Mixology

Steve Miller Band brings 14-year-old on stage in Hollywood to rock a memorable version of "Fly Like An Eagle"

Joanie Cox — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:32:31 GMT

Steve Miller Band has been performing its bluesy rock hits for 42 years. While the band formed long before I was born, I always had an affinity for "The Joker" and "Abracadabra." I was supposed to see the band at Sunfest in April, but I missed the show because I was in West Boca Medical Center recovering from a rollover car accident. Seeing the band at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood Nov. 17th was a milestone for me. I saw the show with my uncle who just lost his father a few days before and it was an opportunity for both of us to escape our problems for a few hours.

Miller did a solo acoustic version of "The Joker" and the band covered a Muddy Waters tune however, the highlight of the night was when the band brought 14-year-old guitarist Dillon Brown on stage. Brown is a Fender Center Champion
Artist for the Kids Rock Free, a Fender Museum music education program Miller volunteers with. Miller has raised more than $200,000 to support Kids Rock Free. Brown riffed off Miller with the musical skills of a player twice his age demonstrating a high school freshman can be a Guitar Hero without plugging into an X-Box.

— Joanie Cox

Zac Brown Band plays on at Boca Raton concert despite a stageside brawl

Joanie Cox — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:53:26 GMT

Bar bands have it far worse than touring acts. Occasionally, a beer bottle flies at your head in the middle of a passionate love song and if a full throttle brawl erupts, the top priority is typically protecting the band equipment from getting destroyed. The scene at Sunset Cove Amphitheatre Nov. 14th was mayhem at first. The new West Boca venue, which featured George Thorogood the previous night, still has to iron out some kinks as far as an organized will call, beer line and bathroom situation goes. However, it was a prime location to absorb the Zac Brown Band experience. Part southern rock jam band with a dash of country and reggae, the Zac Brown Band stuck to its promise of a three hour show. Brown jammed with opening acts Levi Lowrey, Sonia Leigh and Nic Cowan from his new record label, Southern Ground.

Brown and his band made several attempts to sing their tender new ballad "Colder Weather," however the rowdy crowd on the side of the stage wouldn't shut up or calm down. A fist fight in the audience broke out and the band went into an impromptu rendition of the Rocky theme song "Gonna Fly Now." The third time Brown attempted to sing "Colder Weather," he said, "I'm not playing these slow, sweet songs while folks are shining lights and fighting. Whoever needs to leave needs to leave. Behave yourselves or we're coming down there."

Appearing unable to regain his concentration, Brown broke into the Allman Brothers classic, "One Way Out." And finally, after that, he sang "Colder Weather," a sincere song with rich harmonies about loving someone with a gypsy soul.

The band performed hits such as "Chicken Fried" and "Toes," hoever the stand out performances of the night were a wicked fast version of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" and original tune "Free" which bled into Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic."

With Coy Bowles on lead guitar, Jimmy De Martini on fiddle, John Driskell Hopkins on bass, Chris Fryar on drums and Clay Cook on organ and mandolin, the Zac Brown Band demonstrated a longevity in country music and a tremendous cross over potential as a contemporary southern rock act. Once the crowd calmed down, anyone who purchased $30 worth of merchandise was eligible to have it autographed by Brown and all the band members. While security was a little ridiculous forcing 100 people to stand single file on a vacant field, Brown kept his word and didn't step on his tour bus until every T-shirt was signed. More importantly, Brown left his mark on a tiny unknown general admission venue out in West Boca. I never thought the small town I grew up in would ever get a taste of an act that played Bonnaroo.

Check out these photos from the show.

— Joanie Cox

Get ready to bend and snap...Legally Blonde The Musical opens at Broward Center tonight

Joanie Cox — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:02:26 GMT

Becky Gulsvig played bratty beauty queen Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray on Broadway for two years and was Leilani in Legally Blonde The Musical’s original Broadway production. Now the actress from Moorhead, Minn., has taken the lead in the touring production of Legally Blonde The Musical, which was inspired by Reese Witherspoon’s hit 2001 film. Gulsvig is doing eight shows a week as the bubbly, ever-optimistic Harvard Law school student Elle Woods who’s on a mission that blondes can have a brain and more fun. While the show debuted on Broadway April 29, 2007, the national tour began last September with a stop in West Palm Beach. But this time, Elle Woods is going to paint Fort Lauderdale hot pink.

How did you prepare for this role?
“I try to get as much rest as possible. The show is very high energy and I’m basically on stage the entire time. I don’t get to see my dressing room until the very end of the show. I change clothes in a little booth off the side of the stage.”

How has the recession affected the show?
“We started this show last fall right when the recession hit and we have had people telling us we’ve only been able to afford to go to one show this year and we’re so glad we chose your show. That means so much to us.”

What do you like most about playing Elle?
“I really like that she’s a strong role model. It’s important to have value and a message to look up to. Elle is more than just her fabulous hair and clothes.”

Doing eight shows a week, do you ever get tired of saying the same lines?
“You have to remember that people are coming from every where to see our show and each time we do it, we have to give them our best. It can get tricky at times, and you’re not always in the mood to do it, but once you see all the smiling faces out there and the lights go down, it’s the most amazing feeling.”

What’s your favorite part of the play?
“I really like performing “Find My Way” at the end of the show. It shows how Elle’s grown. It shows how in life you have to go through things and keep picking yourself back up.”

What’s the most surprising thing about Legally Blonde The Musical?
“While it’s definitely a girly a show, boys have fun coming to see us too. The brothers, boyfriends and dads are enjoying it. So, guys...don't be afraid to check this out!”

Elle is obsessed with pink. What are your thoughts on the color?
“I’m getting more used to it and even incorporating some pink into my own wardrobe but it’s really cool to see all the young girls and women coming to our shows dressed in pink.”

Legally Blonde The Musical runs Nov. 10 - 22 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Shows are Tuesday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 7:30 p.m., matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and Wednesday Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $23-$67 and are available at Browardcenter.org.

— Joanie Cox

Brad Paisley gives West Palm Beach concert goers more than just another "American Saturday Night"

Joanie Cox — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:52:38 GMT

There’s a reason Brad Paisley was nominated for seven Country Music Association awards this year. Not only is he a master of pop culture references in his lyrics, but on stage, he’s on pitch, full of energy and connects with the crowd. Cruzan Amphitheatre was packed with teenagers and 20-40 somethings Oct. 17.

When I arrived at gate eight of the amphitheatre around 7:15 p.m., and realized the concert was happening simultaneously with the South Florida Fair’s Fright Nights, I knew parking was going to be more uncomfortable than Kanye West at a Taylor Swift tribute show.
The concert started at 7:30 p.m. with Jimmy Wayne. I knew I’d miss Wayne’s performance due to the parking situation, but I didn’t realize I’d miss Dierks Bentley’s set too.

The parking was insane forcing people to have to walk around the entire fair to get to the amphitheatre. Then a fight broke out at the main entrance causing a further hold up with security. With lines of cowboy hat-wearing fans meandering all over the parking lot, some opted to continue tailgating until Paisley came on stage around 9 p.m. Despite the parking debacle, Paisley’s American Saturday Night Tour was definitely worth the wait. His tour merchandise was also reasonably priced--another strong indicator of how cued into real Americans' lives this entertainer is. Hats cost $20 and T-shirts were $30, which is $10-$15 cheaper than tour merchandise typically runs.

Paisley opened with “Start A Band” and proceeded to fire off his hits to the audience like a Mossberg shotgun. “Ticks,” “Online,” “Celebrity” and “Mud On The Tires” were obvious crowd favorites. He sang the first verse of “Country Boy Can Survive” and then went into his clever, anti-metrosexual anthem, “I’m Still A Guy.”

While he’s known for his tight, bluesy guitar licks, which he amply showed off on stage, Paisley also demonstrated his chops as a graphic artist with an animation short he created just for the show. In it, a cartoon, super hero Paisley saves Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney and the members of Sugarland from horrible fates. But to balance out the silliness, there were poignant, tear-jerking portions of Paisley’s performance as well such as "Waiting On A Woman." During “When I Get Where I’m Going,” the Grammy Award-winning singer flashed pictures of deceased American legends including Johnny and June Carter Cash, Ronald Reagan, Les Paul, Dale Earnhardt and Patrick Swayze.

Paisley closed with “Alcohol” and the patriotic and inspiring song “Welcome To The Future,” which he said is his favorite tune off the album. It contains moving lyrics such as “Hey, look around it's all so clear/Wherever we were going, well we're here/Hey, so many things I never thought I'd see/Happening right in front of me.” A twangy cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer” was his encore. Just two days before, Paisley surprised a couple at his Jacksonville, Fla. show. The fans had purchased the one-millionth ticket to a Paisley concert in the last year. To reward them, the big-hearted entertainer gave them a new pickup truck proving when you’re a “Celebrity,” it really is adios reality.

Here are some photos from the show.

— Joanie Cox

Jukebox @ Swampspace

Colleen Dougher — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:24:00 GMT

Miami gallery Swampspace may look like a used record shop tonight. That's when TJ Ahearn's Jukebox will open. The installation will include about 50 new collages that Ahearn created on the back of record albums from the '60s and '70s. Each of the works is named for the song from that album that inspired the work. So the exhibiton will include collages such as "Good Vibrations," Born to Be Wild" and "Soul Survivor" as well as 145 album covers that will take up an entire wall of Swampspace.

To create these collages, Ahearn drew from thousands of images she's been culling for six years from magazines published over the last four decades, and a large collection of record albums, some of which she purchased from Michael Dean, alias DJ Yard, former owner of the now-defunct South Florida store, Yardbird Records.

Ahearn's 50 collages were created in the bedroom of Art and Culture Center curator Jane Hart, and there's a good reason for this. Hart is TJ Ahearn. In fact if you're good at word jumbles you may notice that all the letters in TJ Ahearn's name, if rearranged, could spell Jane Hart. So Hart, when not working as curator, is at home making collages in her bedroom. "Like a teenage kid," she says laughing. "I live in an apartment, and I've never had a detached studio . Whenever I have been making art it's always been where I lived, which I like because sometimes I stay up late. I like the immediacy of it as opposed to having to get up and go somewehere to work. Meanwhile I would love to have a dedicated room for making art, but I don’t have that luxurty at his time. So I sit on the edge of my bed with stacks and stacks of magazine and glue, and paper everywhere. I'm neck deep in paper while im doing this "

While many know Hart, who grew up in Miami, as the curator at the Art and Culture Center, she's been actively involved in the art world for 25 years and exhibiting since she was a teen attending an arts academy in Europe. She has since lived in New York, and also spent 13 years in LA, where she curated and collaborated with artists such as Keith Mayerson, John Baldassari and Doug Aitken, but had little time for her own projects. After returning to South Florida six years ago, she began to create again, this time collages, rather than the paintings and drawings she had done earlier.

The process appeals to her. "I just love it because I find that it's much more intutitive, and I also like the unexpected nature of it," she says. "Sometimes I'll make a collage and I'll start with a certain idea in mind and then while Im doing it -- or sometimes after I've done it -- I will see certain things that have occurred while making it, such as formal or symbolic elements that happen in a very intuitive, subconscious way. That really excites me."

Hart developed her TJ Ahearn alias just prior to exhibiting her first collages at Aqua Art Fair in 2005. At the time her main mission was running a project space called Lemon Sky, which participated in many art fairs. Eventually she incorporated her collages into the mix, but under a different name, to create a distance that would allow people to talk to her more comfortably about the work.

Four years later, more people have learned that Hart is TJ Ahearn, but she still keeps the alias, and likes the idea of a still somewhat secret alter-ego. TJ Ahearn even has her own Facebook page, but posts more about music that Hart does. Ahearn loves music, and so apaprently does Jane Hart.

Jukebox combines her two big loves. Hart says she once had thousands of albums but that after so many moves her collection had dwindled. "I grew up in the age of vinyl, and there’s a real resurgence of inetrest in it," she says. "A CD or an MP3 doesn’t have the same kind of warmth and complete experience that an LP does. Part of it is just hearkening back to my own fascination with art, albums and music." For this project, she went out and bought a collection of vintage LPs from the 60s and 70s. Many of them came from former Yardbird owner DJ Yard, who will DJ at her show.

"He's actually gonna be playing records at the opening, including the records or songs that are inspiring the collages, and then during the time the show is up [through Nov. 14], I have a turntable and a whole setup so that people can take down any of the LPs from the collages. They come off the wall and they're in these specially designed frames that are made for LP art, so they have little clips. You remove the clips, take the album out and put it on the turntable and play it. To make it easier for people, there's an iPod shuffle that has the 50 songs on it. So during the day, while the show is up, Swampspace owner Oliver Sanchez will have the shuffle going, so if people just walk in and don’t want to deal with putting the records on the turntable, they can still hear the songs – all 50 of them!"

To preview some of Hart's art (well, TJ Ahearn's art) check out the accompanying photo gallery.

TJ Ahearn's solo show Jukebox opens 6-11 p.m. tonight (Saturday) at Swampsace Gallery, 3821 N.E. First Court, in Miami. The gallery is located in the Design District (just next to Locust Projects where tonight, the TM Sisters will be doing their encore performance of Whirl Crash Go). DJ Yard will spin 7-10 p.m. and there will be beer courtesy of Grolsch.

— Colleen Dougher

Alan Jackson shows Hollywood country music fans a good time

Joanie Cox — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:58:34 GMT

While most shows I've been to lately have been fairly uncrowded, Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., was packed Oct. 1 with a cowboy hat wearin' crowd for Alan Jackson. After watching him close the show at the Kiss Chili Cookoff in January, it was enjoyable to see Jackson with a large enough time slot to be able to perform most of his singles.

Jackson said he prefers performing in South Florida for one simple reason--he gets to fish before he hits the stage.

The country music icon opened with "Gone Country" and proceeded to play all of his mid-'90s hits including "Livin' on Love," "Summertime Blues," "Don't Rock the Jukebox," "Tall, Tall Trees" and of course,"Chattahoochee." In between the boot stompin' tunes, I forgot how many slow, romantic songs Jackson had such as "Like Red on a Rose" and the honest, moving ballad, "A Woman's Love."

Jackson then broke out his more recent hits "Good Time," "Country Boy" and "Small Town Southern Man."

But when Jackson strummed "Where I Come From" and photos of Davie landmarks and Florida sports teams flashed on a giant video screen behind the band, the audience cheered and hurled their plastic beer cups in the air. So what images got the loudest yee-haws? The Round Up Country Western Club and the Florida Gators...duh.

Here are some photos from the show.

— Joanie Cox

Stitch Rock 2009

Colleen Dougher — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:22:49 GMT

Amanda Watkins-Ginther, co-owner of House of Sweets cupcake and cookie bakery, has organized her third annual Stitch Rock. The third-generation seamstress makes crafts and jewelry, including some pieces that were inspired by cupcake sprinkles. Amanda visited many retirement community bazaars crafts-fairs and second hand-shops before launching her own craft party in 2007. On Saturday, the indie craft fair and bazaar will host 50 vendors at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., in Delray Beach. The event is noon to 6 p.m. Cost is $5 (and free for kids 12 and under with adult). There will be food, drinks, music and complimentary swag bags for the first 100 people. There will also be performance poetry by Renda Writer, a DIY fashion show and free parking.

Among this year's offerings are dachshund-inspired art from Chloe the Hot Dog and Friends, “pretty little things inspired by traditional tattoo designs,” from Alexis Colbert of When Bunnies Fly, purses, clothing and jewelry from Diningroom Experiments, vintage pinup from Love Alison, and pickles from Our Lady of Perpetual Pickles. Stitch Rock is a good place to start buying handmade holiday gifts for hard-to-buy-for friends who love crafty thngs or could really use a jar of "Sweet Heat" pickles.

Click your way through the accompanying photo gallery for a preview of what's to come this weekend.

— Colleen Dougher

The Burgies

Colleen Dougher — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:25:35 GMT

Miami blogger Burger Beast lured local bloggers and his readers to John Martin’s Irish Pub last weekend to honor the winners of The Burgies. Since Burger Beast isn’t just about Burgers anymore, the awards also gave kudos for best hot dog, croqueta, frita, Cuban sandwich, pizza and other items.

The winners were selected by local bloggers, Burger Beast, his Cast of Characters (think McDonaldland characters) and readers who voted for their favorites. According to Burger Beast (and his photos) the pub was packed, a new member was inducted into his Cast of Characters and the night ended in one of his Burger Beast characters, Jarce, proposing to his longtime girlfriend Tiffany.

As for the awards …. The winners are Luis Galindo's Latin American in Miami (Best Cuban Sandwich), Miami's Bulldog Barbecue’s Mac N Cheese (Best Side), El Mago de las Fritas in Miami (Best Frita), Islas Canarias in Miami (Best Croqueta), Sports Grill in Miami (Best Chicken Wings), Andiamo in Miami (Best Pizza), Andiamo Miami (Best Hot Dog), Charm City Burger Company in Deerfield (Readers Choice for Best Burger) and Kingdom in Miami (Best Burger).

More news for the burger-obsessed can be found on Burger Beast.

— Colleen Dougher

Radioboxer's CD release party is a circus

Colleen Dougher — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:44:06 GMT

Miami alternative rock band Radioboxer will celebrate the release of Radio Drama, its 12-song debut CD featuring songs such as "Don't Shoot at Me" and "Ice Cream for Hard Times," at a party that will resemble a little circus or carnival sideshow. In addition to playing their songs, members of Radioboxer will do magic tricks, tell fortunes, and maybe even daring stunts. There will also be art by Daniela Cruz, Claudio Picasso (CP1) and other artists and listening stations for hearing music by local bands such as Humbert, Rimsky, Huma Rojo, Minimal, Divided by Silence and Astari Night. PinkGhost, which has booked Radioboxer for events a few times, will also have a booth at the carnival-like event.Recently, we talked to bassist J Dazza about what's behind all these shenanigans.

How did Radioboxer come to organize this little circus-carnival?
We were recording the Radio Drama album for more than two years. It took so long that it’s impossible for life not to get in the way of what the album meant. So we looked at the songs, most of them were more than two to three years old and we realized that they didn’t have the same meaning as when they were written. The singer Vanessa and I wrote most of the songs, so that concept became very important to us and then we came up with the idea of this traveling band, like it doesn’t matter that you don’t actually move out of the city or go anywhere, but just time makes everything look different. So the album has a lot of that nostalgia of traveling bands when they were famous in the ‘40s and ‘50s so we wanted to present the album with that feeling … under this light of a circus, an old carnival, so that’s the intention behind the whole traveling band scene. There’s actually a song, it’s more like a musical interlude, called “Run Away From Home and Join the Traveling Band.”

Your press kit contains tarot cards, each with the face of a different band member. You’re the illusionist, Vanessa’s the starlet, there’s the devil, freak, fortune teller. Are you actually going to play these roles at your carnival?
Yes, we are going to be playing these roles. I mean, obviously we have limitations … For example I’m supposed to be an illusionist and I have no idea how to do any magic tricks … They’re kind of clichés for our band, for our carnival, but some of them are just cool and fit the person, and there was no other option. The drummer for example, is the freak. He’s a pretty strange guy, so that was a no-brainer.

So the fortune teller will tell fortunes?
Yeah, he’s actually pretty good at reading the cards. We were doing this gig in St. Petersburg and they happened to bring this deck of cards and he started reading the cards for everybody and it was quite entertaining. So he’s the fortune teller, he’s going to be performing. We have a little booth prepared for him

What sort of magic tricks will you do?
That I still have to work on. With magic 70 percent is secret so I won't be telling anybody

To preview some of the band's songs, just visit Myspace.com/radioboxerband. Check out the accompanyng photo gallery complete with the video links that offer a preview of what these musicians will be up to on Saturday night. The party start at 9:p.m. at The Annex, 9911 NW 80th Ave., in Hialeah. While everyone is welcome, the band would really, really like it if you RSVP to Contact@radiobrokemyheart.com.

— Colleen Dougher

WeMerge: Issue 5

Colleen Dougher — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:09:39 GMT

It's reached the point where before going out for a meal, one must call the restaurant to assure it's still there, and before asking an old friend how work's been treating them, one might want to confirm that they still have a job. All that was once stable now seems fleeting. All the more reasons for a local mag to celebrate every issue that's published. WeMerge celebrated its fifth issue this weekend in Dania. On Saturday night, artists, photographers and musicians who recently graced the magazine's pages were doing their thing at Grace Cafe and Galleries. Among the featured artists and musicians were Kazilla, Danny Hammontree, The Miami Stuckists, and Fort Lauderdale musicians Marc Solomon and Alex Nelson.

It was a great art and music party in a unique space to celebrate an issue devoted to art, music and celery. That's right, celery is the topic of a short article in the current issue of WeMerge, which has note its recent allegiance with The American Celery Association. I checked out the site ... It seems that celery is big among South Florida musicians. Here's what the WeMerge staff says about it: "We would like to stop and just emphasize the fact that celery is versatile, healthy, chic and current. It's the best. We believe that celery is the one vegetable most worth of promotion which is why we rally behind it with our heads held high, and stand up as one of the leaders in celery activism. We promote celery as earnestly and honestly as we do the business and the artists that grace our pages."

I like celery just fine,and agree with the WeMerge staff that it goes dandy with peanut butter, carrots, broccoli or in a Bloody Mary, but to have en entire short story devoted to the stalks and not one word about radishes anywhere in the whole magazine seems a little anti-radish to me. So I'm considering establishing a little group to bring more attention to this often overlooked vegetable. It's not that the radish gets no attention. Check out the recent Washington Post article titled "Rethinking Radishes." The article states that in a 1977 pamphlet, the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association noted that radishes were "crisp, crunchy, tangy, zippy, zesty, snappy, peppy, pungent, piquant and sparkly." Furthermore the association notes that radishes "give zing to salads."

Celery might be crunchy, green and perfect for stirring a Bloody Mary etc. but they're no zing-givers. Despite that WeMerge has snubbed the radish, the party was good fun. Click through our accompanying photo gallery to see pics from the event.

— Colleen Dougher

Home team gears up for National Poetry Slam

Colleen Dougher — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:48:13 GMT

Poetry slam team coach Desiree Karnis thinks the National Poetry Slam, being held this week in West Palm Beach, may give the local slam scene just the boost it needs.

Karnis started slamming three years ago, after launching The Stage, a weekly event at RJ’s Lounge in West Palm Beach. “It’s been three years of blood, sweat and tears to keep the event going,” she says. But as that the National Poetry Slam is on the verge of filling several Clematis Street venues with poetry-related festivities, Karnis is feeling like all of her hard work on promotions, street teams, fliers and sending emails and text messages, might translate to more interest in the poetry scene. “Ever since they put us on the front page of The Palm Beach Post yesterday, my phone has rung off the hook and Channel 12 tonight is going to interview us live on the 6 o’clock news,” she reveals. “That has been helping tremendously. This is something major that’s come to West Palm.”

For Karnis whose team, The Stage, will compete in the nationals, it’s shaping up to be a crazy week. Her four teammates including Slammaster Terese “Chunky” Hill, took time off from their jobs, she says, to participate in slam activities. But Karnis has been juggling practices, her job at a litigation support company and a pretty hectic schedule.

On Wednesday night, for example, she must get to Respectable Street by 7 p.m., to RJ’s for The Stage by 9 and then back to Respectable Street to host an erotic poetry event by 11. On Thursday The Stage will compete and if the score is high enough, the team will proceed to the Friday night semi-finals and hopefully the Saturday finals.

Team members have been honing their word skills at slams at RJ’s and more recently at each other’s homes, for as many as 8 hours at a time. Their poems address subjects such as rape, drugs, poetry and homelessness.

“’Sing for Freedom’ gives me goose bumps,” Karnis says. “It’s about a homeless person who stands on a corner and holds a sign that reads ‘Will Sing For Freedom.’ One of the poets saw this person and described the image to us and we wrote to it. It’s about a person who comes back from Iraq with mental health issues and becomes homeless and just stands on the corner and sings for freedom and how society doesn’t pay attention to him anymore.”

Karnis has been writing poetry since she was 8, but never recited it before a crowd until launching her weekly event at RJ's. “Every Wednesday, I have something different,” she says. “They’re always open mikes but the first Wednesday we have a live band, the second we do a feature, the third Wednesday we do erotic poetry and on the fourth Wednesday we do slam.”

She established The Stage after getting bored with the club scene and discovering the wonder of open mikes. “I went to an open mike and I loved it,” she explains. “I was so tired of clubs and hearing the same music and seeing the same people. I wanted to start something different so I got on MySpace and I found poets and I found people who said they would come out and a venue. I just started the event from there and I had never, ever performed, which is crazy.”

But inspired craziness can pay off and Karnis’s continued devotion to performing has earned her recent accolades. Earlier this year she was featured alongside spoken word queen Georgia Me and Tony Award-winning poet Black Ice at Underground Poets Society’s National Poetry Conference and recently she was invited to audition for HBO’s The Punany Poets, a touring group of erotic wordsmiths. Now the National Poetry Slam has descended upon West Palm Beach and Karnis is on the home team.

“So yeah I’ve just been blessed because poetry, I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s just hard to get recognized in it,” she says. “It’s not like if you’re a rapper or singer or basketball player.”

For a full schedule of events, visit Nationalpoetryslam.com.

— Colleen Dougher

Who doesn't love free clothes?

Colleen Dougher — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:48:45 GMT

Anyone with a sister knows that it's way more fun, when you're going somewhere special, to go digging through your sister's closet and trying on clothes over wine ... Can I borrow this? What about the orange sneakers? Maybe she wants something out of your closet too ... 'cause she's tired of all her own clothes. But not everyone has sisters, or sometimes our sisters just aren't there for us ... maybe they live in other states or just don't want to part with the goods because, after all, you never did return her favorite green shirt, did you?

But none of this means you have to go shopping.

You could just join The Closet Cycle ("for the sake of sisterhood ...") which is is holding its very first swap party to exchange garments. "Swapping clothes is a great big step towards sustainable living," the sisters say. "By consuming Items that are already made we don't have to grab more resources from mother earth."

The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Novecento, an Argentinian restaurant at 430 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. So bring clothes as well as accesories and shoes, and then take new ones home. One can sign up by clicking on "first swap party" above. The cost is $5 but includes a drink ticket redeemable for a sparkling glass of wine or a draft beer and there's the option of hanging out for dinner — a three-course meal for $22.

Wine, food, free clothes ... this is way better than shopping.

— Colleen Dougher

Fort Lauderdale Harley Dealer and philanthropist Bruce Rossmeyer took his last ride today in Wyoming

Joanie Cox — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:03:26 GMT

Anyone even remotely involved with the biker community in South Florida has bumped into or at least heard of Bruce Rossmeyer. As one of America's largest Harley-Davidson dealers, he had 15 dealerships in Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts and Tennessee. In 2006, he opened Destination Daytona, the largest Harley-Davidson dealership in the world. I remember visiting the dealership with my ex-husband and seeing Rossmeyer smiling and shaking hands with customers around the property. He had a hearty handshake and gentle way about him. He was also featured in a Geico commercial for motorcycle insurance.

Rossmeyer founded Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach and he was a longtime participant in the Toys In The Sun Run event, which collects toys for needy children every Christmas and benefits Jim and Jan Moran Boys and Girls Clubs. Rossmeyer, 66, was killed today in a motorcycle crash in Wyoming. He was riding with a group of motorcyclists on their way to the Sturgis rally when a truck struck his Harley. It's a sad loss for riders everywhere tonight.

Giving back to the community was just as much a part of Rossmeyer's life as motorcycles. He founded Camp Boggy Creek for children with life-threatening illnesses and was heavily involved with helping the Boys and Girls clubs, including the Rossmeyer Family Holly Hill club, named in his honor.

He is survived by his wife Sandy, five children, seven grandchildren and the thousands of motorcycle riders whose lives he touched.

— Joanie Cox

Catch the Red Eye

Colleen Dougher — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:35:40 GMT

Every year, people pack into the the annual Red Eye show at ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale to see paintings sculpture, fashion, films, live painting ... some big mysterious wandering creature known as Arkicide.

The show has specific yet varied stated themes. It will feature art rooted in punk music, hot rod or street culture and the underground comics world, as well as art that makes a statement about society or current trends, and art about global warming, eco-friendliness and the effects of everyday living on the human psyche.

This year's show will also feature a "Cans to Canvas" graffiti battle, a spiritual Zen room featuring msuic by jazz guitarist Randy Bernsen and Renda Writer's usual fabulous open mic room. As always there will be music, this years from local bands Dooms De Pop, Astari Night, Confused As Ever and Viva le Vox. City Link's own style-obsessed 50-foot glamazon Joanie Cox will judge a fashion expo, while City Link Metromix photographer Dawn Dubriel's films "Adeline" and "Isabella" will be shown, along with many others.

It's been four years since ArtServe's associate manager Byron Swart launched the Red Eye as an outlet for what "an overwhelming amount of talent in the underground scene." It's always the sort of art, music and fashion party that will not soon be forgotten.

The exhibition, sponsored by City Link Metromix, opens 6-9 p.m. Friday at ArtServe, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-462-8190. Not that the party ends at 9 ... In fact that's when more fun begins at the official after-party at The Bubble (810 NE 4th Ave., Fort Lauderdale) where there will be more art from Lisa Parrott a.k.a.. Coma Girl, Francesco LoCastro and Erick Arenas, and music from Dooms De Pop, Pretty Please and The Microdots, which is playings its last South Florida show before heading off to Denver.

The Bubble show runs until around 11 p.m. and the cover is $10.

If you want more reasons to catch the Red Eye, check out our photo gallery.

— Colleen Dougher

Marc Anthony huddles up with Miami Dolphins as limited partner

Joanie Cox — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:27:12 GMT

Stephen M. Ross, Owner and Managing General Partner of the Miami Dolphins, made an announcement yesterday that Marc Anthony is now part of the Miami Dolphins family after he became a limited partner of the National Football League franchise. Anthony joins Emilio and Gloria Estefan, who are also limited partners of the team. And the stadium even got a celebrity endorsement with Jimmy Buffet changing Dolphin Stadium to Land Shark Stadium giving props to his beer brand.

Does this mean his wife Jennifer Lopez will be a fixture at the games now? I certainly hope so (and so do my local shutterbug friends).

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Anthony already has plans to belt out the national anthem Oct. 12 when the Dolphins host the New York Jets on ESPN's "Monday Night Football." But we already know which team J.Lo's dad will be rooting for...he's unfortunately a major New York Jets fan.

— Joanie Cox

Video: Alex Nelson

Colleen Dougher — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:41:02 GMT

We all have thoughts and bits of conversation and ideas that swirl around in our heads, and often they want to become something, maybe a song or a painting or a sculpture. But they can't, really, until they're done swirling and are ready to settle down and come to fruition. Sometimes we try to rush these things by putting pen to paper or paint to canvas too soon, only to find that the thoughts need to go back inside and blow around awhile longer. But sometimes, when the stars are lined up just right, those thoughts come tumbling out to create a song, story or painting that depicts exactly what we're feeling.

Fort Lauderdale singer-songwriter Alex Nelson says that "She Said," a song from his forthcoming CD Everything You Wanted to Say But Didn't, is one of those songs that expresses exactly how he felt when he wrote it. It's also one of his favorite tunes on the CD, mostly because of Melissa Vazquez's backing vocals, he says.

And now he's made a video.

Nelson didn't set out to do anything elaborate. "No big storyline or complex plot," he explains. "I didn't want to have a bunch of people around, which I ended up having anyway. ... My idea was ... someone walking out, sitting on a curb and replaying a conversation about someone who just broke with him, because that's what we do sometimes. We escape into ourselves. Go somewhere and just sit and think. Seemed easy enough. One camera, one shot. Bang.

He wanted to approach it differently than the first video he made for the the song "Relaxing in Public."

"I wanted a more human element and I wanted to do it with live video rather than animation," he says. "I was tossing around the idea of filming myself and throwing the words around the live action. One thing I really liked about the RIP video was that the words were there. Because a lot of times when I listen to a song I want to know the words and I like having them on the screen to read. I'm one of those people that like to watch movies with closed captioning. So I had the idea... live action with words. ... But I didn't know what to do.

"Then one day while driving by my drummer Steve Monell's house I came across a furniture store that had a nice big flat white wall and I said, 'That's it.' ... Needless to say, this location wasn't exactly the best neighborhood. It was super hot, the store was open and there were several shops to my right where people were yelling back and forth to each other. My biggest concern was that someone from the store would come out and say something during the middle of filming and ask us to leave. I was about 10 feet from the door. People were coming in and out of the store, looking over. In the end, I was also very happy no one parked in the parking spaces between me and the camera. A couple of times I thought people were going to walk into the shot, but once they saw the camera they went around (minus the one car). I felt bad not acknowledging those people, but I was keeping to the idea that I was alone there with my thoughts."

Despite the challenges of video making, Nelson wants to push on, and make one for every song on his new CD, which will be released Aug. 21.

Nelson has a slew of shows coming up including one on Saturday with Jeff Durham, Jarad Weber and Chris Monteleone at The Bull Bar in Delray Beach, and another on July 25 at Radio-Active Records in Fort Lauderdale. Check Nelson's site for more dates and to listen to his songs.

— Colleen Dougher

Where to make a splash at Miami's Fashion Week Swim

Rochelle Oliver — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:20:07 GMT

Rain, heat and hail couldn’t stop the fashion crowd from descending on Miami Beach over the next few days. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, as it is appropriately called, kicks off tonight. The festivities continue well into the dark of Sunday.

While a select number of events are by invitation only, some of the best catwalks, which include designers such as Rosa Cha, Jantzen, Shan, Becca, Perry Ellis and Ed Hardy, are all access. All you need is the secret word, or at least the right undercover RSVP line to get in. Thanks to Rod Hagwood, Sun Sentinel’s go-to fashion guy, you can consider yourself fully connected. Click on Rod Hagwood to get a full list of fashion events that are open to the public and the highly coveted email addresses to RSVP.

Chaos Amongst Allies @ PinkGhost

Colleen Dougher — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:15:13 GMT

Chaos Amongst Allies, an exhibition of works exploring battle, disorder, vandalism and camaraderie, will open at PinkGhost in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. The show, which runs through Aug. 14, will feature three artists, all of whom have aliases, and are from different states.

There's Bil Betsovic, a.k.a. Betso, a Las Vegas-based painter and toy customizer. In its press materials, PinkGhost states: "Betso has a mini toy line in production from BIC Plastics and enjoys watching bunnies eat kids...ask him about it, it's true." I currently have a message into Betso inquiring about why he finds amusement in watching bunnies devouring children and why he spells Bil with only one 'L.' We're awaiting his response and will update immediately should this information become available today. Meanwhile, our investigative team has uncovered this Web site: Bunnys Who Eat Kids. OK, so the site was listed on Betso's MySpace, but now you can click and check it out for yourself. We are still working on looking for the missing 'L.'

Yosiell Lorenzo a.k.a. Project Detonate, is a Connecticut-based graphiic designer who enjoys creating cute yet mischievous slug-like characters that reflect his influences: horror flicks, video games and Japanese pop art. Lorenzo, who paints on wood and metal, notes that Project Detonate is based on the idea that art can be a form of explosion. "We can express it when we are mad, happy or sad, whether it's through music, writing, art or any way you find fit to express yourself."

Chicago-based artist Matthew Ryan Sharp, a.k.a. Itskindadark, will exhibit "a ton of framed ink drawings as well as a handful of new watercolors," and you can see a few of his works in the accompanying photogallery. When not creating art, Sharp reportedly spends his time hugging his pug dogs and watching Curb Your Enthusiasm reruns. Sharp arrived in town yesterday as did his buds Betso and Project Detonate. He notes on his site that the plan was to set the show up and then roam the streets looking for interesting things to do.

So be on the lookout for this troublesome trio .... all of whom will be at Saturday's 7 p.m. opening which will feature music from Miami powerpop band Radioboxer and complimentary bite-size brownies ... That's right, not cupcakes. That's just one more thing to love about PinkGhost ... After they started giving away little cupcakes at all of their shows, cupcakeries started popping up everywhere. Cupcakes are so common now ... but brownies are refreshingly different.

— Colleen Dougher

Naked Eyes singer Promises, Promises to play an acoustic show tonight at 7 p.m. at Norton Museum of Art

Joanie Cox — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:50:22 GMT

In the '80s, British pop duo Pete Byrne and Rob Fisher of Naked Eyes scored a hit covering the Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me." Their self-written single “Promises, Promises” about being lied to by a lover is still a club favorite on the dancefloors of Mansion and Space in Miami Beach. After Fisher's death in 1999, Byrne went on to release Fumbling With The Covers in 2007. It includes acoustic renditions of "Promises, Promises," "When The Lights Go Out" and "Always Something There To Remind Me." Byrne is planning to play these songs tonight at 7 p.m., at Norton Museum of Art's Art After Dark series.

Byrne just called us from Mancini's in Fort Lauderdale while munching on calamari.

"I don't do too many acoustic shows, but when I found out they were doing this Art After Dark event, I called and asked if they wanted me to perform," Byrne says. "I went there last year when I played at Kravis Center. They have a similar event in L.A., which is really cool, so I wanted to get involved with this."

Byrne will also cover a Bob Dylan song tonight and material from his album Piccadilly, which is set to be released in February. The CD features unfinished songs Fisher left behind.

And while he seems to have worn his pajamas in most of his videos, Byrne giggles that he won't be touring in his PJ's. The suit he sported in the "Always Something There to Remind Me" video seems to be missing however.

"I don't know what they do with things at the Hard Rock," Byrne laughs. "I did a show at hard Rock in L.A., two years ago and donated the suit from that video. I can't seem to find out where they put it. I guess one day I'll walk into a Hard Rock somewhere and see it."

— Joanie Cox

Admission is $8.

Get there:

Norton Museum of Art

1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach.

561-832-5196 or www.norton.org.

It's been 30 years since "Heartbreaker" came out and Pat Benatar still hit us with her best shot at Hard Rock Live last night

Joanie Cox — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:29:37 GMT

While I was a little disappointed Pat Benatar didn't don a braided headband or leggings last night, it was a relief to see the 56-year-old rocker can still hit the screaming high notes in her hits such as "Promises In The Dark" and "We Belong." Benatar took the stage at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Thursday, July 2 at 8 p.m., on the dot. Most bands at Hard Rock typically go on 15 minutes late, but Benatar and her longtime husband/guitar player Neil Giraldo were anxious to lay down their endless string of hits on the crowd.

While Benatar squeezed in a few obscure tunes, she did a gravelly, showstopping rendition of John Mellencamp's "I Need a Lover," which appeared on her debut album, In the Heat of the Night. Benatar said she's performing different songs in every city attempting to cover all the material of her career. She reminisced about being on tour in Oklahoma in 1981 and getting a call from a brand new network that was starting up called...MTV. She performed a pitch-perfect version of "You Better Run" last night, which was the second video ever aired on MTV after The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star."

Doing air guitar moves and still working every corner of the stage, Benatar blasted the crowd with the tunes they had come for toward the end of the night. After "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Love Is a Battlefield," and "Heartbreaker," which Giraldo cleverly followed up with a guitar solo of "Speak Softly Love" from The Godfather, the riled up audience seemed sweaty and satisfied.

— Joanie Cox

Celebrities gather at Miami Beach Golf Course today for DJ Irie's Fifth Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament

Joanie Cox — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:58:13 GMT

Today Joey Fatone, Gabrielle Union, Alfonso Ribeiro, Isaiah Thomas, Stephanie Pratt from "The Hills," basketball player Dorell Wright NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and other stars came out in the sweltering 96 degree heat to support DJ Irie's Irie Weekend. The event, which Irie has hosted the last five years, benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. As golfers mingled with celebrities today at Miami Beach Golf Course sipping Red Bull and Gentleman Jack, Michael Jackson was the topic on everyone's mind's today.

Irie, who is the Miami Heat's official DJ and on the SKAM Artist roster, saw Jackson a week and a half ago while he was at Center Stage Studio in California rehearsing for Jamie Foxx's tour. "I saw Michael coming out of the studio. He was getting into his car. He was at the studio rehearsing for his tour," Irie says. "He had access to healthcare all his life, yet he's not with us anymore. Fifty is such a young age. MJ is my era, an inspiration. I can't believe he's gone. For me it's just surreal."

Gabrielle Union, who is a friend of DJ Irie's, addressed the negative posts Perez Hilton blogged about Jackson "faking it" when he was taken to the hospital.

"Why do we wait for people to pass before saying nice things about them? These people have families and feelings. Words hurt people," Union says. "Tell people what an inspiration they are while they are alive."

Stephanie Pratt, who is Spencer Pratt's sister, says she's still in shock when her mother texted her about Jackson's death Thursday.

"It was my mom's birthday and she spent the whole morning crying about Farrah Fawcett's death and then Michael Jackson died. It was so sad. I remember watching the Thriller video nonstop when I was little."

In addition to reminiscing about the King of Pop, Irie and Pratt played Dance Dance Revolution on Nintendo Wii while some of the kids from Big Brothers Big Sisters looked on. Best Buy then donated three Nintendo Wii's to the children's organization and $1,000 worth of gift cards to needy families.

Additional sponsors for the event include Konami Digital Entertainment, who customized a Nintendo Wii with Irie's name on it and Rim/Telenav, who teamed up with Sprint to give Irie and Pratt the orange Blackberry Inferno, which is set to be released mid-July.

Here are some photos from today.

— Joanie Cox

Tomorrow there's a celebrity pool party noon at Shore Club.

Get there:
Shore Club
1901 Collins Ave.,
Miami Beach

New restaurant: Pizzeria Panaretto

Colleen Dougher — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:05:52 GMT

Pizza seems to always be present during life transitions. Its deliverability makes it the perfect choice during times when you have no time. When moving all one’s worldly possessions from one place to another, pizza is there. When friends arrive unexpectedly … pizza. Up late cramming for a test? Pizza. But I rarely get pizza delivered anymore, mostly because my neighborhood pizza chains began delivering the sort of pizza that could only be appreciated if one spent the day moving, and was starving. Occasionally, however, I’ll go out for pizza, and this week, I tried a new spot that I hit not once, but twice, which reveals much about how I feel about Pizzeria Panaretto. I went there Sunday with one friend, and Tuesday with another. When Sunday friend e-mailed me on Monday to report that he was still dreaming about that thin-crusted pizza. I explained that I was already plotting my return.

Choices, which can be made over the mushroom starter and pre-packaged bread sticks delivered to each table, don’t come easy at this Fort Lauderdale restaurant. I love veggies and there are plenty of veggie combos, from the Carlotta, with tomato sauce, brie, basil and fresh tomato and mozzarella, to the Grigliata, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, mixed grilled peppers, zucchini and eggplant. The latter, like many of Panaretto's pizzas, is divided into three flavors, making it easier for someone who likes eggplant better than zucchini, or vice versa, to share a pizza.

While I loved the Carlotta, the Grigliata, with its slightly burned crispy edges and perfectly grilled thinly sliced veggies was my favorite. Meatier offerings also look promising. The Bombay, which consists of tomato sauce, mozzarella, chicken in curry sauce and mixed fresh pepper, looked delicious, though I can’t imagine the Girasole, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh seared tuna, green salad, corn and rosemary oil.

I love that many of their offerings include potato slices as a topping, but corn and tuna is where I draw the line. Diners at Panaretto, however, can draw any line they wish. The restaurant offers 50 toppings including vegetables, meats, seafood, herbs, spices and cheese and encourages diners to create their own combos. Toppings range in price from 50 cents for basil to $6 for tuna, but most are in the $1-$2 range.

There are also salads, appetizers and pasta dishes but with pizza like this, I’m not likely to stray into other territory. The 26 pizzas on the menu range in price from $11.50 for the Grigliata to $16.80 for the Girasole. Any pizza can be served as a bruschetta on white or whole wheat bread for $2 less. While the beer selection is limited, one can’t go wrong with Blue Moon and Peroni in the offerings, or with the $5 glass of Rocca Bianca pinot grigio.

For those with an after-dinner sweet tooth, there’s Tiramisu or “Semifreddo all,” a yummy, mushy amaretto cookie dessert in a small square glass container. I never got around to visiting Lenny’s, the sub shop that once resided in this spot at Southport Shopping Center, but I see myself becoming a regular at Panaretto.

For those curious about the name, Pizzeria Panaretto (1331 SE 17 St., Fort Lauderdale) is named for the wooden serving plates on which the pizzas are served. They’re designed to preserve the crust by eliminating condensation generated by ordinary plates, and to make it easier to cut the pizza. The 12-inch pizza is already cut into four pieces, but if you find yourself fighting over the last slice of zucchini pizza, it’ll be easier to cut on the panaretto.

— Colleen Dougher

Photo credit: Alyson Gold

Wasabi's got a brand new mag

Colleen Dougher — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:23:33 GMT

Street photographer and fashion writer Pamela Wasabi can often be found at the crossroads where art meets fashion. Tonight will be no exception. At Fashionable Wednesday, hosted by artist David Tamargo and sponsored by designer Roberto Cavalli, she will offer a sneak preview of Wasabi Fashion Kult: The Style and Kulture Magazine.

The fashion quarterly will serve as a guide to local stores, brands, designers, stylists, music, events and trends. "It is strictly fashion but applied as a mentality and way of expression of the underground culture," Wasabi says.

As the magazine's fashion editor and creative director, Wasabi wilI publish information, pictures, blog posts and creative work that prove fashion is about individual style. "That is what matters, our own personal taste that looks attractive because its origin comes from our personal choice and unique way of living," she says.

First up is "The Sinful Issue" which will publish July 1. Wasabi describes it as "an irreverent/sarcastic approach to the mentality that has been applied to the Western society. In these colorful pages, we make out of what has been taboo, something attractive. We provided an attitude, a rebellious but honest lifestyle. It's our artistic freedom that allows us to create the reality we want to see."

Speaking of artistic freedom, Aholsniffsglue will be painting at the event as will Junk and Pest and music will be provided by Zehl Freebass, Nudie Boy, Mr. Alvarez, DJ Mojo. There will also be short films and music videos from the Borscht Film Festival too, and an appearance by special guest The Beerwolf.

It all starts at 9 p.m. on the rooftop of Gansevoort South, 2399 Collins Ave., Miami Beach.

— Colleen Dougher

Encore: Typoe & Santiago Rubino

Colleen Dougher — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:29:16 GMT

Between the popular Primary Flight exhibition during Art Basel, solo shows and the release of Miami Graffiti, James and Karla Murray’s book about Miami’s graffiti art scene, local graffiti artists have been earning some deserved recognition.

Encore, a show opening Saturday at Spinello Gallery, continues that trend. The exhibition will feature works by Typoe, who had his debut solo show I Want Typoe So Effin Bad at Spinello in February, and Santiago Rubino, a 29-year-old self-taught Argentinean artist whose works include women in attire ranging from Victorian dresses to black boots and short dresses and spiked black boots.

These women seem alone, yet deeply connected to something very far away. One particularly intriguing character in the Rubino works on Spinello’s site is a dark-haired woman sitting in a high-backed chair. She is wearing a flowing dress that comes down to the floor and playing a violin that appears to be transporting her to someplace far away. That’s one thing many of Rubino’s characters seem to to share ... thoughts that are far removed from their sometimes faded backgrounds. While the characters seem less than present in their depicted environments, it feels as though they're deeply engaged in that place on which their mind is focusing.

It's a feeling I know well. I very much like this work. Encore, featuring works by Typoe and Santiago Rubino, both of whom were featured in Miami Graffiti, will open 7-10 p.m. Saturday and run through July 4 at Spinello Gallery, 155 NE 38th Street, #101, Miami. Signed copies of Miami Graffiti will be available at the opening for $25.

— Colleen Dougher

Jimmy Fallon gets Saved By The Bell after a special visit from the one and only Zack Morris

Joanie Cox — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:52:56 GMT

I can die a happy woman now. Zack Morris was back on the air last night with his brick phone. Mark-Paul Gosselaar donned his old Zack Morris threads (straight leg jeans, a button-down shirt and hi-tops) along with his frosted blond locks for a sidesplitting interview on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon." Now, 35, the actor still has his irresistible teen hunk face.

While Gosselaar was on the air to promote his new legal drama, "Raising The Bar," he knows Zack Morris is really what everyone wants. He pulled all the signature Zack moves such as crossing his legs and taking time-outs to freeze time and talk to the audience, just like he did on "Saved By The Bell" which ran from 1989 to 1993.

Gosselaar claimed he really is Zack Morris and had to change his name to Mark-Paul Gosselaar because there was already a Zack Morris in the Screen Actors Guild. He then went on to reference the greatest moments in Saved By The Bell history including judging the Miss Liberty pageant, hanging with Johnny Dakota and he even had the Kelly Kapowski poster that used to grace the wall of his TV bedroom.

He took a moment to answer his brick phone for a call from Jesse Spano, who revealed she's in for the "Saved By The Bell" reunion Fallon is trying to arrange.

Just as my life was reaching its pinnacle, Zack Morris revealed his band, Zack Attack, is still together. He slung an electric guitar over his head and played "Friends Forever" and the "Saved By The Bell" theme song with The Roots.

And for a moment all 20-something women across America last night gushed.

Watch the hilarious skit here!

— Joanie Cox