm: Roy Rydbeck & partner teach a workshop on the Front- to-Back Charleston & its variations; no prior Lindy Hop experience or partner is necessary * 9:30pm to 1:00am: Dance all you want, to a selection of swing tunes that are all appropriate to the Lindy Hop. (Roy will DJ.) * Although it's a Lindy event, no one will protest if you decide to dance a couple of east-coast swings or other dances. (Lindy police will not be on hand.) * 2500 square feet of Wooden Dance Floor * Smoke-Free Event * Admission: $8 for Workshop & Dance; $3 for Dance Only * Free or BYO Water * Free & Ample Parking * E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX for more info * Address & Directions: 7690 59th St N, Pinellas Park. From I-275, take Exit 15. Go west on Gandy Blvd and continue over US 19 onto Park Blvd. When you cross the railroad tracks, turn right onto 59th St N. Cross the tracks again. The Auditorium is on the left. If the parking lot's full, go forward and park in one of the two lots to the right, across from the police station. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Oct 22: Swing Night at Italian Club in Ybor City; DJ Paul Mallett; Suncoast Swing Gang's 2nd Event! E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 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 Sat Nov 6: Candye Kane at Skipper's; WMNF benefit; 813-971-0666 Sat Nov 13: Coliseum's 75th Anniversary Gala w/ 4 Bands; 727-892-5202 Sat Nov 20: Dan Electro & the Silvertones at Largo Cultural Center; 727-587-6793 Sat Nov 20: Millenium Ball at Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic, with 3 Swing Bands; Sheraton Sand Key; 727-536-0064 Fri Dec 3: Kimberly Kaye & Swing Fever at Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Dec 17: Hepcats' Christmas Dance at Casino, with Bombed Out Cat & Lounge Cat; Benefits All Children's Hospital; 727-893-1070 It's just around the corner. Don't miss Friday, October 22nd's Swing Night at the Italian Club, located on the main drag in Ybor City (1731 E 7th Ave). The Suncoast Swing Gang will be sponsoring this event, in conjunction with the Italian Club. Details: * 8pm-9pm: Free Beginner's Swing Dance Lesson by Mack & Simone * 9pm-1am: Dance to DJ Paul Mallett's fine selection of swing tunes * Beautiful & Spacious Ballroom * All Ages Welcome * Admission $5 * Bottled Water, Juice, Soft Drinks, and Full Bar Available * Smoke-Free Ballroom (Cantina downstairs provided for smokers) * Proceeds will support the Swing News and future swing events! * For more info, phone 813-248-3316 or e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX * Directions: Take I-4 to Exit 1, head south a few blocks, then right on your choice of Avenues. Park. (Early on Fridays, before 10:30pm, parking should not be a problem.) Walk to 7th Ave. The Italian Club is between 17th & 18th St on the south side of 7th Ave. Come check out this event at the historic and newly renovated Italian Club. If you missed our last event, it was an incredibly fun time, and attracted a highly energetic crowd of dancers, including many old friends and new dancers. This time, we'll do one better -- no raffles, talking, or other interruptions -- just nonstop music and dance! Thanks to all our volunteers: Mack & Simone for teaching, Terry Allison for photographing and creating the event poster, and everyone else who's making this event happen. Thanks also to Paul for DJing and to our poster kids, Mike & Jessica. Tickets/Reservations for the Frankie Manning workshop and dance on Nov 5 will go on sale this Wednesday (Oct 6) at the Gulfport Casino. Total cost for the 3-hour workshop plus the dance after will be $32. The dance alone, which will be DJed, will run $6. The workshop will briefly review the basics, but will primarily be at an intermediate level. Reservations are limited. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING NIGHTS & BANDS Here's the latest. A full update will follow in the next Swing News. The Fortunate One club in Ybor has recently been sold to a new owner. As of this writing, the future of their Saturday Swing night is up in the air. Paul & Abdel are in the process of talking to the new owner, and assure us that swing will go on, if not at Fortunate One, then at a new location. Stay tuned for more details. Aaron (aka Wild Bill Coyote), general manager of the South Beach Grille, writes: "Things are really swingin' for October here at the South Beach Grille. As we continue with our Saturday Swing Nights, we are happy to announce that Right Step Studio will be doing free 1-hr swing lessons on the Saturdays of Oct 16, 23, and 30, 8-9pm. After the lessons, "Jumpin' James" will DJ the rest of the evening (to 1am), playing his swell and groovy mix of everyone's favorite swing tunes." "On October 9, we are proud to welcome back Bombed Out Cat, starting at 9pm. Thanks again to everyone locally for allowing us to show our support for this great thing called swing! We look forward to seeing you there!" South Beach Grille is located at 6800 Sunset Way on St Pete Beach. Smoking is allowed. Phone 727-363-7623. James Norman writes: "Hey cats! Catch DJ Jumpin' James Thursdays at Jesse's Haven. Late-night, outdoor, swing-dance party. 10:30pm-2:00am, 8th Avenue in Passe-a-Grille. Phone 727-360-1367." Wednesday nights at the Gulfport Casino are going stronger than ever. Jumpin' James Norman writes: "DJ Swing Dance at the Gulfport Casino every Wednesday for the rest of time: - All ages admitted - Beginning East Coast Swing Dance Lesson 7-8pm - Dance 8pm - Midnight - Nonsmoking - $5 per person - Door Prizes (3 Tickets to come back on a Wednesday) - Full Bar - 5500 Shore Blvd South in Gulfport; 727-893-1070 - Cosponsored by Right Step Dance Studio and Gulfport Casino - It's all about DANCING!" Swingin' Mooks in October: Wed 6, 13, 20, 27: Club More, 10:00pm Thu 7, 21, 28: Storman's Palace, 9:30pm Fri 8: Curtis Hixon Park, Noon Fri 8: Gators, 10pm Fri 15: Planet 9 Ball, 10pm Fri 29: Skipper's Smokehouse, 8:00pm Sat 9: Club More, 11:30pm Sat 9, 30: Gators, 5:00pm Sun 17: Universal Studios City Jazz, 9:00pm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AERIALS WORKSHOP Angel writes: Jim, myself, Sam, and London will be teaching a 2 1/2 hour workshop on swing aerials next Saturday, October 16, 1:30-4:00pm, at the Pinellas Park Auditorium, 7690 59th St N in Pinellas Park. It's going to be a good intro to aerials for those just beginning and people who want to brush up on the basics and how-to of doing aerials. Expect to learn many of the classics and variations of the classics. If you want to learn the right way to do aerials & practice them in a comfortable setting, this workshop's for you. Partners are required, and the leader must be capable of comfortably lifting the follower. Also, anyone under 18 who's planning to attend must have a release form signed by a parent. (Either bring the parent with you to the start of the workshop or contact us to get a form mailed to you.) The cost is $15 per person if paid in advance, or $20 at the door. Take $5 off if you're age 20 or under. For more info or to register, visit http://members.aol.com/swingsum99/saturday.htm , phone 727-799-7096, or e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Directions: see Lindy Hop Night above. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW PLACES TO DANCE? Want to do your part to help out swing in Tampa Bay? Do you know of a hall, space, club, etc, you think would be good for swing dancing? It could either be a place that's available for rent or a place that's already open for business that may be willing to co-sponsor a swing night as their evening's entertainment. Here are the criteria we're looking for: - Available the same night every week on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. Or, available occasionally on a Friday or a Saturday night. - The larger the dance floor, the better; wooden floors are best - Reasonable rental fee or willing to co-sponsor - The dance area is nonsmoking or can be made so that night Send any ideas to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . It would be helpful if you called the place first and found out the details. I will be sharing the results with local organizers of swing events. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, Inc., publisher of Swing News, is a nonprofit 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 . **********************************************************************