Busy Girl
Jennifer Winston
Concerts I’ve Been To
I want to know how I can get one of the fake crows that were sitting on the spotlight rack at the Pearl Jam show. There were 13 of them up there, and throughout the show, I kept thinking, “I must have one of those.” I arrived at Coral Sky just as my favorite song, “Animal,” was starting. The stage was simple yet striking, with solid jewel colored lighting, which changed every few minutes. The curious highlight of the show occurred when the roadies brought out a collapsible ping-pong table. After a few paddles back and forth, they wheeled the thing away, ping-pong balls still falling from the sky. The Florida date was the last night of the tour, and a most appreciative Eddie graciously thanked the crowd for making it fun.
A few weeks later and it was back up to Coral Sky to see Matchbox 20. This was one of the best shows I have seen all year. Matchbox 20 played all of their many hits from Yourself or Someone Like You, which has been in my CD player forever. “Long Day,” “Back 2 Good Real World,” “3AM,” “Damn,” “Push,” and my favorite, “Girl Like That,” got the crowd dancing. It was amazing to hear everyone singing all of the songs. Trevor, the bass player from Cool For August, joined in for a few songs too. The Cure’s “Fascination Street” was a nice surprise, however, I think all of the younger audience members thought that Tom Petty’s “Don’t Do Me Like That” and the Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down” were two new Matchbox 20 songs. Talk about feeling old. After the show, I saw my friend Adam, the rhythm guitar player (and one of the absolute nicest people in the world), who had his own fan club section back stage. The band will be filming a concert in Australia and then return to the states for a much-needed break. (Just in time for Adam’s birthday.)
Elton John’s sold out show at the new National Car Rental Center was the following night. (Too many concerts lately… no wonder my house is a mess.) He got the evening going with “Circle of Life;” videos of Simba and friends flashing on the video screens. After that he went into “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Honky Cat,” and “Tiny Dancer.” And the hits kept coming. “Levon,” “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues,” “I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That,” and a rearranged “Rocket Man” got the crowd on their feet. The few who were still in their seats sprang up for “Crocodile Rock” and “Philadelphia Freedom.” And Elton encouraged dancing in aisle, exclaiming, “This ain’t Celine Dion,” referring to her concert the night before. Elton charmed the crowd by dedicating “Your Song” to them, repeatedly high-fiving everyone in the front row, and even signing a few autographs in the middle of a song. He gave the crowd just what they had come for – to hear the songs that they had grown up listening to. After each song, I would think to myself, “This is my favorite Elton John song,” and then the next song would start and I would say, “No, this is my favorite Elton John song.” “I’m Still Standing,” “The One,” “Something About the Way you Look Tonight,” “The Bitch is Back,” and “Saturday Night’s All Right for Fighting” got the crowd cheering. He ended with “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Benny and the Jets.” What a night.
Local Stuff
The Shadow Lounge recently hosted VH-1’s Rocumentary Sneak Preview of the Goods’
Good Things Are Coming. A few nights later, Eric Knight had his debut album release party for Near Life Experiences at the Spec’s on South Beach. Congratulations to both.
Silver Nightingale will be performing with Ramon Justica on Friday, October 23 at Tutti’s Trattoria in Weston at 7pm. Enjoy the great Italian food and hear some magical flute and guitar music. Silver Nightingale will also be playing at City Link’s Music Fest on December 4th and at Borders Books in Coral Springs on December 24th. One of these days I am going to dig out my flute and dust it off.
Cool Places to Go
Betsy Johnson will premiere her Spring ‘99 collection not in New York, but in South Florida at Liquid. Betsy, her daughter Lulu, and Lenny Kravitz will host the event at midnight on October 30th.
Dog Spot at 2112 Washington Street in Hollywood, Florida, is my new favorite place. The doggie day care center and coffee bar is a comfortable living room setting where pups are free to roam while their human counterparts sip fruit drinks, sodas, flavored coffees, bottled water, or frozen cappuccinos. One area called Starbarks (too cute) also has a boutique that sells pet supplies such as leashes, collars, toys, bowls, and gourmet treats. Behind the coffee bar, the building has several rooms where dogs can play or rest with their newfound friends while waiting for their owners to pick them up after work. A 6,000-square-foot backyard has a pool and plenty of running space. Dog Spot is open 7 AM-7 PM Mondays through Fridays; 10 AM-6 PM Saturdays; and noon-5 PM Sundays. Call (954) 923-SPOT for more information.
The first STOMP (not that Stomp) hit Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s bar section, and my new friends Greg and Jeff and I must have visited every bar in the district. Participating venues included the Poorhouse, Rush Street, Solo, Tavern 213, and the Chili Pepper. We started at Iguana Cantina, where attendees bought their STOMP T-shirts. (Mine was way too big, as usual. Can’t anyone make Extra Smalls?) The T-shirt was the ticket to participate in the bar and pub crawl, and at each participating bar our shirts were checked off and we received a coupon for a free domestic beer. The bad news is that if you are a lightweight like myself, you probably won’t make it to all of the bars. The next STOMP event takes place in Coconut Grove on November 14th. (Greg, you’d better take the Harley to this one!) Call (305) 377-8008 for more information.
The 13th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival is back in town, with movies in Dade and Broward. Don’t miss the screening of Digging to China on Sunday, November 8th at the AMC Coral Ridge Plaza at 4:45 PM. This Timothy Hutton directorial debut features Kevin Bacon and Mary Stewart Masterson, and benefits Mobile Animal Services and Help (MASH). Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Call (954) for more information.
If you want to have a Halloween you will never forget, head south. Fantasy Fest in Key West is taking place, and I was there for the kick off weekend with my good friend Dr. D. The theme this year is Fright Night on Bone Island. We spent the weekend attending parties in the streets, eating way too much food (Key West has some of the best veggie burgers I have ever had), and went shopping everyday. (Just trying to do my part in helping the Key West economy after Hurricane Georges.) The famous parade takes place on October 31st, so grab your costume, mask, and beads, and get ready for a great time. Call (305) 296-1817 or 1-800-527-8539 for more information. Happy Halloween and don’t give chocolate to any animals, it can kill them.
Salvador Dali’s works are on display at Bal Harbour Shoppes through October 31st. There will also be a number of books, lithographs, signed etchings, and bas-relief sculptures for purchase. Call (305) 864-5800 for more information. Bal Harbour Shoppes is at 9700 Collins Aveune, Miami.
The next Wild Ones event takes place on Saturday, November 21 at the world famous Parrot in Fort Lauderdale. Wild Ones benefits the Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale. $7 at the door or $25 for admission and membership for one year. $5 for current members.
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Please fax all information on band and concert dates to Jennifer at (954) 435-1596. And fax early, I’m a busy girl. ◼
