********************************************************************** Swing News, Tuesday 5/9/00, Issue #59, (Next Issue, 5/30/00) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi everyone, This issue of Swing News covers the rest of May. For the summer, Swing News is moving to a monthly publication schedule, with the next three issues slated for May 30, Jun 27, and Aug 1. The submission deadline, as usual, is 5pm the Sunday before an issue comes out. So get yours in on time -- if you miss the deadline, you'll have to wait a month! As always, if you lose or accidentally delete your copy of Swing News, you can get a new one off the web at www.swingnews.com . As promised in the last Swing News, this issue contains my "Year in Review", plus a recap of the Suncoast Swing Gang's Annual Meeting. Check them out at the bottom. The next business meeting of the Suncoast Swing Gang, Inc., Tampa Bay's nonprofit swing network & publisher of the Swing News, will take place at 5pm on Sunday, May 21st, at the Italian Club, 1731 E 7th Ave in Ybor City (prior to the regularly scheduled swing night). If you'd like to help make swing happen in Tampa Bay, you're invited to attend! Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE REST OF MAY This Sunday (May 14) is Swing Sunday at the Italian Club. It's also Mother's Day, so the Italian Club is running a Mother's Day Special -- Bring your mom and she gets in free (with your paid admission). The night starts off at 7pm with a beginner's swing dance lesson. It continues with swing music & dancing, 8pm-midnight. Swing Sundays are all ages, smoke-free, and feature a large dance floor in one of the area's most elegant atmospheres. A full bar is available, as are bottled water, juice, and soft drinks. Admission is $5, and parking is free on Sundays. The Italian Club is located at 1731 E 7th Ave in Ybor City. For more info, e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Over in Orlando this Sunday (May 14th), Rocket 88 headlines at the Langford Hotel's Rockabilly Rampage. Also on the ticket are Florida bands, Midnight Bowler's League, Skirtlifters, & Cold Cut Combo. Stephen, drummer for Rocket 88, writes: "We are proud to present the First Annual Central Florida Rockabilly Rampage, featuring four great bands, plus two DJs and a live Retro Girlie Burlesque Show! This is sure to be of interest to both dancers and music lovers." The Rampage starts at 4pm and admission is $10. The Langford Hotel is located at 300 E New England Ave in Winter Park. Phone 407-644-3400. Next Saturday (May 20) is Tropical Heatwave, sponsored by community radio station WMNF. This annual festival brings in talented bands and musicians playing just about every variety of music there is -- a total of 24 acts appearing on several stages. The Cuban Club & Ybor Square play host to this combination indoor/outdoor festival. Vendors provide a wide variety of food & drinks, plus other wares. Tropical Heatwave runs 6:00pm-2:30am. Admission is free to those under 12 years of age, $12 for people under 21, and for the rest of us: $24 in advance, $30 at the door, or $12 after 11pm. For more info or advance tickets, phone 813-238-8001 or visit www.wmnf.org . Next Sunday (May 21), Chicago's River North Dance Company takes "you on a historical tour of jazz dance from the 1920's to the present." The show is called "Dancing through the Decades" and it takes place at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Tickets are $11.00. Phone 727-791-7400 or visit www.rutheckerdhall.com . Thursday (May 25), the Camaros from NYC play the Orpheum in Ybor City. The Urbane Cowboys warm up and DJ Paul spins between sets. Doors open at 9pm and tickets are $5. Smoking is permitted. The Orpheum's located at 1902 Republica de Cuba (corner of 8th Ave & 14th St) in Ybor City. Phone 813-248-9500. For Camaros info, visit www.thecamaros.com . Friday (May 26), the Frantic Flattops appear with Tampa's Midnight Bowlers League at Skipper's Smokehouse. Skipper's describes the Flattops as a "Rochester NY trio that tackle rock'n'roll with a 50's greasy rockabilly flair, a 70's trashy punk and a 90's flair." For more on the band, visit members.tripod.com/~franticflattops . The show starts at 8pm and costs $7. Skipper's is located at Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa. Phone 813-971-0666. Also on Friday (May 26), the Swingin' Mooks return to Station Square Park, located at the 600 block of Cleveland St in downtown Clearwater, for a free outdoor concert. The concert starts at 5pm. And also on Friday (May 26), the Largo Cultural Center presents a Tribute to Peggy Lee, featuring Jayne Anne Losito & created/directed by Fred Johnson. The Center writes: "It is truly a silhouette of this elegant giant of song, which will help us remember, celebrate, and gain a personal appreciation for the woman who gave us 'Fever'". The show starts at 8pm, tickets are $10.50, seating is cabaret-style, and a cash bar is available. But if you're still looking for something to do on Friday (May 26), you might check out the Memorial Weekend Sock Hop at the Coliseum, with the Sevilles and the Satellites. It runs 8pm-midnight. Tickets are $11 in advance or $13 at the door. Bring your own food & drinks. The Coliseum is located at 535 4th Ave N in St Pete (727-892-5202). Memorial Day Weekend (Fri-Sun May 26-28) is the Florida Folk Festival at Stephen Foster State Park in White Springs. Dance for hours each night to a variety of live bands playing Swing, Latin, Blues, Jazz, Contra, Irish, Cajun, Polka, Klezmer, Reggae, & Caribbean music, to name a few. See www.flheritage.com/folkfest/highlights.html . Sunday (May 28), Rocket 88 and Skinny McGee & His Mayhem Makers appear at Skipper's Smokehouse. The show starts at 5pm and costs $6. Vince from Skipper's writes: "Rocket 88 has become Orlando's favorite rockabilly & swing outfit. Now traveling as a four-piece, their relentless rhythmic foundations, boogie keyboards, and robust singing make for an exciting and entertaining night of dancing. Skinny McGee & His Mayhem Makers, Winter Haven rockabilly trio, feature Skinny shaking & wailing on his large, black, upright, 1936 bull fiddle. They have a wild blend of Johnny Cash styling, mixed with an authentic rockabilly sound." Like all Skipper's shows, this one's open to ages 18+ (under 18 admitted if accompanied by parent), is held outdoors under the "Skipperdome", and features an expanded plywood dance floor in front of the stage. Phone 813-971-0666. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JUNE AND BEYOND Fri Jun 23: Rocket 88 & Midnight Bowlers League @ Skipper's Sat Jul 22: Minn & Corrina workshop in St Pete; 727-347-7700 Sun Jul 23: Brian Setzer Orchestra & Swingerhead @ House of Blues in Orlando; 407-934-2580 Fri Oct 13 - Sun Oct 15: Frankie Manning in Tampa Bay ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING NIGHTS & BANDS Weekly Swing Dances: Sun: Italian Club in Ybor City; 813-248-3316; Nonsmoking; All Ages Wed: Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070; Nonsmoking; All Ages Thu: Magnolia Bldg in Lakeland; 727-821-9420; Nonsmoking; All Ages Weekly Band Nights: Tue: Bombed Out Cat at Cadillac Jack's; 727-360-2099; Smoking Wed: Swingin' Mooks at Bourbon Street; 727-797-1366; Smoking; 10pm Thu: Bombed Out Cat at Rare Olive II; 727-822-7273; Smoking Thu: Dan Electro & Silvertones at Downunder; 941-951-2467; Smoking Weekly Studio Events: Sun: Swing City in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking; All Lindy Hop Fri: Swing City in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking; Open Swing Swingin' Mooks -- Other Upcoming Gigs: Fri May 12: Gasoline Alley in Clearwater, 11pm Thu May 18: Gators on Treasure Island, 9:30pm Fri May 19: Safety Harbor Marina, 7pm Sat May 20: Gators on Treasure Island, 5pm Fri May 26: Station Square Park in Downtown Clearwater, 5pm Sat May 27: Gators on Treasure Island, 5pm Dan Electro & The Silvertones -- Other Upcoming Gigs: Fri-Sun, May 12-14: Atlantic Dance, Orlando, 9pm-1am, 407-939-5153 Fri May 19: King Creole, Sarasota, 9pm-12am, 941-365-7474 Fri May 26: King Creole, Sarasota, 9pm-12am, 941-365-7474 Sat May 27: Five O'Clock Club, Sarasota, 10pm-2am, 941-366-5555 Mon May 29: Pleasure Island Jazz Co, 9pm-1am, 407-945-1464 Bombed Out Cat -- Other Upcoming Gigs: Wed May 10: Ringside Cafe, St Pete, 9:30pm-1:30am Fri May 12: D Coy Ducks, Anna Maria Island, 9pm-1am Sat May 13: Bahama Mama's, St Pete Beach, 3-7pm Sat May 13: D Coy Ducks, Anna Maria Island, 9pm-1am Bombed Out Cat Update: Billy of Bombed Out Cat writes: "Hey Kids, You're cordially invited to join Bombed Out Cat for the Swingin'est Thursday Night Party in the Bay Area. It's happening every Thursday night at The Rare Olive II on the corner of Central Ave & 3rd St in downtown St Pete, 9:00pm-1:30am. Great food, drinks, & dancing all night; and check out Deb's new 'Starlight' Bar! For more info, call 727-822-7273. Hope to see 'ya there! --Billy" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HELP WANTED: PAID DOOR PEOPLE Swing Sundays at the Italian Club are looking for door/setup people to fill three positions. Whether you're available every Sunday or only one Sunday every two months, this is a fun and very social way to make some extra spending money while helping out at a local swing night. All positions are paid on a per-night contract basis. * Position 1: 5:30-11:30pm (6 hours). The highest-paying position. * Position 2: 5:30-9:45pm (4.25 hours). Pays $$ and gets you free admission to over half the dance. * Position 3: 9:45-10:45pm (1 hour). This volunteer position pays no money, but gets you into the rest of the dance for free. Interested? Send an e-mail to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THANKS FOR DONATION The Suncoast Swing Gang thanks Tim Adams for donating a sound mixer to the group. It'll come in handy for playing music at swing events. The Suncoast Swing Gang is in the process of putting together a complete DJ sound system to be used at local swing events. If anyone has used audio equipment they'd like to donate (CD players, speakers, etc), please e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Thanks again to Tim for his generous donation! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: CARSON BERRY The Suncoast Swing Gang wishes to thank volunteer, Carson Berry, who's been instrumental in getting bands to play for us, from Rocket 88 to Jet Set Six, and who also contributes to the planning of Swing Sundays at the Italian Club. (Many of you may know Carson from back when BorderLine did a weekly swing night or from those magic bus trips to Atlantic Dance.) Anyone who's worked with bands before knows it's a pain, but Carson, as a professional agent, does this sort of thing routinely. He has generously volunteered his professional talents to help us keep swing going and growing in Tampa Bay. So next time you see him, congratulate him on a job well done. Thanks, again! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GRADUATION PARTY REMINDER Merideth writes: "Just a reminder ... Wednesday, May 31, 2000 is STILL serving double duty as Gulfport Swing Night and the celebration of my graduation from med school! I really hope I see all of you there!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE YEAR IN REVIEW The Suncoast Swing Gang's second year started out last April with some uncertainty, due to the closing of local swing landmark, the Sugar Palm Club. But a combination of forces came together to rescue local swing. At the beginning of the year, James & Arleene of the Right Step Studio had started a Wednesday swing night at the Gulfport Casino that was slowly gaining momentum. With the closing of the Sugar Palm, the entire swing community threw its support behind the Gulfport Casino, establishing it as the new center for Tampa Bay swing. On the other side of the Bay, Abdel & Paul held the Tampa crowd together by starting what became a fairly popular and successful Saturday swing night at the Fortunate One. Meanwhile, the Swing News became increasingly critical to bringing together the local swing community. Whether a main event was at the Coliseum or at Skipper's, the Swing News told people about it and brought the swing community out to it. Over the next few months the media, led by local tabloid, the Weekly Planet, appeared to deal a major blow to local swing. Earlier enamored with the swing scene, the media pretty much stopped covering it, but not without first delivering a few parting kicks. However, a funny thing happened. Despite the media's new cynicism and lack of coverage, the bands and DJs kept playing, the people kept dancing, and the local swing "scene" kept growing. Over the year, the Swing News went from 400 subscribers to over 1000. Swing organizers put on some great and successful larger-scale events. The Suncoast Swing Gang, itself, achieved many things over the year, through the efforts of volunteers: * Held successful special events at the Gulfport Casino, Italian Club, and Centro Asturiano; * Sponsored three events with Florida swing bands, and one event with an out-of-state band of national repute; * Sponsored and ran a weekly swing night, now in its 6th month; * Sponsored a workshop and day with the internationally-famous Jiving Lindy Hoppers; * Established a web site that now gets about 1000 visitors a month; * Produced and distributed two videos of local swing; * Established our organization as a nonprofit corporation; and * Were quoted & written up in the media (in these lean times), including Focus Magazine, Weekly Planet, & Tampa Bay Wired. The current year, like the last, starts with some challenges. Several swing nights, competing for the same limited crowd, have opened, then closed. The press, after bouncing between two extremes, now gives us occasional coverage, but we must expend effort to get it. Squabbling among factions in the community has led to some division and has kept some people from attending recent events. But like we did last year, we're capable of uniting and overcoming our challenges, once again. Finally, everything we have accomplished and will accomplish in the future requires your help. The first step is showing up & supporting, on a regular basis, the events you'd like to see continue into the following year. The second and final step is volunteering on occasion. It can be as simple as taking flyers to business in your area once a month, or helping make a few phone calls, or dancing/performing for special events and festivals. It can be as involved as heading up a piece of the organization. Several people have already come forward to volunteer, but many more are still needed if we're to accomplish some of this year's goals, including: * Sponsoring swing events; * Promoting swing heavily to those outside the swing community; * Performing and promoting at festivals and special events; * Creating dance opportunities for teens and kids; * Connecting more to the rest of the world via the web; * Establishing relationships with area businesses; * Getting local organizers to coordinate scheduling of events; and * Organizing ridesharing. To volunteer, e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Thank-you, Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ANNUAL MEETING RECAP The Suncoast Swing Gang recently held its Annual Meeting on 4/19/00. The following people were elected to the Board of Directors: Arnold Kasemsarn, Secretary Beth Eldridge, Director Bob Moseley, Director Bob Sutter, Director Dan Parshall, Vice President Janet Kasper, Treasurer Paul Jackson, Director Sam Mahfoud, President Rachel Fia, Director Robin Moore, Director In other business, preliminary bylaws for the organization were ratified, and many matters were discussed, including the formation of committees to tackle projects of the organization. The next meeting was set to take place at 5pm on Sunday, May 21st, at the Italian Club, 1731 E 7th Ave in Ybor City (prior to the regularly scheduled swing night). All are invited to attend and participate! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Editor: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Contributing Editor: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Know any upcoming swing happenings or other news? Send them in to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . 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! Contact us at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Send additions/deletions/address-changes to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Check out our companion website at http://www.SwingNews.com . **********************************************************************