I caught a performance by Johnny Magnuson on Sax at The Garlic (556 E 3rd Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169). I went with one of my downtown apartment mates. She is tasked with selling wine to restaurants so the trip was two pronged. She knows Johnny so we sat at the end of the bar to listen in and sketch. He used an iPad on a music stand to keep his music in order. A salad bowl was used to collect dollar bills. We arrived rather late and the bowl was already full.
After the performance we drove over to Johnny’s house. He has a room mate in the basement and plenty of room. We all sat around on the back porch and talked for a while. Johnny has over 5000 friend on Facebook, he must be a very popular sax player.
The Garlic is a very visually appealing place to sketch. You can get lost in all the rooms decorated in a rustic French Provincial style with plenty of raw garlic hanging from the rafters. There is a candle display that has all the melted wax from years and years of use making it look like a huge molten volcano. I consider the place well worth a visit. Of course New Smyrna Beach is a bit of a drive if you live in Orlando so consider making a beach day of it and stop into the Garlic before driving back home.