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Playbill •

Broadway Dancer Robert Montano Used to Be a Horse Jockey; Small Details His Journey From the Saddle to the Spotlight

For Robert Montano, discovering the world of horse racing felt like falling in love: “It's like meeting your first girlfriend, first love, that's what it was for me.”
While Montano has multiple Broadway credits under his belt—including in Cats, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and On the Town—his first dream was not the stage. It was to become a jockey. Unfortunately, what the Hempstead, Long Island native discovered is that the road to becoming a horse jockey is not an easy one. His tale—one of eat...
Orlando Weekly •

Orlando horror theater troupe Phantasmagoria celebrates the fanciful, frightful world of Edward Gorey

How did you first learn your ABCs?

Was it Sesame Street? An indulgent parent? Or was it a gruesomely giggly tale of children meeting their demise through meticulously illustrated storybook pages and one-sentence kisses of death? (“A is for Amy, who fell down the stairs/B is for Basil, assaulted by bears.”) If the latter, then local horror-theater troupe Phantasmagoria have a show for you as they dive deep into the works of prolific artist and storyteller Edward Gorey.
Orlando Weekly •

The spellbinding Judy Collins discusses a legendary career ahead of her latest Orlando performance

With a career as extensive and a repertoire about as wide-ranging as it gets, legendary songbird Judy Collins says a passion for music still comes to her naturally.

Collins calls it a basic operation: When she hears something she loves, she is ready to try and learn it.
“Yoko Ono told me a long time ago, she said songs have a life of their own. They know where they want to go. And I think that that’s true,” Collins shares in a phone interview with Orlando Weekly. “What happens with me is, i...
Orlando Weekly •

Orlando horror theater troupe Phantasmagoria celebrates the fanciful, frightful world of Edward Gorey

How did you first learn your ABCs?

Was it Sesame Street? An indulgent parent? Or was it a gruesomely giggly tale of children meeting their demise through meticulously illustrated storybook pages and one-sentence kisses of death? (“A is for Amy, who fell down the stairs/B is for Basil, assaulted by bears.”) If the latter, then local horror-theater troupe Phantasmagoria have a show for you as they dive deep into the works of prolific artist and storyteller Edward Gorey.
Orlando Weekly •

Prog legend Todd Rundgren brings his musical sermons to Orlando on Sunday

Music is the religious belief system of Todd Rundgren.

The rock legend views his current tour as somewhat of a sermon. Not your traditional Sunday sermon, not about “sin or going to heaven or hell,” but about survival. As the world around us shifts — specifically in this past year, Rundgren notes — he feels his performances consequently must shift alongside it. Rundgren employs his music to ponder a question heavy on the minds of many: How do we survive these times?
Orlando Weekly •

The spellbinding Judy Collins discusses a legendary career ahead of her latest Orlando performance

With a career as extensive and a repertoire about as wide-ranging as it gets, legendary songbird Judy Collins says a passion for music still comes to her naturally.

Collins calls it a basic operation: When she hears something she loves, she is ready to try and learn it.
“Yoko Ono told me a long time ago, she said songs have a life of their own. They know where they want to go. And I think that that’s true,” Collins shares in a phone interview with Orlando Weekly. “What happens with me is, i...
Orlando Weekly •

Cult folk-punk nomad Dave Dondero has a song or two for Orlando

It may seem an implausible ask to witness a live performance from one of the best living songwriters today, but Orlando residents are in for a bit of luck Friday. Listed by NPR among the legendary likes of Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan is Florida’s very own David Dondero — a veteran performer across the punk rock and folk scenes, yet still somewhat of a hidden gem. Over the past few decades, cult-hero Dondero has been traveling solo to an endless succession of indie venues to share his extensive...
Orlando Weekly •

Orlando rocked ‘til we dropped at Def Leppard, Journey and Cheap Trick's stadium show

Some (joyless) folks may rag on older bands for continuing past their prime, but Def Leppard and Journey’s Camping World Stadium show on Wednesday was a testament that no matter the age, if they can still rock, they can still rock. Although each band had a distinct sound, the rock legends blended seamlessly together as double headliners, garnering a large crowd of their overlapping fanbases. If you weren’t wearing a piece of merch from a Leppard or Journey show of years past, you were in the min...
Orlando Weekly •

Blue Bamboo's Chris Cortez discusses new location for Winter Park performing arts center

Local music aficionados were hit with disheartening news of Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts’ closure back in December.
While Blue Bamboo originally had plans to transfer over to a venue in the Packing District, a new opportunity arose in a proposed revamping of the old Winter Park public library, a move that managing director Chris Cortez believes will benefit not only the organization, but the community.
“The new building gives us the opportunity to really grow into something much more subs...
The Luna Collective •

Gallery: The Hails in Gainesville — The Luna Collective

The Hails returned to their roots to celebrate the legendary High Dive in Gainesville, Florida, headlining the venue’s final performance on May 19. The night could be best described as bittersweet and nostalgic, as The Hails have many a time expressed their love and gratitude toward the venue for helping them get their start on stage as University of Florida students years ago. Despite the disheartening news of High Dive’s closure, The Hails made sure to keep the energy up all night long with so...
Orlando Weekly •

Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie played the hits at Orlando's Kia Center

Iconic rock band Death Cab for Cutie and electronic-pop band The Postal Service transported Orlando back in time on Wednesday night for their double headline concert. The two starkly different — yet somehow cohesive — projects changed the game for indie pop and rock music back in the early 2000s, specifically 2003, with the release of Death Cab’s Transatlanticism and The Postal Service’s Give Up. The tour served as a celebration of both albums, with back-to-back full playthroughs of each, led vo...
Orlando Weekly •

Postal Service's Jimmy Tamborello reflects on the victory lap that is his band's anniversary tour with Death Cab for Cutie

Give Up, the band’s first and only full-length, propelled producer Jimmy Tamborello and vocalists Ben Gibbard and Jenny Lewis from the realm of cult heroes to chart-toppers. From its release in 2003 to achieving platinum status in 2012, the vast, continuous reach of Give Up is a rare and welcome anomaly in the fast-forward world of pop. In a co-headlining run with Gibbard’s other project, indie-rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the Postal Service is back on the road for a tour celebrating Give Up’s...
The Luna Collective •

Q&A: Luís Fernandes Discusses Recent Release “Let You Go” and Next Steps in Music — The Luna Collective

LUÍS FERNANDES HAS A SOUND THAT SOMEHOW IS BOTH GENTLE — yet incredibly powerful, packing a tight punch and leaving listeners longing to rewind and replay his discography on repeat over and over again.In August 2023, we first spoke with Fernandes about his EP, Breaking Point, a collection of songs dedicated to the tricky navigation of young adulthood and the feelings that come with being in your twenties. With his most recent release, “Let You Go,” Fernandes shared that he wanted to take his mus...
Orlando Weekly •

Photos: Indie-folk artist Faye Webster charmed Orlando’s House of Blues with a sold-out show

As part of her latest tour that kicked off in St. Petersburg only a few days prior, indie-folk artist Faye Webster dazzled a sold-out Orlando audience with a playful yet deliciously sweet set of some of her biggest hits. And when we say sold out, we mean sold out. The venue, jam-packed less than half an hour after the doors opened, was filled wall-to-wall with excited fans anxiously anticipating spending the next few hours with the musical talents of Miss Webster. Opening for Webster until her S...
Orlando Weekly •

Dave Stewart revisits the Eurythmics songbook at Orlando's Kia Center

Dave Stewart finds time to be a fascinating thing.

The English musical legend, best known as half of synth-pop duo Eurythmics alongside Annie Lennox, has many claims to fame. Despite a busy and lengthy career of songwriting, producing and performing over decades, Stewart says that he’s able to reconnect with his past by transporting himself back in time through music.

“When I go to a point in time, the first day I met Annie, or the first time we played a stadium, or the first time I learned...
Orlando Weekly •

A rejuvenated Grace Potter embraces her truth and hits the open road straight to Orlando's House of Blues

Grace Potter shares her four road trip essentials with us: driver’s license, a hammer, water and her newest album, Mother Road, blasting through the car speakers.
Your soundtrack of choice is a vital component to any long drive, capturing the energy and tone you want set for the journey. Potter’s Mother Road checks those boxes. It’s an amalgam of her life experiences, inspired by a solo road trip she took back in the summer of 2021.
The magic of cruising Route 66 — once dubbed “the moth...
Orlando Weekly •

Chase Padgett's holiday spirit shines bright in his new show at Orlando Shakes

Chase Padgett’s love of music has stuck with him throughout his entire life. Besides the guitar he was gifted in seventh grade or the improv classes he took at SAK Comedy Lab, the joy of giving on Christmas has also provided Padgett with some of his most formative experiences, now being shared with audiences in his newest one-man show, 6 String Christmas. Although the holiday season is dear to many, it holds the utmost significant importance in Padgett’s life and career.
“Christmas presents...
The Luna Collective •

Q&A: Aiden Kroll Talks Guitar Techniques, Song Covers, Dream Collaborations & More — The Luna Collective

THE GUITAR IS A QUINTESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF MUSIC HISTORY — With centuries of use behind it, this instrument still remains a beloved way to communicate, with seemingly endless versatility between models, players, and techniques. When in the right hands, the guitar is hypnotic, captivating listeners with each melodic chord strummed. It’s easy to hear the music pouring out of someone through the way they play, and when you meet someone who has such an unmistakable passion and understanding for this craft, it’s difficult to miss.
The Luna Collective •

Q&A: Billie Marten Brings Love to the Forefront Through “Drop Cherries” — The Luna Collective

“I THINK I WAS STILL KIND OF LYING ON THE LAST ALBUM — in terms of processing what I was feeling,” singer-songwriter Billie Marten said in a press conference regarding her new album, Drop Cherries. “The narrative here is much more stable.”The 23-year-old musician released her fourth album earlier this month on a topic she had yet to write about until now: “To put it simply, the theme is the purity of loving someone,” she explained. The love in Drop Cherries is simple and patient. It’s an act tha...
Orlando Weekly •

Hayley Kiyoko gives us a panoramic view into her latest tour as Orlando kicks off the U.S. leg

Pop icon Hayley Kiyoko reveals that the songwriting process for her latest album, Panorama, was pretty straightforward. When she came into the studio each day, she knew exactly what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it.
However, that doesn’t mean that inspiration can’t strike when you least expect it — such as from a late-night matcha order, for example.
“It was like 9 p.m. and I don’t really like to write at night. I had ordered a matcha because I was tired and I was shaking th...
Orlando Weekly •

UCF and Waterford Lakes: constant updates bring excitement and energy to the college crowd

It seems only fitting that an eclectic city like Orlando is home to one of the largest universities in the nation. The University of Central Florida’s main campus almost feels like a city within a city, combating Orlando’s questionable walkability with an easily navigable circle that has almost everything a college student could ask for within its perimeters. Although the UCF/Waterford Lakes area is frequented heavily by college students, that doesn’t mean that there’s not something for everyone...
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