I’m thinking about you. What else can I say?
The palm trees on the reverse
are a delusion; so is the pink sand.
What we have are the usual
fractured coke bottles and the smell
of backed-up drains, too sweet,
like a mango on the verge
of rot, which we have also.
The air clear sweat, mosquitoes
& their tracks; birds & elusive.
Time comes in waves here, a sickness, one
day after the other rolling on;
I move up, it’s called
awake, then down into the uneasy
nights but never
forward. The roosters crow
for hours before dawn, and a prodded
child howls & howls
on the pocked road to school.
In the hold with the baggage
there are two prisoners,
their heads shaved by bayonets, & ten crates
of queasy chicks. Each spring
there’s race of cripples, from the store
to the church. This is the sort of junk
I carry with me; and a clipping
about democracy from the local paper.
Outside the window
they’re building the damn hotel,
nail by nail, someone’s
crumbling dream. A universe that includes you
can’t be all bad, but
does it? At this distance
you’re a mirage, a glossy image
fixed in the posture
of the last time I saw you.
Turn you over, there’s the place
for the address. Wish you were
here. Love comes
in waves like the ocean, a sickness which goes on
& on, a hollow cave
in the head, filling & pounding, a kicked ear.
Oasis Compassion’s Women’s Center and Sept. 7th Jewelry Party Fundraiser
Dear Friends,
I am so excited to share the news with you that our local food pantry, Oasis Compassion Agency, will be opening a brand new Women’s Center this coming Saturday, August 28th! The celebration runs from 10a.m. – 2p.m. and it would be great for you to stop by and see what will be happening here! Oasis Compassion is an organization truly committed to helping the working poor in our community receive a “hand up”, not a “hand out.” Please check out their website at www.oasiscompassion.org .
I am thrilled to also share an exciting way for you to have a lot of fun helping support this new center. Starting Tuesday, September 7th, Oasis will have a bi-weekly “Ladies Night Out” at the center. This is an opportunity for you ladies to come have a relaxing, fun evening making new friends, enjoying some light refreshments, and doing a little shopping! Our first event will be a Premier Designs Jewelry Party on September 7th at 7p.m. Please come and see what the center is all about, grab a copy of the Ladies Night Out schedule of events, bring a friend and be a part of something wonderful! Below are some more specific details on how our first event will help support Oasis Compassion’s Women’s Center.
Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions or if you already have plans for this evening and would like to place an order. 50% of the profit on EVERY order will go directly to the Women’s Center! Every party booked as a result of this Ladies’ Night will result in 25% of the profit going back to Oasis as well, so please know that you do not have to shop to help support this great cause! You can choose to call me and pick a date to have some friends over, receive free jewelry AND know that donations will go to Oasis as a result!!!
Thank you in advance for marking this event on your calendar and sharing it with your friends. I look forward to seeing you on September 7th!
Andrea McKenney
Independent Consultant, Premier Designs High Fashion Jewelry
Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup this Friday, August 28th, 2010
Loxahatchee, FL-August 24, 2010 – The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center (VTRC) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup this Friday, August 28, 2010. The event will be held from 6-8p.m. and is open to all current and interested volunteers.
The Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup will feature a new volunteer sign up station and games. All the volunteers can meet the new barn manager, play some minute to win it
barn games, and win prizes.
Volunteers are needed at VTRC to assist with barn chores and lessons throughout the day. There are over 100 volunteers and each day about 20 volunteers are on site. The Center currently serves clients Monday through Saturday.
To reserve a spot at this year’s Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup please call Barb at 561.236.0982.
The VTRC is a nonprofit organization based in Loxahatchee, FL, that provides recreational and therapeutic riding instruction to people of all ages with varying developmental, physical, and psychological disabilities. The organization, founded in 1982, assists more than 350 adults and children every year, helping them gain a sense of accomplishment, greater independence, and a higher quality of life. The VTRC has received a “Premier Accreditation” rating from the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA).
For more information on the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center or to download a volunteer application please visit www.vinceremos.com or visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com/vinceremos.
Shakespeare’s Gone Wild at the Lake Worth Playhouse!
is the fastest, funniest, fiercest comedy
Shakespeare never intended… but wishes he had.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Join our trio of madcap men in tights as they take you on an irreverent, fast-paced romp through all 37 of the Bard’s plays, weaving their wicked way through each of Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and tragedies. “This show is insanely fabulous,” says the show’s director, Stephanie Haber, “and the cast is pure joy!”
The trio of Playhouse veterans that make up the cast are: Todd “Canker Blossom” Caster, J. Paul “Saucy Knave” Heiner and Calvin “Punkin’ Bloomers” Bankert.
Mr. Caster has played a vast array of historical characters throughout his lengthy stage career. Audiences will recognize him from previous Playhouse shows, The Woman in Black and Leading Ladies, in which he skillfully portrayed nine different characters between the two shows. When the overachieving actor’s uncle’s housekeeper’s cousin, who happens to be a cashier at the Publix where director Stephanie Haber shops, gave Mr. Caster notice of the Shakespeare audition, he jumped at the opportunity to beat his own record. “Stephanie asked me if I would possibly agree to play 14 different characters,” Caster said. “My reply was simply ‘only 14?'”
Mr. Heiner has played numerous roles on the Playhouse stage which he describes in words almost as elegant as those of the bard himself: “I have morphed from a drunken deadbeat well-meaning daddy (Hollywood Arms) to a Manischewitz-quaffing (offstage) CEO hell-bent on finding the perfect rock of engagement (Modern Orthodox), unto the able curse of a Pulitzer-prized play of terrifying proportions (The Crucible), to a greased radio jockey in the biggest, most fabulous high school musical ever (Grease), to a seriously damaged cereal-starved killer mouse of a man trapped in a winter storm (The Mousetrap).” Mr. Heiner uses his broad acting range to bring Shakespeare’s many, diverse characters to life.
Mr. Bankert, the youngest of the cast and the one known affectionately as “Punkin’ Bloomers,” has performed many times at the Playhouse but, until now, has never been forced to wear “a chick’s costume.” He is toughing it out, however, just happy to be in a play that offers him a sideline diversion from his academics and that keeps him off the streets of Lake Worth where he is known by the locals as “that strange boy who hears music inside his head.”
This is one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.
Did we mention tickets are only $15 for students and teachers? Because who loves Shakespeare more than YOU do? AND FOR YE LOYAL SUBSCRIBERS…. Don’t forget we offer a 10% discount off regular ticket prices
for all non-season show … like this one!DO THE MATH Even if you buy a ticket at full price ($25 or $29), considering these guys perform
all 37 plays in 90 minutes, you’re paying less than (let’s see…. carry the two….)
.. less than $2 per play!!! That’s an offer even a Merchant of Venice couldn’t refuse!561-586-6410
A new class is being offered at That’s Dancing – read below for details…happy dancing!
Social Dance Styles Class
Standard and Latin Styled Dance Classes
Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Rumba & Tango
With instructor: Nicole Jacuetti
With or Without a Partner
When: Friday Beginning October 1st 2010 (10 week session)
Where: That’s Dancing
What: Standard and Latin Styled Dance Classes
Elementary Aged Students – Class meets from 3-4pm
Middle and High School Aged Students – Class meets from 6:30-7:30pm
Adults – Class meets from 7:30-8:30pm
10 week session begins Friday, October 1st 2010.
The session ends on Friday, December 10th 2010.
No class on Friday, November 26th.
No Registration Fee
$140 for the 10 week session
Full tuition is due upon registration.
There are no refunds for missed classes.
Ballroom shoes are strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Jazz shoes or hip hop sneakers will be mandatory if you do not wear ballroom shoes. Attire should be appropriate for style being taught. Girls should have skirts.
So my long-distance friend recently asked me, “What have you been doing this summer with the kids to stay busy?” As she mentioned, she was running out of ideas and the summer was starting to wear on her, as the kids were probably getting a bit stir-crazy.
I was surprised to find that I had accidentally (and happily) filled up our days this summer with fun activities. Many of the activities were free or very affordable. And all of them involved staying cool, since our heat index has been about 105 degrees each day here in Florida. I apologize for getting these ideas to you at the end of the summer and not the beginning! However, I thought it might be nice to get these ideas out there now and if you find anything useful, maybe you can hold onto it as “ammunition” to get through next summer.Especially if you’ll be home with kids and if they are not headed for camp.
Swim Lessons. My kids are five and three – swimming is one of the only outdoor activities that we can do together in the summer, thanks to the heat.If you’re going to invest in any kind of lessons over the
A small group lesson at Santa Luces swimming pool with instructor "Mr. Shane"
summer in Florida, I highly recommend swim lessons. The faster they learn to swim, the safer you will be. I’ve heard good things about the swim lessons at Calypso Bay Waterpark in Royal Palm Beach, Lake Lytal in West Palm Beach, Wellington’s Aquatic Center pool and Santa Luces High School in Lake Worth – all reasonably priced. We chose Santa Luces swim lessons (to join a few of their friends) and were impressed with the quality of the teaching and the affordable price of the lessons. These lessons are taught in two-week sessions, Tuesday thru Friday, in half-hour sessions, all for a total cost of $50 per child.The swim instructors were kind, patient and consistent. Both of my kids went from swimming with water wings to swimming without them. My five-year-old daughter already does the strokes with good form, including the crawl and the backstroke – thanks to just four weeks of lessons. She learned the elementary backstroke too. Unfortunately (like most kids I’ve seen) she never chooses to use it. For those parents who are more interested in one-on-one lessons, there are other great local instructors – Sharon Powers (561-596-5199) and “AquaPam,” also known as Pam Smith (561-758-1869).
Hours of imaginative play at Playmobil FunPark
Another activity we’ve enjoyed over the summer is going to Playmobil Fun Park. Admission for all day is just $1 and you can bring a picnic lunch and eat it in the café.It’s cool, clean and very entertaining for young kids. The German-designed Playmobil toys capture the imagination of your children, whether they are into dinosaurs, princesses, Roman empires, hospitals, animal rescue or something else – there’s something for everyone. See our “AW Spotlight” story about Playmobil and related brand Lechuza last month!
Summer Movie Specials! There are so many free or affordable summer movie series for kids in our area. We tried out the Wellington Marketplace Summer Movie Fair (561-792-7334) with a couple of friends this summer.For just $5 per person, you get tickets to 9 movies (over 9 weeks).The movies are generally a year or two old.Since my kids have seen very few movies in the theaters (actually my 3-year-old had never been to the movie theater before), this really didn’t matter. My kids actually liked the first one in the series the best “Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeequel.” We didn’t make it to the end of every movie – because a few of the films were “just too scary,” according to my kids. Yet overall, it was a good experience. Good practice behaving in a dark theater (and not talking). A nice break for Mom…or Dad too!
Just today we went to the South FloridaScience Museum in West Palm Beach (561-832-1988) and visited their Planetarium too. We were happy to get in for free (on the first weekend of the month) because of being Bank of America customers. We still paid for admission for the kids, but it was just $6 per child. There are many
Kids test their engineering skills to build a bridge at the Science Museum.
hands-on learning activities for the children. Our kids were fascinated with the Shadow Freeze room, the ball rollercoaster, the spinning tops and the dominos play area.The latter two were part of the Science in Toyland exhibit, presented by Bank of America. Also, my three-year-old son was thrilled to be in his first planetarium, since his favorite topic is the planets right now. We saw a show called “The Friendly Stars” which was age-appropriate and just perfect for anyone else who has a budding astronaut in the family. The museum just re-opened their Observatory and telescope, which is featured on a special evening on the last Friday of each month called “Nights at the Museum.”Parents, take advantage of these special nights, where many science experts are there to explain the different exhibits and activities are going on from 6pm to 10pm, in addition to telescope viewing.When we visited the last Friday night in August, they taught the kids how to dissect a shark and let them use the tools to do it.Ewwwww!But cool stuff, if you can stomach it.
Don’t forget your local library. They do a nice job of storytimes and other activities over the summer.We took advantage of a couple of special programs that were, of course, free. You do need to sign up in advance for these activities in the children’s section of the library. There was an excellent puppet show called “Oceans of Fun.” Also, on International Fairy Day (which, honestly, is the first International Fairy Day I remember celebrating), we made our own fairies, a cute craft involving a clothes pin and a magnet. Check out the Wellington Public Library or your closest library. It’s really possibly the best free resource that we have as parents. And in this economy, it’s a great thing to be able to come home with a huge stack of new books, CDs and DVDs every week – new educational material for your kids at no cost to you.
Have you got great, inexpensive ideas for things to do with your young children?Send them our way, email: aroundwellington@earthlink.net. Also check out “Kids Corner,” where super-mom Shawn Thompson has compiled a great list of “Kids Eat Free” nights at local restaurants. BTW, if you haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to “Subscribe” to our online magazine. It’s painless and we do not share our email address with any other entity! THANKS in advance for your ideas!
Krista Martinelli is the editor of www.aroundwellington.com. She’s the mother of a five-year-old girl, who is obsessed with Broadway musicals, and a three-year-old boy, who is obsessed with our solar system.
Kamelleon Live, The OtherSIDE, The Funkabilly Playboys
By Marla E. Schwartz
Music moves us, motivates us and inspires us. It’s also true that music means different things to different people.
The ability to exactly define music has eluded the best of the most noted musicians and even philosophers, sociologists as well as neurologists because its diverse use throughout history, regions and societies from all walks of life makes it difficult characterize. The easiest way to describe music is that it’s the art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color. The most romantic notion at best that defines music is it is poetry sung aloud that literally touches the core of our very souls. Some turn to famous rock groups to fulfill this desire while others turn to cover bands to secure their own significantly meaningful relationship with music.
Cover bands usually play well-known songs written and recorded by other artists. Some cover bands play material from certain decades, such as the 1960s or 1980s. Others focus entirely on the music of a particular group and have come to be known as tribute bands. It’s not uncommon for example to find Pink Floyd or U2 tribute bands. Most cover bands play a wide selection of songs from a diverse set of artists, genres and various decades.
Today you’ll be introduced to three local cover bands and learn more about some of the individual artists in each rock group as well as where you can see them perform.
Kamelleon Live
The first band is from right here in Wellington and its called Kamelleon Live and primarily has a standing engagement at the Cadillac Ranch at the Villages of Gulfstream Park (921 Silks Run Road) in Hallandale Beach. It’s an all American Bar & Grill that has the most talked about mechanical bull in town. You can call for more information about the band or the restaurant, at 954-456-1031. The web address is: http://www.cadillacranchmiami.com/.Kamelleon Live band members include Robert Schiff, Scott Sander, David Francine, Tammy Welson Smith, and Roderick Kohn. This group can be found on Facebook as Kamelleon- South Florida’s Classic Rock Party Band and can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kamelleon-South-Floridas-Classic-Rock-Party-Band/124703340890979.They are able to occasionally offer coupons for a 10% discount on menu items at Cadillac Ranch when you attend a Wednesday night performance from 7-11 PM of Kamelleon Live.
Kamelleon Live - (L) Tammy Welson Smith. (R) Dennis Rodman with Tammy Welson Smith.
Lead vocalist Tammy Welson Smith she sat down and answered a few questions for us.
1.When did the band form and how did you come to be a part of the group?
I grew up in North Miami Beach and had been performing music and acting throughout high school and college.When I married in 1993 and moved here to Wellington, I lost touch with all of my friends from that time in my life.
Thanks to Facebook, I reconnected with almost every friend I’ve ever known…an amazing, life-changing experience!I was delighted to find many of my “arts” friends were still performing.Robert Schiff (keyboards), who also now lives here in Wellington, brought me in to the band.
2.Do you remember where you played your first gig?
My first gig with Kamelleon, early this year, was at The Newport Beachside Resort on Sunny Isles, North Miami Beach.It is an iconic N. Miami Beach hotel, so it was especially a joy to not only be back on stage performing again after all these years, but to be in a place special to my memories.(As a young teenager, I met Bruce Springsteen in the lobby when he performed in concert at The Sportatorium).
Also, as we were finishing our first gig, Dennis Rodman surprised us by jumping on stage to sing with us!
3.What’s your most requested song?
“Something” by Pearl Jam, requested by Dennis Rodman!
4.When did you become interested in performing/music?
As a very little child, I constantly performed (usually for no one) in my living room to my parents Broadway show albums.
I first sang professionally from age fourteen with the band “Johnny Milanese and the Interludes” at Turnberry Isle Country Club, The Fontainebleau Hotel, and summers at a dude ranch resort in Lake George, NY.
5.Is the band accepting any new recruits? I mean, if someone wants to join your band, can they; if so, how does someone go about contacting you for more information?
Yes, I’d love to hear from musicians and singers in this area!Robert Schiff and I have been jamming with other people here locally.We play classic rock and will be performing at venues like John Bull in West Palm Beach.
Also, my teenage sons, Danny and Jason Smith play lead and bass guitars.They also want to find teenaged musicians to jam and perform with.
Please write me at tammyw.smith@yahoo.com or find me on Facebook “Tammy Welson Smith.”
Young musicians; please find the Facebook group page Palm Beach County Jams and join up with my sons.
6.Please feel free to add anything else.
I have also written a short film “Murder at Upminster K”, which is in the developing stages to be shot and entered in the Delray Beach Film Festival, as well as other exciting performing arts projects under way.
The OtherSIDE
The next band hails from Boynton Beach and it’s called The OtherSIDE and this group mainly can be seen rockin’ and rollin’ at The Irishmen in Boca Raton, but have also performed at the Havana Hideaway in Lake Worth, the City Pub in Deerfield Beach, private parties, corporate events and even played at the Deerfield Beach Founders Day Festival (it raises money for local charities, school and youth groups, and civic organizations) two years ago and would delighted to perform in Miami.
The Other Side band members perform in November of 2009
Band members include Greg Moore, Rick Voorhees, Jeffrey Cripe, Jorge Rodriguez-Baz and on lead vocals is Barb Dyer. Here’s a little bit of background information on the band members:
Greg Moore has played drums in the local Ft. Lauderdale/South Florida area since 1975. Playing since the age of 12 Greg played in his High School marching band, Symphonic band, and Jazz band before joining his first rock band in 1975, Ten Miles High. He played and recorded with local bands Dyamond, Satin Steel, First Run, and East Ocean. His various styles cover many music genres. Greg is presently playing with local rock band The OtherSIDE and is also involved in reuniting ‘Dyamond’ after over 30 years!
Rick Voorhees started playing guitar in the sixth grade.Rick spent a short time in the junior high school jazz band, but left to pursue rock music in bands Pegasus, Black Rose, and later Starliner.In college, Rick played in the Boston-based original power pop band The Normalz.Rick’s favorite genre has always been rock music, and he now plays with the classic rock cover band The OtherSIDE.
Jeff Cripe was taught to play piano at the age of 5 by his favorite Aunt Rhea.Never having any formal training, Jeff created his own style being influenced by artists like Dave Brubeck, Billy Joel and Elton John through high school in Chicago.During that time Jeff played for the not so appropriately named Acapella choir.One of the most defining moments in his life occurred while playing at this graduation on a grand piano at Orchestra Hall right on Michigan Avenue.Being totally calm playing where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays (well maybe not so calm after knowing 1500 people doing nothing but listening to you!!!) caused Jeff to realize his passion for performing.College at University of Illinois found him playing at local residence halls by himself or with the JD Club Band (soon banished from renting the practice room at Illinois Residence Hall).After moving to Florida, Jeff has played with many local bands as the Hippy Cowboys and The Flyers and currently drinks Jack Daniels and rides Harley Davidson motorcycles between gigs with The OtherSIDE.You may catch him playing open mic nights in Lake Worth or Boynton.
Jorge Rodriguez-Baz has played the guitar since he was a boy in Cuba where his mother used to take him and his brother to different venues to play. In high school and college, he was a drummer for cover bands and seven years ago started playing the bass. Jorge enjoys and plays many types of music from Latin Ballads to Salsa to Country and Rock n Roll.He is currently the bass player for a local Classic Rock band called The Other SIDE.Jorge is also a Director in a fortune 500 company in South Florida where the job takes him to many different countries with different cultures enhancing his music diversification.
While Barbara Dyer has focused her career as a procurement manager, a native to Baltimore, Md., she began her part-time singing debut some thirty-five years ago as a lounge singer for the Intercontinental Hotel at BWI Airport. Barbara is the founder of Bella Enterprises and is best known for her “sultry vocal” styles entertaining at restaurants such as Thaikyo and Café L’Europe in Palm Beach. However her breath of vocal ability ranges from rock-n-roll to country, swing to jazz, and R&B to contemporary “pop”, as she currently sings in the Classic Rock-n-Roll cover band, The OtherSIDE. In her current role as a Sr. Commodity Manager for a Fortune 500 company, she has traveled extensively to countries outside the US such as Germany, The Czech Republic, China, Taiwan and Mexico where she has expanded her varied musical talents by experiencing such diverse cultures and music styles.
Please contact The Irishmen for more information on upcoming gigs for The OtherSide at 561-368-1129. This Irish Pub is more than a just a neighborhood sports bar that features outstanding cover bands, it serves a tasty outlet for delicious beers such as the outstanding American brew Yuengling draft, and hands down you cannot get a more authentic Shepard’s Pie for miles around. The Irishmen is located at 1745 NW Boca Raton Blvd., and its web site is theirishmenpub.com.
The Funkabilly Playboys
The third and final group, a band that I’ve seen perform many times is none other than the outstanding Delray Beach group called The Funkabilly Playboys. It’s a full-on-party band hybrid that mainly performs at Boston’s on the Beach in Delray Beach. Band members include . . .
Chuck Farthing– Bass and Vocals, Michael Vullo – Guitar and Vocals, Scott Henze –Keys, Guitar and Vocals, Tim Kuchta – Drums and Michael “Bongo” Hawn – Percussion and Vocals. Their musical style ranges from Rockabilly to Blues to Louisiana Swamp Funk to Classic Rock to Heavy Metal.
The Funkabilly Playboys
If you check out the group’s website at www.funkabillyplayboys.com you’ll find more information about this band, each band member, when/where they’ll be performing and you can even subscribe to their mailing list in order to receive an occasional newsletter updating you on the bands performances, and more. And don’t forget to check out the website for Boston’s on the Beach for information on bands scheduled to perform and more, at:www.bostonsonthebeach.com. Also check out band member Tim Kutchta’s website for more information on all of his work including drum lessons that he offers as well as music samples at, www.timkuchta.com.
The Funkabilly Playboys with Mike Hawn (middle) perform at a wedding in Coral Gables
Michael “Bongo” Hawn who is a percussionist and a vocalist for the band took a few minutes to answer some questions for us.
1.When did the band form and how did you come to be a part of the group?
The band formed in 1998 and it started as collaboration, my friend Chuck and I had been in a couple different two-piece and three-piece little things, we used to play at the Acapulco Grill and different places around town for happy hour. Then we took a break but we were still in contact with each other and we both had businesses in the same area so we used to meet for lunch once in a while. We had a discussion one day talking about how we were getting an itch to play again and he had this idea of putting together a really good band and I said ‘yeah that sounds good’. One of the local bands we used to see all the time called The Groove Things had broken up and gone their separate ways and the lead singer moved out of town, and we thought they were a really great band that played a different selection of music than most bands played locally. So we wanted to fill the hole and put together a really great band that played really great music – and that’s how it started. We started to put together a list of names of people we wanted (to be in our band) and we got very lucky.
2.Do you remember where you played your first gig?
We actually played our first gig at a private party. A friend of ours was having a Halloween/Birthday party for himself as his house and his name was Chuck King and he is a Boca resident and has worked for IBM and is also a writer and is really into minor league baseball. His brother is a minor league baseball player, and we had a really good time. He still shows up at our gigs and we see him from time to time.{In 2004 Chuck wrote a book called The Funniest Thing I’ve Ever Seen: More than 100 crazy stories from minor league baseball.You can check out his website at MinorLeagueDugout.com.}
3.What’s your most requested song?
Dan Marino with the Funkabilly Playboys members
Probably Mustang Sally. But we refuse to play it. This is an example of how we select the songs we play. Our central core as to how we select our songs is that we refuse to play the standard thirty songs that every bar band plays and at the top of that list is Mustang Sally. If you go to our website (www.funkabillyplayboys.com) it explains in detail that the number one rule is NO Mustang Sally. We’ve refused that request probably a hundred times including a request by Dan Marino at his own … well, we’ll just leave it at that, yes – we refused Dan Marino. But there are a lot of things we’ll try. If it’s a decent song and one of us knows it, we can usually (figure) our way through it. Saturday night we had a request for The Monkees. Now, we’ve never played a Monkees song in our lives but guitarist Mike Vullo knew the song pretty well and everybody kinda knows the song and we did I’m a Believer for a woman who was celebrating her forty-ninth birthday.
4.You have a beautiful singing voice and I really enjoy your bongo playing – when did you first become interested in music?
My musical career started by accident. I’ve always liked music and in college planned on studying broadcasting and possibly (how to become) a DJ, but the music playing came by accident. I had a friend named Matthew Craig and he and I used to play at the Grill all the time. He’s a guitar player and I used to record him at my house. I had a nice cassette deck and he would come over and write a new song and he’d want to record it, so he could listen to it and work on it some more. We’d record music and one time he came in with a new song that had kind of a different rhythm pattern than usual. He asked me if I would help him by keeping time on a pair of bongos that be brought with him. He wanted me to keep time so he wouldn’t fall off meter and he took that recording and said it turned our really well and he shopped it around looking for a couple gigs. One of the places that he ended up getting hired at right away was the former Blarney Stone, which is now The Duck Tavern (ducktavern.com) on Federal Highway. It was at that first gig where the bar owner said to him, “hey, where is your bongo player?” He heard the bongos on the tape and wanted a bongo player so I was hired the next week as the bongo player for Matthew. We played the Blarney Stone for two or three months in a row. Then we got hired at several other places and ended up having a really long run at the Acapulco Grill back in the day.
5.What does music mean to you? How does it inform your life?
First and foremost it’s a way to get out of the house and have some fun and play some music for people who really appreciate it. The pay isn’t too bad but the main reason I do it is to share some fun with some people who seem to enjoy it.
6.Please feel free to add anything else.
There’s the whole as aspect as to whether or not you’re going to be signed by a major label or not and why people do what you kinda do.There are all these younger guys that are trying to write songs and become great big successes either on the radio or on television and now on the Internet. And then there are guys like us who know it’s probably not going to happen for us but we’re trying to have a good time while we’re doing it anyway. There are the serious, serious local musicians and we don’t really travel in the same circles but we have a great appreciation for those who are trying to make it big in the business. We’ve all, each of us in this band, have all known somebody who has gone on to have a major record label deal. Some of them have done well and some of them haven’t. We do a little bit corporate, but not very much, so we’ve done some corporate shows and we’ve done fundraisers and we try to go pro bono work at least a couple times a year because there are a lot of musicians out there who don’t have insurance and when something happens that involves someone we know we try to do a couple pro bono shows a year to help raise money for somebody’s medical expenses or unfortunately in some cases funeral expenses. It’s just one of those things that go along with the territory. Because we come from different backgrounds musically, we’ve all played in different kinds of bands, our network of friends is pretty widespread and if we don’t know every musician, we know somebody who knows every musician here and we’ve been around awhile. We’ve done several fundraisers including one for Dan Marino’s Autism Foundation (www.danmarinofoundation.org).
If you’re a fan of The Funkabilly Playboys or if you haven’t seen them perform yet, be sure to check out their upcoming shows:
Saturday
September 18th, 20109:00pmBoston’s On The Beach
40 S. Ocean Blvd. (A1A)
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Friday
October 1st, 20108:00pm ’til 11:00pmOakland Park Oktoberfest
Jaco Pastorius Park
Oakland Park, FL 33334
Now that you’ve been informed about these three kick-ass local bands, Kamelleon Live, The OtherSIDE and The Funkabilly Playboys, here’s a little sidebar about another group you may want to catch – although they certainly aren’t a local band. If you’re a General Hospital fan and you haven’t heard of the band Port Chuck formed by some of the hottest daytime stars from this show – here’s what you need to know about this awesome group! The band members are comprised of Brandon Barash (Johnny Zacchara), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Scott Reeves (Dr. Steven Webber) and Steve Burton (Jason Quartermaine) and you can read all about what these guys are doing on their down time while performing in this new band at, www.portchuck.com. (Many GH fans secretly wish that Rick Springfield and other talented artists currently appearing on the show or from season’s past would make surprise appearances at some of these gigs – including some of the female actors from this long-running soap!)
Unfortunately, the group isn’t coming to South Florida, but they’ll be close enough. You can head to any of these locations to see them perform live:
Nashville, TN | Sept. 8, 2010
Zanies Comedy Club
Tickets: (615) 269-0221 – CALL FOR TICKETS
Wednesday, September 08, 20102025 8th Avenue S.
Showtime: 8:00pm/6:00pm Super VIP-photo, pre seating & more
– General Admission Added (show and Q & A only)
Veron Hills, IL | Sept. 9, 2010
Zanies Comedy Club
230 Hawthorn Village
Vernon Hills, IL 60061
Tickets: (847)-549-6030 – CALL FOR TICKETS
Showtime: 7:00 pm/5:00 Super VIP-photo, premium seating & more
– Super VIP, Reduced Prices, & General Admission Added (show and Q & A only)
Newtown, CT | Sept. 10, 2010
Treehouse at Edmond Town Hall
45 Main Street
Newtown, CT
Tickets: (203) 268-5857 – CALL FOR TICKETS
Friday, September 10, 2010
Showtime: 7:00 pm/5:00 Super VIP-photo, premium seating & more
Levittown, NY | Sept. 11, 2010
Governor’s Comedy Club
90 Division Avenue
Levittown, NY
Tickets: (516) 731-3358 – CALL FOR TICKETS
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Showtime: 2:00pm
– Super VIP, Reduced Prices, & General Admission Added (show and Q & A only)
Staten Island, NY | Sept. 12, 2010
Uncle Vinny’s at the Lane Theatre
168 New Dorp Lane
Staten Island, NY 10306
Tickets: (877)-862-5384 – CALL FOR TICKETS
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Showtime: 11:00am/9:00am Super VIP-photo, premium seating & more
– Super VIP, Reduced Prices, & General Admission Added (show and Q & A only)
One could say that it’s very exciting to discover all these talented groups that it’s ‘music to my ears’,or better yet, these bands are exactly what you want to hear when you’re looking for a good night on the town.After all, when you have a chance to listen to music that energizes you and tells stories of love, lost love, sorrow, bliss or brings back memories of special occasions while helping us live our lives to the fullest, these bands of choice are highly recommended for such musical inspiration that will definitely touch the core of your very existence.
A native of Toledo, OH and a graduate of Kent State University, Marla E. Schwartz is a Senior Writer for Miami Living Magazine and is currently a freelance writer for Around Wellington Magazine and Lighthouse Point Magazine. Her photographs have appeared in numerous Ohio publications, as well as in Miami Living, The Miami Herald, The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post. She has had numerous plays published and produced around the country. Her short play, America’s Working? was produced in Los Angeles at both the First Stage and the Lone Star Ensemble theater companies, in Florida at Lynn University and then at an off-Broadway playhouse in NYC. Her piece, The Lunch Time Café, was a finalist for the Heideman Award, Actors Theatre of Louisville. Please check out the re-print of her interview with authors Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson in the upcoming October 2010 issue of Duff Brenna’s ServingHouse: A Journal of Literary Arts at www.servinghousejournal.com. Please feel free to contact her at marlaschwartz@att.net.
Shop for a Cause at Whole Foods Market Wellington, Tuesday, August 31
5% of the Day’s Net Sales to Benefit Palm Beach School for Autism
Whole Foods Market – Wellington is hosting a back to school themed 5% Day, on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, where 5% of the day’s net sales will be donated to the Palm Beach School for Autism. A round up of the day’s fun family activities are listed below:
8:00am-9:00pm Palm Beach School for Autism information table
2:00-4:00pm Buck McWilliams from GATER 98.7 will be personally bagging groceries on register #8!
5:30-7:00pm Block Party featuring after school snacks for everyone to try. Guests can vote for their favorite and enter to win a $50 Whole Foods Market Gift Card. No purchase necessary to win; ballots are given in the produce department at the main entrance.
6:00-9:00pm Road Rascal car cruise-in featuring over 30 motorcycles, hot rods, muscle cars, and more.
The Palm Beach School for Autism’s mission is to provide a developmentally appropriate intense behavior intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder and related disabilities.
The Whole Foods Market – Wellington is located at 2635 State Road 7, in Wellington.
Palms West Community Foundation Golf Classic Tournament 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010–1:00p.m. Shotgun Start
Breakers West Country Club—Rees Jones Course
1550 Flagler Parkway West Palm Beach, FL 33411
FIRST ANNUAL PALMS WEST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
GOLF CLASSIC TOURNAMENT 2010
We are pleased to announce that the First Annual Palms West Community Foundation Golf Classic Tournament 2010 will be held on Friday, October 1, 2010 at Breakers West Country Club, on the prestigious Rees Jones course, with a 1:00p.m. shotgun start. After the afternoon play, the participants and their guests will enjoy an awards reception and BBQ dinner in the Clubhouse’s main dining room. Foursomes are $600 and single players are $150—price includes golf, awards reception and BBQ dinner.
Dennis Witkowski, a well-known face in the Western Communities and a veteran golf tournament organizer, has agreed to Chair this event. He is joined by an exceptional group of business leaders helping on the event’s steering committee. The hope is to establish this tournament as a successful, classic golf event that will be held in the Western Communities for years to come, and will be an event that players look forward to participating in each year.
The Palms West Community Foundation is the non-profit arm of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in Western Palm Beach county through outreach programs and by establishing a community center for the region—the new Palms West Chamber of Commerce building. The aim of the Palms West Community foundation Golf Classic Tournament is to bring together Chamber members and their guests in an effort to raise the dollars needed to meet the mission and annual goals of the Foundation and in the process to enjoy an afternoon of relaxed networking and exceptional golf.
Sponsorship opportunities for this event are still available. Contact Maureen Gross at (561)790-6200 or email her at maureen@palmswest.com for more information. Sign up your foursome today at www.palmswest.com/golf.
A native of Toledo, OH and a graduate of Kent State University, Marla E. Schwartz is a Senior Writer for Miami Living Magazine and is currently a freelance writer for Around Wellington Magazine and Lighthouse Point Magazine. Her photographs have appeared in numerous Ohio publications, as well as in Miami Living, The Miami Herald, The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post. She has had numerous plays published and produced around the country. Her short play, America’s Working? was produced in Los Angeles at both the First Stage and the Lone Star Ensemble theater companies, in Florida at Lynn University and then at an off-Broadway playhouse in NYC. Her piece, The Lunch Time Café, was a finalist for the Heideman Award, Actors Theatre of Louisville. Please check out the re-print of her interview with authors Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson in the upcoming October 2010 issue of Duff Brenna’s ServingHouse: A Journal of Literary Arts at www.servinghousejournal.com. Please feel free to contact her at marlaschwartz@att.net.