********************************************************************** Swing News, Wednesday 1/5/00, Issue #51, (Next Issue, 2/1/00) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear everybody, This Y2K issue of Swing News covers the entire month of January. Read it, save it, refer back to it, and if you lose it, download another copy at www.SwingNews.com . Be on the lookout for the upcoming Swing News Poll, to be e-mailed to you separately in the next day or two. We want to hear from you -- what you most like and dislike -- local bands, DJs, places, etc. We also value your comments and suggestions. We need EVERYONE to reply to this survey, so that we're better able to meet the needs of the Tampa Bay swing community. If you don't participate, your preferences will not be taken into account -- simple as that. Finally, be sure to check out the three opinion pieces on local swing music, found at the end of this newsletter. Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE MONTH OF JANUARY No special events are happening the next couple of weeks, so be sure to check out the many regular swing nights, later in this issue. After that, they all seem to happen the same weekend, as usual. So a note to organizers -- wouldn't you like your events to be successful and to actually have people attend them? Don't schedule them over other swing events! The latest calendar of scheduled events is always in the Swing News. Wednesday (Jan 19), the Amazing Crowns (formerly, the Amazing Royal Crowns, before a little run-in with Royal Crown Revue's lawyers) play the Orpheum in Ybor City. Doors open at 9pm, it costs $6, and there may be special guests. For more info on this famous punkabilly band, visit http://www.amazingroyalcrowns.com . The Orpheum's located at 1902 Republica de Cuba (corner of 8th Ave & 14th St) in Ybor City. Phone 813-248-9500. Smoking's allowed, and it has a medium-size wooden dance floor. Saturday (Jan 22), the Florida Lindy Association (FLA), based out of Orlando, brings in German dance champions, Marcus Koch & Barbl Kaufer, to teach Boogie Woogie and "40's-Style Lindy Hop". The classes run 8:30am-5:00pm at the Atlantic Dance Hall on the Disney Boardwalk. Four 90-minute classes are offered -- two morning classes in Boogie Woogie, and two afternoon classes in 40's-Style Lindy Hop. Cost is $20/class or $75 for all four. FLA members get special rates of $15/class or $50 for all four. E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX with any questions (and be sure to tell them you saw it in the Swing News). To reserve a place, send registration fees to: Florida Lindy Association, PO Box 590759, Orlando FL 32859-0759, and include your name, FLA membership number (if any), and contact information. Memberships are available for $35 in annual dues. Friday (Jan 28), Dan Electro & the Silvertones return to the Gulfport Casino, for the first "Last Friday of the Month" dance of the year. James & Arleene tell us these last-Friday dances will be happening every month and will feature a live band. Admission is $10. Phone 727-893-1070 for more information. A free dance lesson starts out the evening, 7-8pm. From 8pm to 1am, it's live music and dancing on the Casino's huge floor, plus DJed music during the breaks. The event is all-ages, nonsmoking, and a full bar is available. The Casino's located at 5500 Shore Blvd in Gulfport. Directions: From the north, take I-275 S to St Pete's 22nd Ave S exit. (From the south, take I-275 N 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. Also on Friday (Jan 28), the Swingin' Mooks return to Station Square Park in Clearwater for a free outdoor concert, complete with swing- dance contest. Last year, a couple of under-10-year-old swing aerialists took home the grand prize -- a weekend for two at the fabulous Palm Pavilion Inn on Clearwater Beach. The concert runs 5:00-8:30pm and is located at the 600 block of Cleveland St in downtown Clearwater. For more information, e-mail Diane Smith, at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Saturday (Jan 29), the Cigar Store Indians return to Club More. This is a rescheduling of the Dec 4 concert that was cancelled due to a death in one of the band member's families. The band, a local favorite, hails from Georgia and plays some very danceable rockabilly & swing. (See www.cigarstoreindians.com for info on the band.) Admission is $10, smoking is allowed, and ages 18 and up are admitted. Club More has a fair-size floorboard dance area in front of the stage, and is located at 703 Franklin St in downtown Clearwater, a few blocks south of Cleveland St. Phone 727-466-6673. "Most shows start at 9pm." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Feb 4: Swingin' Mooks at Skipper's Smokehouse; 813-971-0666 Fri Feb 25: Kimberly Kaye & Swing Fever at Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Mar 3: Lee Rocker with Rocket 88 at Club More; 727-466-6673 Tue Mar 7: Larry Elgart & The Manhattan Swing Orchestra at Ruth Eckerd Hall; 727-791-7400 Sat Mar 18: Lindy Hop Night at Pinellas Park Auditorium; 727-799-7096 Sat Apr 1: Lindy Hop Night at Pinellas Park Auditorium; 727-799-7096 Fri May 5 - Sun May 7: Steven Mitchell at Casino; 727-821-9420 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING NIGHTS & BANDS Weekly Swing Nights: Sun: Italian Club in Ybor City; 813-248-3316; Nonsmoking; All Ages Tue: Dancelovers in Clearwater; 727-582-9499; Nonsmoking; All Ages Tue: Cadillac Jack's on Treasure Island; Smoking; 727-360-2099 Wed: Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070; Nonsmoking; All Ages Wed: Ringside Cafe in St Pete; 727-894-8465; Smoking Thu: Orpheum in Ybor City; 813-248-9500; Smoking Thu: Storman's Palace in Clearwater; 727-571-2222; Smoking Fri: Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking Sat: Danceland in Pinellas Park; 727-821-9420; Nonsmoking New Nights: - Saturdays at Danceland, 8451 49th St N in Pinellas Park (not to be confused with Joyland, the Country-Western club on US 19) - Thursdays at the Orpheum (formerly Fortunate One) No Longer With Us: - Wednesdays at Club More Yet Another Club That Thought They Were Going To Have Swing But Changed Their Minds At The Last Minute: - St Pete Rare Olive Bombed Out Cat in January: 11,18,25: Cadillac Jack's, Treasure Island, 9pm-1:30am 14,15: Daqueri Deck, Madeira Beach, 9:30pm-1:30am 21,30: Pier 60, Clearwater Beach, 5-8pm 22: Gators, John's Pass Village, 5-9pm 28,29: The Apollo, Treasure Island, 9:30pm-1:30am Swingin' Mooks in January: 6,13,27: Storman'S Palace, 9:30pm 7: Rocket's Cafe, 10pm 8,15: Gators, 5pm 14: Planet 9 Ball, 10pm 28: Station Square Park, Downtown Clearwater, 5pm 30: Club More, after the Super Bowl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ITALIAN CLUB UPDATE Thanks to everyone who has come out to Swing Sundays at the Italian Club these past few weeks and who has made this new night a success! The last three weeks each set new records for admissions, and the holiday parties were really fun and exciting. One thing we're starting at these Swing Sundays is a program to help welcome the beginning dancers and get them up to speed. (Actually, we should thank Dan Parshall and the USF Swing Club for this idea.) We're asking all dancers with a year or more of experience to help out once every few weeks, by making themselves available during the night to help new people. Right now, we have a name tag -- soon to be replaced by a button -- that experienced dancers who are helping out can wear. (The instructors who teach the lesson will be among the button-wearers.) Beginners are told, if they want help with their dancing, to ask someone wearing a button. The bottom line -- if you're experienced and you'd like to have places to dance one year from now, this is a very small thing you can do to build the swing community. It's certainly a heck of a lot easier than writing this newsletter. This miniscule effort on your part once every few weeks will actually have a huge effect -- just try it & see! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- STREET SWINGERS NEEDED Are you interested in dancing on 7th Avenue in Ybor City on a Saturday night, for a large audience of passers by? Would you like to help promote local swing in a big way? The Suncoast Swing Gang will be taking it to the streets on an upcoming Saturday night, around the hours of 11pm, in front of the Italian Club. We'll have music going, and will alternate between individual couples performing and open dancing where everyone joins in. We'll also have literature on local swing to hand out to interested onlookers. If you'd like to perform, or just to dance, or just to watch, or to help hand out cards & flyers, please e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ASAP. We'll let you know the exact date, time, and other details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USF SWING CLUB The USF Swing Club will have a Welcome Back Party on Monday, Jan 17 (MLK holiday), 7-11pm, at Dan Parshall's place. For directions or info, e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. The next USF dance is tentatively scheduled for Feb 4. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "SWING 2000" DANCE WORKSHOPS Swing News welcomes the "Swing 2000" series of dance workshops & events as a new web-site advertiser. You can now reach their web site by visiting http://www.SwingNews.com , then clicking on the Swing 2000 graphic. Swing 2000, which grew out of Sam's 1999 Swing Series, is a cooperative effort among many of the best local dancers & instructors to provide high-quality instruction in a variety of swing styles and other dances. The current series of Saturday-afternoon dance workshops starts this Saturday (Jan 8) with Beginning Lindy Hop by Roy & Angel. All workshops run 1:30-4:30pm on a Saturday afternoon, providing 3 hours of extensive instruction, which includes ample practice time & open dancing. Except for the Aerials workshops, partners are not required -- participants rotate frequently throughout the workshops. Schedule: Workshop Date Place Instructors ====================================================================== Lindy Hop I: Beginning Jan 8 Rendezvous Roy & Angel Lindy Hop II: Intermediate Jan 15 Rendezvous Roy & Angel Swing I: Beginning East-Coast Jan 22 Rendezvous Sam & London Lindy Hop III: Intermediate + Jan 29 Rendezvous Roy & Angel Swing II: Intermediate East-Coast Feb 5 Rendezvous Sam & London Swing III: Advanced East-Coast Feb 12 Rendezvous Sam & London Cha Cha Feb 19 Rendezvous Sam & Tricia Waltz Feb 26 Rendezvous Sam & Tricia Foxtrot Mar 4 Rendezvous John & Olive Collegiate Shag Mar 11 Rendezvous Tim & Carmen Aerials I: The Classics Mar 18 Auditorium Sam & London Hollywood-Style Lindy Hop Mar 25 Rendezvous Regina & partner Aerials II: Jump Swing Apr 1 Auditorium Jim & Angel Shim Sham & Lindy Jazz Moves Apr 8 Rendezvous Sherrie Locations: * Dancer's Rendezvous: 4445 East Bay Dr, Clearwater * Pinellas Park Auditorium: 7690 59th St N, Pinellas Park Admission is $20/workshop at the door, or $17/workshop in advance, or $14/workshop if you register and pay for 4 or more workshops. For more info or to register, visit the Swing 2000 website, accessible via www.swingnews.com , or contact Sam at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX or at 727-799-7096. The Swing News web site accepts ads from dance instructors, studios, bands, vintage stores, music stores, nonsmoking or open-air music venues, and other swing-related entities. All revenues support the Swing News, Tampa Bay swing, and the activities and events sponsored by the Suncoast Swing Gang, Inc., your nonprofit network. For more info, visit http://www.SwingNews.com or e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- VIDEO THANK-YOU The Suncoast Swing Gang thanks Rachel Perry for her volunteer efforts to capture local swing on videotape. We're happy to report that "Tampa Bay Swings Tape 1" has now sold out. 10 copies of the Jive Aces Tape, filmed at their recent Wednesday concert at the Gulfport Casino, are still available. Highlights include the dancers, the band, and Liz dancing with the band's lead singer. Tapes run a mere $7 -- pretty close to cost -- but any proceeds benefit the nonprofit Suncoast Swing Gang. (E-mail Rachel at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX to reserve your copy, before we give them all away as door prizes.) Rumor has it that Tampa Bay Swings Tape 2, still being shot at events throughout the Bay area, will be completed in the coming months. If you see a video camera at an event and would like to see yourself dancing in this production, just ask to be filmed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWING NEWS RECOGNIZED The Swing News web site, www.SwingNews.com , is featured as "Site of the Week" by the "Orlando Swing" website, www.neoSwing.com/orlando . Check out the Swing News site if you haven't lately -- there are lots of new and interesting additions. And if you're looking to go dance in Orlando, be sure to visit the Orlando Swing site, one of the best, most comprehensive, and most up-to-date swing sites there is. In other news, Swing News was actually mentioned, address and all, in the last issue of the Weekly Planet, under the listing for Swing Sundays at the Italian Club. And the week before that, the Weekly Planet -- the same paper that devoted about six words to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's latest appearance in town -- featured the Night After Christmas Party at the Italian Club in its main Calendar of events. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWINGERHEAD MAKES IT BIG Orlando band, Swingerhead, is moving from regional to national recognition in a big way. Currently, the band is on tour, playing all the major swing venues across the country. January 1st, they played at the most prestigious Derby in Hollywood CA. Their Swingerhead Christmas CD has sold out across the country and was named Orlando's best holiday seller. The band returns to Orlando for a late-January gig with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Lane. There's even a 20-Piece "Michael Andrew Orchestra" now available. (Remind you of a certain ex Stray Cat?) Congratulations to Swingerhead on their increasing fame and all their recent accomplishments. And thanks to publicist, StaceBass, for keeping us updated with at least 10 identical copies of each Swingerhead e-mail bulletin. For the latest on the band, check out www.swingerhead.com . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOKING FOR TAMPA BAY SWING INFO David Farina writes: Hi, my name is David Farina. I'm 24 and live up here in Erie PA. I will be moving to the Tampa Bay area this summer and just wanted to get in contact with the swing scene in the area. I love to dance cha cha, rumba, jitterbug, and my favorite -- the Lindy hop. I have my own swing homepage that serves as one of the few Erie area swing communities. I don't know much about the history of swing -- only that I love to dance swing and learn as many new steps as possible. Anyway, the reason for this e-mail is to first and foremost introduce myself, 'cause you will definitely see me around eventually, and to ask for any information that will make my swing transition easier. For instance, what forms of swing are biggest in your area, about how many people participate on any given night, is swing just coming into Tampa Bay or has it been kicking for awhile now, what are the predominant ages that participate, is there a lot of good instruction available, which cities are biggest in swing, and what should I look out for -- good or bad. Ok, I've ranted long enough. Hope to see you all around, and thanks for the help. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? The following three opinions were written independently, but cover the same subject. That is, none of the authors have yet seen what the other two have written, although they may have talked to each other on the subject. Read on ... Bob Moseley writes: I am writing this to express my frustration after experiencing another evening on the Tampa Bay swing scene. First, I would like to make the observation that our group consists of a number of different dance styles and lifestyles, different age groups, ethnicities, etc. We are certainly a mixed bunch that is brought together by a common enthusiasm for music and dance -- for me, an enthusiasm for Lindy Hop and traditional Swing-Era music, jump blues, and also some of the bands currently producing music today. Arriving on the scene about a year and a half ago, I was especially impressed by the broad representation of different groups of people and the tolerance and almost comaraderie that I saw among all of these different people. This movement is certainly a very positive and fun experience for me. My frustration, however, comes from another night of standing by the sidelines the majority of the night, listening to 8 or 10 fast- paced early rock & roll or rockabilly tunes, and then an occasional interjection of the type of swing music that I prefer. While I know that the swing scene does not revolve around me, I also know that I am not the only one that has experienced this frustration. So where are the other people and why aren't they expressing their feelings about this? I know they are there, because I have talked with them. Then again, some of them are not there anymore. They've stopped coming. They would rather travel an hour and a half to listen and dance to their favorite tunes, than drive 5 to 15 minutes from home to the local venues. I can only speculate that the reason these people are not more vocal about this is because they don't want to rock the boat or offend anyone. I know that's the reason I've kept silent. I personally like the local DJs and most of the people I know on the scene. They are a friendly group of people, for the most part. I have approached and voiced my opinion to the DJs and also to Sam concerning this matter, and their reasoning behind this obvious lopsidedness in the format is that they play to the majority of the crowd present. Since the Gulfport Casino crowd is largely a mixed bunch, the format, in my opinion, is pretty fairly representative of the crowd and all the different styles of dancing. The two other major swing nights in the area, however, are not so evenly divided in representation of the Tampa swing scene, in general, both in music and in dance styles. In the last couple of weeks, after I talked to the DJs in these clubs, they really made an effort to mix the music up and I greatly appreciated it. Then, the last two times I attended these swing nights, they reverted to the same format as before. I was, naturally, irritated by this. I was told that if I had been there earlier, I would have heard more of the tunes I enjoy. Well, I couldn't be there earlier. So what does this mean? -- my tough luck? I also have the opinion that if this format is followed, then people off the street that come into these functions do not get a fair view of what swing in Tampa bay is all about and also, that people from out of town who are already swingers will come in, sit through these long stretches of one certain style of music, not hear what they like, leave, and never return. Why should they? If the swing scene in general is not fairly represented, then why not stop calling it "Swing Night" and start calling it "Rockabilly Night (with Some Swing)". I personally want to see Swing grow in this area and I believe that we should all support each other to make that happen. And that includes equal representation of our styles and types of music. I know of a number of really good dancers and strong influences of the growth of swing in this area who are not attending our local functions, not because of a dislike for any specific lifestyles or groups of people, but just because they want to dance to the music they like and with people who enjoy dancing the styles they enjoy. We have been making positive progress despite forces against us, and I really think that addressing this matter is another positive move. I would appreciate feedback from people in the swing scene. Again, I hope I don't offend anyone with this. I think all of our DJs are great, and all are cool people, and I really appreciate the efforts made by all. Peace, Bob Arnold Kasemsarn writes: Over the past several months, I have noticed a marked increase in music complaints. Some people find the music too slow some nights; other people find the music too fast the same night. Some people are looking to Lindy; others to dance rockabilly. With all these expectations, our current primary swing DJs -- Paul, Jamie, and Abdel, seem to do rather well. Being the DJ is somewhat more than, as Paul once joked, "pressing play and pressing stop". It is keeping the music going, keeping people dancing, being a little creative at times, trying to keep everyone happy, and playing what they want as well. Not everyone does this very well -- after all, Atlanta felt they needed to import a DJ from France during the Natural Ball. We all know who DJs at each club and during what night. (Jamie is at Gulfport on Wednesdays and Danceland on Saturdays; Paul is at the Italian Club on Sundays and the Orpheum on Thursdays; Abdel plays the USF swing nights.) We also know what music they primarily play. (Jamie tends to play more traditional swing and Lindy music; Paul, rockabilly, rock & roll, 80's, and an interesting song or two that just happens to have a 4-beat rhythm; Abdel, somewhere in between.) Blindfold any regular and take them to a local club. After about 15 minutes, they will be able to tell who's the DJ. Lately, all three DJs have diversified and modified their formats to meet the local crowd and local tastes. All three DJs told of their efforts to satisfy as many people as possible. Unfortunately, not everyone can be happy with all the music all the time at all the clubs. Not everyone can or wants to Lindy or triple step the whole night; not everyone can or wants to dance fast rockabilly the whole night. Musical variety is good and everyone wants something a little different when they dance. After watching and speaking with swing dancers from Atlanta, Detroit, Orlando, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, and other cities, though, I've noticed they're much less resistant to crossing back & forth between faster East-Coast/rockabilly and slower triple-step/Lindy. They all describe a progression: almost everyone first learns East Coast, then progresses to Lindy Hop. But the Lindy Hoppers still dance East Coast on faster songs; East-Coast/Rockabilly dancers learn a few triple-step/Lindy moves until they are comfortable with the Swing Out. I did not see Lindy Hoppers who would not dance a few six-counts now and then; nor rockabilly dancers who sat out everything slow. They all started at the same place. Despite learning new moves and new dances, they are not hesitant to go back to their roots. I am not certain why I see that hesitancy here. If nothing else, take the opportunity when the DJ is playing a song you don't like or at a pace you don't like, to talk with the other people in our community. Most people I have met are friendly and are willing to talk. We spend several nights a week together -- we may as well get to know each other. After all, who knows who spent Christmas in Australia? Who is caring for a dolphin several nights a week? Who taught a swing class at her old high school? Who is the urban planner? Who is working on an exhibition of ceramic faces? Who is the web designer? Who sang an on-the-mark version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"? Who is restoring Al Lang's old house? This is an interesting and diverse community. We all have different tastes and preferences, but we all care about the dance. I wish we would all appreciate our diversity rather than resist it. Paul Mallett writes: About the music format, no matter how much I play of what kind of music, it'll never make people happy. I always play slower music at the start of the night, ever since I worked at the Sugar Palm. It doesn't really matter though. A couple of Wednesdays ago at Gulfport, James was playing slow music all night, and then he put one fast song on and some guy complained before half of that song was over. There are a lot of people who don't care for a lot of the music at Gulfport because it's too slow, but they still go almost every week, because they want the scene to survive. I try to play to the crowd. If I play a slow song and the floor is full, then I'm going to play another slow song -- the same with fast stuff. But with fast stuff, I don't usually play more than 2 or 3 in a row, because I know that even the people that like dancing to the fast songs will be tired again. I play the crowd as I feel it. That's a part of being a DJ -- knowing what to play for the crowd. I feel that I play the best mix of swing anywhere around here. If complaints are being made, then it's from people that are never going to be happy, no matter what I play. I take requests, I play requests, and I think I'm very good to the crowd as far as playing what they want. If people are unhappy with what I'm DJ'ing, why don't they come up and tell me, instead of walking out pissed off and then telling everyone that I only play fast stuff. When the crowd that likes the faster music goes to Gulfport, we constantly have to request faster stuff from James, and sometimes have to wait a little while until we get a song we like. But we don't storm out and say that we're never coming back again. That's stupid. The only thing that does is throw the scene down the drain. In almost every other scene in the country, they don't have separations like this, because most of the people into 30's & 40's swing do dance, and the people that are into rockabilly don't dance. It's not like that here. We have two very different types of attitudes and people trying to get along in the same environment, and for the most part, we do quite well I think. I've come to realize that we're never going to make everyone happy, and the people that aren't happy are going to have to speak up at the right time and not after the situation is over. Well, gotta go for now, hope this wasn't too negative. It's not meant to be. Paul Swing News wants to hear YOUR opinion on the above or related topics. If you'd like your comments published in the Swing News, send them to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . If you'd like your comments to remain confidential, then put them in the Comments section of the upcoming Swing News Poll -- they'll be of great help to Tampa Bay swing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 . **********************************************************************