********************************************************************** Swing News, Wednesday 5/31/00, Issue #60, (Next Issue, 6/27/00) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome everyone ... ... to the June issue of Swing News, kicking off one hot Tampa Bay summer. In addition to the special events and band gigs in this newsletter, be sure to make & support your weekly swing dances, every Sunday at the Italian Club and every Wednesday at the Gulfport Casino. You're invited to the next meeting of the Suncoast Swing Gang, Inc., your nonprofit organization that keeps swing happening in Tampa Bay. The meeting will be take place on Wednesday, June 28th, in Gulfport, prior to the regularly scheduled swing night. Meet at 6:30pm, outside, on the front steps of the Gulfport Casino (5500 Shore Blvd S), and we'll go from there. If you find yourself asking "Who's this Suncoast Swing Gang, anyway, and why should I care?" learn more about your organization by reading the column toward the end of this newsletter. Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JUNE SPECIAL EVENTS Next Friday (Jun 9), Strictly Swing Entertainment hosts a swing dance at the Gulfport Casino. Details: - Dance Lesson, 8-9pm, with James & Arleene Norman from Right Step - Dance, 9:00pm-12:30am, with DJ Jumpin' James - All Ages Welcome - Nonsmoking Event - Huge Dance Floor - Admission $6 - Full Bar Available - Phone 727-893-1070 - Address & Directions: 5500 Shore Blvd S in Gulfport. 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. Friday (Jun 16), Dan Electro and the Silvertones return to the Gulfport Casino. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 the day of show. A dance lesson starts out the evening, 8-9pm. The band plays 9:00pm-12:30am, with DJ Jumpin' James spinning between sets. All other details are the same as the prior Friday's dance. Also on Friday (Jun 16), the Swingin' Mooks play Skipper's Smokehouse in north Tampa. The show starts at 8pm and costs $5. The show is open to ages 18 and up (under 18 admitted if accompanied by parent), and is held outdoors under the "Skipperdome". Dance on the plywood floor in front of the stage or wherever you find room on the surrounding wooden decks. Skipper's features a full bar & restaurant, and is located at Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa. Phone 813-971-0666. Directions: Take I-275 to Fletcher, head east, turn right on Nebraska, and right on Skipper Rd. Saturday (Jun 17), the Blue Rags from Asheville NC take the stage at Skipper's Smokehouse. Decked out in their best prohibition-era garb, the band mixes up ragtime, swing, and hillbilly influences to create a fast-paced, energetic, syncopated, and melodic sound. The Blue Rags are fresh from their recent appearance at this year's Tropical Heat Wave. See www.musicmonitor.net/articles/bluerags.html for more band info. The show starts at 8pm and costs $6. Other details are the same as the previous night's show at Skipper's. Sunday (Jun 18), Swing Sundays at the Italian Club are running a Father's Day Special. Bring your dad and he 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, held EVERY Sunday at the Italian Club, 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 . Directions: Take I-4 to Exit 1, head south several blocks, then right on 7th Avenue. The Italian Club is between 17th & 18th Streets, the tallest building on the south side of 7th Avenue. Friday (Jun 23), Rocket 88 (from Orlando) & Midnight Bowlers League (from Tampa) rock the Skipperdome at Skipper's Smokehouse. The show starts at 8pm and costs $6. All other details are identical to the prior Friday's concert at Skipper's. Also on Friday (Jun 23), Strictly Swing Entertainment hosts a swing dance at the Gulfport Casino. All other details are the same as June 9th's dance. Saturday (Jun 24), USF's University Swingsters hold a swing dance at the Marshall Center Ballroom (2nd Floor). The dance is open to the general public, runs 8pm-1am, and starts off with a free lesson at 7:30pm. A donation of $3 is requested. Voodoo Hepcat DJ Abdel spins the music, and refreshments are provided. Abdel writes: "Hello everyone. Thanks for supporting our past USF swing dance events. We have scheduled two dance nights for the upcoming two months. Hope to see some of you there. Until next time, have a swingin' summer." Directions: I-275 to Fowler. Head East. Left onto 50th St. Continue until you're one block before the next traffic light, then left onto North Holly (across from Excellence Apts). Left at 2nd traffic light. Park in Crescent Hill garage. Head to ground floor and follow curved road to Marshall Center. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JULY AND BEYOND Tue Jul 4: Bombed Out Cat + Kimberly Kaye & Swing Fever @ Vinoy Park Fri Jul 7: Swing Dance @ Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Jul 14: Swing Dance @ Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Jul 21: USF Swing Dance @ Marshall Center Ballroom Sat Jul 22: Minn & Corrina workshop in St Pete; 727-347-7700 Sat Jul 22: Brian Setzer Orchestra @ Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center; 813-229-7827 Sun Jul 23: Brian Setzer Orchestra & Swingerhead @ House of Blues in Orlando; 407-934-2580 Fri Jul 28: Swing Dance @ Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Aug 4: Swing Dance @ Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Sat Sep 9: USF Swing Dance @ Marshall Center Ballroom Fri Sep 29: USF Swing Dance @ Marshall Center Ballroom Fri Oct 13 - Sun Oct 15: Frankie Manning in Tampa Bay Sat Oct 14: Johnny Varro's Swing Seven @ Coliseum; 727-892-5202 Fri Oct 20: USF Swing Dance @ Marshall Center Ballroom Fri Nov 17: USF Swing Dance @ Marshall Center Ballroom The Squirrel Nut Zippers are coming to Club More as early as next month, but you'll have to wait for the next issue of Swing News for details. Flash Gordon of Club More informs us that they've scheduled a tentative date, but will know the exact date in a couple of weeks. Thanks to Regina for sending in this bit of news. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Thu: Bombed Out Cat at Rare Olive II; 727-822-7273; Smoking Weekly Studio Events: Fri: Swing City in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking; Open Swing Bombed Out Cat -- Other Upcoming Gigs: Wed May 31 + Most Wednesdays in June: Ringside Cafe, St Pete, 9:30pm-1:30am, 727-894-8465 Sat Jun 3: Bahama Mama's, St Pete Beach, 3-7pm, 727-360-1811 Sat Jun 3: Ringside Cafe, St Pete, 9:30-1:30 Sun Jun 4: Cha Cha Coconuts, atop the St Pete Pier, 2-6pm Bombed Out Cat Update: Billy of Bombed Out Cat writes: "Whass up Cats! Well, it's a new week in the land of Bombed Out Cat. As most of you know, Ally has strained herself and won't be with us for a while. While this isn't good news, things are looking up on other fronts. Those of you who haven't checked out The Speakeasy [941-747-2729] are missing out on one of the nicest rooms around. We had a great time there & will be there on a regular basis. We've also picked up regular week-end dates at King Creole in Sarasota [941-365-7474] and The Living Room in Clearwater [727-531-0332]. We'll be in Vinoy Park again for the 4th of July & Kimberly Kaye will be on the bill again as well. The last week of July we'll be making a road-trip to Key West for a week at The Conch Republic Seafood Co, and this fall we'll be at The Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Thanks to everyone who helped out at The Daiquiri Deck benefit this weekend and to Ryan who won the grand prize of having Executive Chef Bob Barfield of Bernini in Ybor City come to his house and cook dinner for six!!" Orpheum Update: Thursday, June 8th, the Orpheum is hosting a surf/punk/rockabilly concert with the Groovie Ghoulies and Blue Flame Combo. Tickets are $6, doors open at 9pm, and smoking is allowed. Be on the lookout for a weekly Tuesday swing night, starting mid-June. The Orpheum's located at 1902 Republica de Cuba (corner of 8th Ave & 14th St) in Ybor City. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TEEN SWING-DANCE LESSONS IN TEMPLE TERRACE Fran writes: - Swing Dance for Teens Only -- Basic, Intermediate, & Advanced -- You'll be ready to swing after the first lesson - 4 Fridays, Starting June 2, 7:30-9:00pm - Temple Terrace Recreation Complex - Nice Wood Floors, A/C, No Smoking - Contact Fran Johns at 813-985-8216 or T.T. Rec at 813-989-7180 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ITALIAN CLUB UPDATE Swing Sundays continue every Sunday evening at the Italian Club, including holiday weekends. We've had a bit of fun over the last month, bringing in just about every swing DJ who's lived & breathed in Tampa Bay -- sometimes two per night. Starting this Sunday, the night will feature the DJs you liked the best, plus occasional special guests. Other details: * Swing Music & Dancing, 8pm-Midnight * Free Beginner's Swing Dance Lesson, 7-8pm * All Ages Welcome * Smoke-Free Ballroom * Door Prizes * Admission $5 * Huge, High-Quality, Wooden Dance Floor -- Over 2000 Square Feet * Beautiful Ballroom in newly renovated, historic (1918) building * Bottled Water, Juice, Soft Drinks, & Full Bar Available * Free Parking -- very close to the Italian Club * For More Info: E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX * Co-Sponsored by the Suncoast Swing Gang and the Italian Club * Address & Directions: 1731 East 7th Avenue in Ybor City. Take I-4 to Exit 1, head south several blocks, then right on 7th Avenue. The Italian Club is between 17th & 18th Streets, the tallest building on the south side of 7th Avenue. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HELP WANTED: MANAGER FOR SWING NIGHT Swing Sundays at the Italian Club are looking for a manager (or two) who's available at least two Sunday evenings a month, 5pm-1am. The ideal candidate is a highly responsible person who likes to socialize and interact with people, who pays close attention to detail, and who is a team player. Some managerial and business sense is also helpful. While the position is one of great responsibility, it's also a fun and very social way to make some extra spending money while contributing your efforts to a good cause. You'll be paid on a per-night contract basis, and you'll get free admission on the nights you work, during which you dance quite a bit between duties. The manager will put in 7-8 hours (between 5:00pm & 1:00am) on Sunday night, plus a minimal amount of time during the week. The manager is expected to participate in and take direction from the committee that puts on the night. Other responsibilities are: - Open Up, Shut Down, & Manage Building - Supervise & Assist with Event Setup & Takedown - Help Event Run Smoothly - Manage & Schedule Staff - Manage & Replenish Supplies & Equipment - Handle the Unexpected Interested? Send an e-mail to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX describing your availability and qualifications. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SINGLE-STEP SWING LESSONS FOR SENIORS Fran writes: - Single-Step Swing for Seniors Only -- Learn for summer parties - 4 Fridays, Starting July 7, 7:30-9:00pm - Temple Terrace Recreation Complex - Nice Wood Floors, A/C, No Smoking - Contact Fran Johns at 813-985-8216 or T.T. Rec at 813-989-7180 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CONGRATULATIONS ... ... to Jim Webb and his band TNT (formerly The All News Blues Band), for winning first place in the recent Battle of the Media Bands competition. Jim writes, "It only took us three years to do it." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWING, SWING, SWING MUSICAL TO RETURN The Swing, Swing, Swing musical will return during the month of August to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Phone 813-229-7827 for more info or visit www.tampacenter.com . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO'S THE SUNCOAST SWING GANG & WHY SHOULD I CARE? Beth Eldridge writes: For anyone who isn't sure who the "Swing Gang" is, it's all of us. Anyone who subscribes to the Swing News is a member of the Suncoast Swing Gang, Inc. We are a grassroots organization of swing dancers and enthusiasts. A few of us have taken more active roles. We: - Publish the Swing News - Manage the local swing web site (www.swingnews.com) - Run the Italian Club swing night - Host workshops & special events [ie, Jiving Lindy Hoppers workshop, Jet Set Six concert, Joel & Melanie workshop, Rocket 88 concert, Centro Asturiano benefit, Dan Electro concert] - Promote swing dancing to the community We have lots of great ideas on how to spread "the good moves" (and music, style, etc) of swing, which we hope to implement soon. We have a mission statement on the web site, which is currently under discussion. Feel free to join in and help define what YOUR local swing organization is about, and get to know its history by reading old Swing News issues -- April usually has a year-in-review statement. We have a core group of about one or two dozen active members now, but always love more involvement from everyone in the community. All of us are responsible for the maintenance, improvement, and growth of swing dancing in our area. The Suncoast Swing Gang can be a wonderful vehicle for making this happen, and the more people get involved, the more it will happen. Anyone who wants to learn more can talk with me, or any of the board members (Rachel Fia, Paul Jackson, Arnold Kasemsarn, Janet Kasper, Sam Mahfoud, Robin Moore, Bob Moseley, Dan Parshall, Bob Sutter). You are also invited to our next meeting [Wed, 6/28, 6:30pm, Gulfport Casino] and any meeting -- they are published in the Swing News. I know we are all busy, and sometimes all we can do is get out and dance once in a while. That's fine. Dancers form the core of the swing community. But we also need leaders, teachers, organizers, promoters, volunteers, and even paid people to keep the dancing going. I hope to see more of you more actively involved soon, at the meetings, or otherwise. If you need any ideas on how to get involved, we have lots of them. If you have more ideas, bring them too, but we need to all work together to make them happen. (PS: Thanks a million to everyone who already is and/or has been involved in making things happen thus far, as part of the Suncoast Swing Gang, or separate from it. Working together, we accomplish great things!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT Arnold writes: When I started dancing over a year ago, I started, not because of the music, the dance, the styles, although all that was important; I started because of the people. Just wandering through the Sugar Palm, I met people from almost every profession, every background. I met the most interesting and, admittedly, the most attractive people I had met since I moved here. I valued the community built around the dance, the people who supported the clubs, the personalities I saw around and on the dance floor. From the beginning, I valued the people first; the dance was and still is secondary. Instead of driving 40 minutes to Gulfport or 20 minutes to Ybor every week, I could much more easily practice my Lindy steps to Count Basie on CD and a Steven Mitchell video, or dance a Rockabilly Boogie to the Royal Crown Revue while watching Swingers. Instead, I go out and I join our community, and I do what I can to support our clubs and our organizers. As we should all know by now, we are not a financially lucrative investment. The Gulfport Casino and the Italian Club can charge more for one night's rental than we generate across several months. The volunteers and the organizers devote their time to assure we have a clean floor, good sound, and happy owners every week -- often to little financial gain. I am certain James & Arleene and Sam & Rachel and everyone else involved, often consider just spending a quiet night alone instead. Given the comments people make, given the attendance some nights, given the support they often receive, I commend their perseverance. As the night ends, everyone sees me running around and cleaning up. I enjoy this task no more than anyone else. However, I want to assure that my friends can leave at a reasonable time and have enough energy and motivation to return the next week; I want our club owners to see that, even if we're not making a lot of money, we are also not causing them more trouble and more effort. Most of all, though, it is a small contribution to assure that we are invited to return the next week. The next week, as our organizers know, is never a complete certainty. The ground under our community is nowhere near as firm as many people now treat it. Since I started dancing over a year ago, I learned to value the community we built and the people who dance. Among us are college students, web designers, advertising executives, police dispatchers, actors, airmen, communication specialists, waiters, data specialists, psychologists, high school students, marketing representatives, teachers, weight loss counselors, and marine biologists; we range from the early teens and younger to over 70. For the past year, we respected each other, we supported each other, we talked, we accepted each other. Whatever our backgrounds and whatever our preferences, we all came together several times per week, we danced together, we listened to each other's music, we danced each other's dances. Although we may not have appreciated each other's tastes, we did not denigrate each other for having them. I fear we are losing that community. Does anyone still remember our reaction, just a year ago, to the Weekly Planet's dancing skeletons? Or the Fortunate One -- where we danced until 3am with 100 old friends under a single spotlight, where we did not care whether we had air conditioning in mid-July? Or our long, tired, intimate conversations during late-night breakfasts? Or, more recently, our Sugar Palm Night at the Italian Club? As a community, we have an unmatchable energy and vibrance and strength. We weathered the media storm last year together. Today, to survive, we have to learn again to tolerate, to support each other, to unify, to look each other in the eyes again, to talk. Everybody who dances developed their own style, their own dance across many hours, many months, often many years. Our styles are our own and we have every right to expect others to respect our preferences. However, we should also realize that others expect the same respect. Musical styles and songs and rhythms and lyrics and tones all resonate with someone. To segregate and to not respect another's tastes and preferences, however, brings us where we are today. When I dance, only two people matter -- the person whose hands I am holding and myself. I try to assure my partner is comfortable and having fun; and I try to assure that I am comfortable and having fun. I am sometimes successful, sometimes not. You will find me dressed in jeans, a plaid shirt, t-shirt, and chained wallet, and leading pretzels and tunnels during Lindy night; you will find me leading a swing-out and doing Suzy Qs to the Cigar Store Indians at the Orpheum. I choose to cross this boundary every night I can. I have friends among the Lindy Hoppers (in fact, two parents and a sister); I have friends among the Rockabilly crowd; I introduce myself to every newcomer I can. I dance because I enjoy dancing; I dance because I enjoy being around people who enjoy dancing; I dance because I enjoy meeting my friends and chatting while listening to music I enjoy. To me, dancing is a personal pursuit; to almost everyone with whom I speak, dancing is their personal pursuit. Arguing over musical styles, tempos, dance styles, or moves does not strengthen our community, does not advance our own dance, and does not advance anybody else's dance. We will never convince each other to adopt our own preferences. We all have very strong personalities and will likely never agree on subtleties. However, I wish we could all agree to unite again on our common strands -- that we all care about the dance; that we all care about our community; that we all want our community to grow and prosper. Arnold K ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 . **********************************************************************