The internal doubts of a young woman coming to understand her roots and her place in the world inspired the external drama in a short film being shot in Lakeland today and Saturday.
Pamela Rodriguez, 22, was born in Puerto Rico but moved to Lakeland when she was very young, she said, but it didn’t take long to realize she was a little different than the majority of her peers. More
Lakeland has been adding spaces to showcase local musical talent, but one that some may think is new has been around for awhile. Maddox Ranch, 2505 W. Bella Vista St., has hosted music festivals for more than 10 years, but it hasn’t featured Polk County talent until this February, when it began hosting the monthly Maddox Local Jam. More
Megan Towner, a guitarist and vocalist with local bands including adieux and dagger, has a new title: keeper of the LkldNow music calendar. She’s been around the music scene awhile, so when I asked her for help picking out highlights this weekend, she responded quickly, saying:
“John Frinzi apparently packs Garden Bistro out every Wednesday. Must be a pretty alluring acoustic set. Benjamin Neil from the indie rock band Rocket To Anywhere is driving up from West Palm Beach (to Frescos on Thursday). Garden Club at the Pink Piano (Friday) has a pretty killer pianist and harpist in the mix of a full alternative rock band. Straitjacket Smile is a metal band from Tampa (playing Ybor Live Saturday).”
Sounds good to me. I also want to throw in Red White and Kaboom on Wednesday evening at Lake Mirror since that will be the week’s best-attended event with live music. Like recent years, the pre-fireworks band will be pumping reggae riddims, but this year it’s with a religious twist. The City Saints say on Facebook: “We sing praises to the God who has given us new life, freedom, and forgiveness. It’s all about Jesus!” It’s a new world order at the city. Keep scrolling for the entire live music calendar. More
You can’t say we’re not eclectic in Lakeland. Live music choices this weekend include:
Keep scrolling for the full live music calendar: More
See eight local bands in two nights at LkldLive: Tonight’s show is billed as “an eclectic evening of art from Lakeland’s independent rock and hip hop music and fine arts” and features 48 States Away, Pryderawk, Sharron and DePrime. Friday at 8, Heavy Hitter “presents a night of sonic envelopment” with Mr.Handsome, House of I, Lady Moonbeam and Space Panda.
If tried-and-true classic rock is more your thing, there’s Classic Albums Live reviving Led Zeppelin’s debut album at RP Funding Center Friday.
On Saturday, Play It Again Polk, a nonprofit that provides instruments to students in need, presents the Sofa Kings “and special guests” at Fresco’s Speakeasy. And here’s our entire updated live music calendar: More
Some music highlights in Lakeland this weekend include Sirens 2, a showcase of local women musicians at The Pink Piano tonight, the hot-sauce-infused rocking blues of Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton at Union Hall Friday, the back-to-the-roots country of Jeffry Allen and Band at Swan Brewing on Friday, country sister act Diamond Dixie at Swan Brewing Saturday and singer-songwriter Kimi Tortuga at Union Hall Saturday. Keep scrolling for our updated live music calendar: More
Sarasota-based Ari and the Alibis blast their sultry fusion of jazz, rock, funk, soul, samba and blues at Union Hall Friday night. Based on their YouTube videos, the $15 cover is worth it. Other highlights this weekend, at least for people into tribute bands, include Tampa’s Absolute Queen at RP Funding Center tonight. Keep scrolling for the updated music calendar: More
After three weekends of soft openings, musician Dan Signor’s Union Hall in Dixieland holds its grand opening Friday night with the Motown-inspired party sounds of The Black Honkeys. (Check the Clearwater showband’s videos.) Tickets may be hard to come by; the event’s ticket page says it’s sold out.
Traveling musicians playing Lakeland this weekend include Friction Farm, a husband-wife folk troubadour duo from Greenville, S.C., at an Among Friends Music house concert Saturday night, and the traditional Irish tunes of Dublin guitarist-singer Martin Healy at Hillcrest Music Saturday at 1 p.m.
Keep scrolling for our updated music calendar: More
Alex Rich, who came to Lakeland in 2014 to head Florida Southern College’s art history program and galleries, has been named executive director and chief curator of the Polk Museum Art. He succeeds Claire Orologas, who has announced her retirement after leading the museum since 2012, according to a news release issued today by Florida Southern College, which formed a partnership with the museum two years ago. More
