Player 1 Video Game Bar

Posted on by Thor

Once, when Amanda Chadwick returned to Orlando, she invited friends to the Player 1 Video Game Bar (8562 Palm Pkwy, Orlando, FL) for a night out. I became obsessed with the ancient Star Wars Vdeo Game. I flew down the trench of the Death Star multiple times until I was able to destroy it with a single proton torpedo blast down an exhaust port. I had played this game as a teen and getting back in the cockpit of an X-Wing Fighter was just like riding a bicycle. All the killer instincts come right back. Terry tried the game after me, but she just didn’t have a knack for dodging the Death Stars defenses. I shouted at her to watch out for the cannons firing from the gun turrets. Even with my coaching, she kept getting shot down. She had much better instincts for Pac Man.

I returned to the bar to sketch on another day.  Player 1 is billed as the ultimate video game lounge experience! After four decades of Video Gaming a few things are clear to the owners:

Arcade games must be played in their original format- joysticks, buttons, and a lo-rez TV screen in a big custom cabinet!
Playing online has it’s drawbacks, nothing beats playing against opponents sitting across the room.
Video Games deserve a place to celebrate the art and history of the #1 form of entertainment in the world.
Beer is king…ales to lagers and everything in between!

There was a cover to get in, but Disney employees get a discount. Luckily I was wearing my John Henry Disney Crew Jacket, so I scored the discount. I ordered a beer and got to work. It was early in the evening and the bar was deserted. The place is located in a strip mall just beyond Disney property, so it is a trek for most locals. I’m not certain tourists would know how to find it. One guy sat at the bar fingering a joy stick as he watched the game play above the bar. The beer taps were surrounded by video game themed action figures and memorabilia. Since I work in a University that is helping teach the next generation of game designers, I can understand the appeal of Player 1. I decided to leave the Death Star in peace and I left when the sketch was done.

Denna and Travis Update their Relationship Status

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Denna Beena and Travis Fillmen were married Saturday August 4th in the Winter Garden Theatre. It was pouring rain as I drove straight from work. Terry let me know that she saved me a seat. The Winter Garden Theater has been the home to some amazing theatrical productions such as “The Diviners“, and “Driving Miss Daisy“. This wedding had a flair of the theatrical and plenty of Pink. Denna’s hair has always had a shock of pink, orange and purple. Her brides maids each had a pink dress of their choosing and long streaks of pink in their hair. Groomsmen and the ring bearer, manikin Hans Hausboi, all had pink bow ties and flowers. Groomsman, Mark Baratelli had a crazy, day filled with drama leading up to the ceremony. But that is a story for another day. Bridesmaid, Amanda Chadwick, with a bright pink coil of hair on her forehead, had flown from Seattle to be in the ceremony.

Before the actual ceremony, the theater curtains opened and friendly trivia was projected on the movie screen. Denna and Travis’s first date lasted ten hours. They met thanks to OKCupid.com. Denna kept getting Travis’s bio and she ignored it five times. She finally decided that the guys she usually dated were all wrong for her, so she took a chance. They might be bipolar opposites politically but deep down the found happiness and creative unconditional love. There was a small canvas center stage and as part of the ceremony, the couple painted a heart together. Young Chloe and Naomi Borchers recited the lyrics to “Personal Penguin.” Mike Carr explained, “Why Love is Like Owning a Dog.”

It was a ceremony in which laughter was a fine compliment love. The officiant, Mike Carr, earned his ability to unite this couple from the internet. When the knot was tied, Denna and Travis took out their cell phones on stage and updated their Facebook status to “Married“. The audience cheered. As everyone filed upstairs for the reception, I rushed to throw color on the sketch. A black and White film flickered onto the movie screen as the projectionist got ready for that evenings showing. As the colors dried on the page, I went upstairs for plenty of awkward yet enthusiastic dancing.

Blank Space’s Last Night

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I’ve been to many events at Blank Space. It has been something of a mecca for me downtown. Amanda Chadwick and Mathew Simantov met at Blank Space and they are engaged to be married in Seattle. The place has hosted an endless stream of parties and arts events over the past two years. I’ve been to bad ass dance parties here where the folks in tuxedos across the street who had paid $200 for a political fundraiser wished they were having as much fun. It came as a surprise to find out Blank Space was closing its doors due to unfortunate circumstances having to do with the building owner, and David Charles not being able to afford to relocate at this time. So on June first, there was one more evening of great music, and half price on all the beer that was left (about 1,000 beers).

I arrived straight from work. There were several clusters of people seated at the bar. I ordered Blue Moon and sat down for one more sketch, for old times sake. It was odd and a bit sad that the walls were completely empty. Later that night, artists were going to paint the walls. When I got up to leave, I passed a graffiti artist outside who was taping up the window supports. He planned to paint as many windows as possible. Homeless men played chess on a stoop between Blank Space and the barber shop. For once Orlando felt urban and gritty. The window had been scraped clean of the art in a matter of days.

I passed the deserted space yesterday. Artists had drawn all over the interior walls with sharpies and spots of inspired color.  The once vibrant cultural hub was now silent but the writing was on the wall, as artists search for ways to express themselves in the homoginized downtown.

Musical Mondays, The Abbey

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Terry and I went to the Abbey for Musical Mondays. It was a cold walk from the car. Temperatures were going to drop down to the 30s, and in Orlando, that is big news. There weren’t many people there when we arrived. Kelly DeWayne Richards, Orlando’s Piano Man, was trying to get the piano audio connected to the sound system. He introduced me to Emily at the bar and I recognized her but I couldn’t figure out why. I ordered a beer and found a tall table with a good view of the stage while Terry was in the bathroom. Amanda Chadwick arrived and she and Terry sat in one of the cushy leather sofas in front of the stage. While the place was pretty empty, Terry got up and sang, “Soon or a Later.” I placed her in my sketch as she held her glasses and tried to read the lyrics. The stained glass ceiling slowly changed colors from cool blues to hot reds.

Kelly called up Emily from behind the bar to sing. She sang, “Someone Like You” by Adele and suddenly I realized I had heard her sing before. She has a strong, silky, emotive singing voice that just bowled me over. Her full name is Emily Heffelfinger and getting to listen to her perform was a treat. I can’t believe a talent like that works the bar. As Kelly said, “She’s a great singer and she mixes a mean martini.” Kelly gave her a hard time and jokingly she shot him the finger.

Sharon and Kelly stood at the microphones and sang a moving rendition of, “The Rose.” The place slowly filled and singer after singer got on stage to sing. Some kept their hands tightly tucked in pants pockets while others clutched the microphone. Some voices were shy and tentative while others belted out the lyrics. Musical Monday is a great way to kick off the week. The festivities start at 7pm so I’d suggest having dinner downtown at a nice restaurant and then have a musical nightcap at the Abbey.

Terry’s Office

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After a day of searching for Citrus Floats, I decided to meet Terry at her new office at Merrill Lynch. The firm is located on the eighth floor and Terry’s office has a view of the new Amway Center. Terry was one of maybe four or five employees who were in the office between Christmas and New Years. Terry looked up a press release on the computer for me and then went back to work. Amanda Chadwick said she had something planned that she wanted to do that night. She wanted to keep the destination a secret from Terry. We all decided to meet at a Mexican Burrito joint on Colonial.

After dinner, we all piled into Amanda’s car to first pick up Mark Baratelli and then go to the final destination. On the drive south on I-4 we passed the neon rainbow studded Bungee Sling Shot on International Drive. We convinced Terry that was the destination but Terry insisted she would keep her feet on the ground. A “Screaming Gator” zip line adventure over the teaming swamps around Gator Land elicited the same response. Our true destination however was Disney. Amanda was concerned for my mental health, fearing I might experience flashbacks. Mark had a season pass which got us into parking for free.

We took the Monorail to the Polynesian Hotel where wWe sampled some pineapple slushies, called Doles, before heading out to the beach. There we sat on wet beach lounges and waited for the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom. Boats on the lagoon kept honking their horns and we screamed back at then to “Keep it down.” It’s not like there is any traffic on the lagoon. The fireworks were stunning, with Saturns, cascading waterfalls and immense blooms. The piped in music was faint and the explosions came long after the flash catching us off guard.

After the display we began a quest for hot chocolate and soft serve ice cream. There were plenty of photo opportunities with the huge Coronado Christmas tree. We laughed endlessly as we searched the Coronado Springs Resort. As Mark put it, “Its not the journey that is important, it’s the destination.” The drive back had us all singing like Young Frankenstein to pop hits on the car radio.

New Year’s Day Party

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Terry and I hosted a New Year’s Day party to celebrate AADW’s third anniversary and to ring in the New Year with friends. We shopped for hot dogs and hamburgers the day before along with beers champagne and orange juice. On the morning of New Year’s day, I went to Panera to pick up a large order of bagels and pastries that Terry had called in the week before. Panera’s was packed. Everyone seemed to want bagels that morning. There was a separate line for pick up orders but no one was at that counter. The place was understaffed and chaotic. A twelve year old girl in line in front of me held a puppy she must have been given for the holidays. The woman next to me said, “I’m just waiting for that pup to pee. That’s what they do. There’s a sign on the door that says no pets. My mother would be having a fit right now.” I laughed wondering if the puppy would prance around on the pastries when the girl got to the counter.

The cashier didn’t know about my order. One woman searched, but came up empty handed. They waited for the manager who was at a register. We waited. He finally looked in the same place as the other woman and pulled out the large bag. The next stop was Publix for some lox and cream cheese. At home everything was spread out on the dining room table. Candles and the Christmas tree were lit. The invitation was for noon till midnight. Since no one had arrived yet, I started writing a blog post. Half way into the post, the doorbell rang. Our first guest was from Terry’s writing group and Terry immediately put him to work cutting tomatoes and an assortment of last minute preparations.

All through the day people arrived at various times. In the evening, Kelly DeWayne Richards stopped by with his portable piano. Terry was the first to sing. She sang, “Soon or a Later.” I was outside scrambling to get burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Amanda Chadwick got up to sing “Somewhere out There.” I don’t know how this tradition started, but I always get called up to sing with her. I will spare you the audio. Amanda then called Matt Simantov in Seattle via Skype. She had me hold the cell phone while she sang to him. Britt Daley sat behind the keyboard and began singing “Anything But“, one of her original songs. Everyone stopped to listen. There was magic in that moment. What an amazing way to start the New Year, with authors, artists and musicians. So much talent in one place made my heart warm.

Then Terry insisted I sing “Hold On” by Michael Buble. I hid in the kitchen. Though Terry couldn’t see me, Amanda could. She shouted at me to “Get in there and sing!” I don’t know the lyrics and when I perform, I like to know I’m well rehearsed. I messed up the lyrics several times and couldn’t find my way back to the refrain. Luckily no one was in the room but Terry and poor Kelly at the piano. She was seated on the couch in her wedding dress, listening intently. She had changed her outfits five times that day to everyone’s delight. After the song, she knelt down in front of me and said, “Marry me.” We had already renewed our vows on our 20th wedding anniversary. People shouted out, “Again?” The writers looking in from outside found the image of Terry kneeling in front of me suggestive. When I realized why they were laughing, my face flushed red.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

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For the first time in years, Terry and I decided to buy a live Christmas tree. Neither of us had seen any tree tents in our travels around town. I did notice a fireworks tent still up on Colonial Drive. I guess they will do a brisk business for New Years Eve. Terry was raised Jewish but she loves decorating the tree even more than I do. The first order of the day was to pack the back of my truck full of old computer monitors, a fax machine and and several dead car batteries. We dropped everything off at a recycling center on McCoy Road. As I drove, Terry asked friends on Facebook where they got their trees. I think Tracy Burke is the one who directed us to go to Home Depot.

A tent was set up in the Home Depot parking lot. When we walked in, the pine needle smell was intoxicating. Terry seemed to think I would be a tree expert since I grew up with the tradition. They all looked good however. We finally settled on a seven foot Douglas Fir. It was a little mushed on one side but that imperfection gave it character. We were given a ticket and we payed inside the garden center. Terry couldn’t resist picking up some purple Begonias, her favorite flower as well. The tree was packed in a tight nylon net. I backed up the truck and opened the back, hoping the tree would fit inside. The trunk was thrust between the front seats almost touching the windshield. When I sat behind the steering wheel, I had to lean against the door. The sweet smell of pine needles filled the truck.

Getting the tree to stand straight in the stand was a chore. Terry held the tree as I tightened the bolts into the trunk. There was no way to check if it was standing up straight. When Terry let go and backed up to take a look, the tree fell over. I realized there were too many branches near the base so she got me some garden shears to cut them away. I tightened the bolts in a second time, having them puncture the trunk in a new spot. This time the tree stood its ground.

Using a ladder, I climbed up into the attic space above the garage where the Christmas lights and ornaments are stored in moving boxes. We unpacked the boxes in the kitchen, looking first for the lights. Foot long strands of green wire and tiny colorful incandescent bulbs fell out on the floor. Something was wrong. I neatly wind the Christmas lights around a red hanger but they were falling away in pieces. We discovered rats had chewed through the wires. I started throwing away the wires that had been chewed through. I tested the few strands remaining and only the last one partially lit up. I lay it out on the floor and plugged it in. Only half the strand was lit. I started replacing bulbs one at a time trying to revive the lights. Those little suckers are hard to take out. After a dozen bulb tests, I gave up, pronouncing the final strand DOA.

We went to a Walgreen’s and got 3 boxes of the old fashioned larger bulbs. These are the types of bulbs I grew up with. I was in charge of putting the lights on the tree. When I was done, I settled back and sketched while Terry put up the ornaments. Amanda Chadwick stopped over with Baxter, her adorable, but skittish Dachshund. It took Baxter quite a while to notice Zorro, our cockatoo on his perch. When he did notice him, his ears bristled and his eyes grew wide as he thought, “Toy!” We were short on ornaments and I had to crawl back up in the attic to recover a box that had been moved by workmen running cables up there. Inside was a treasure trove of old ornaments. Terry would hold each one up and announce, “Oh, look at this one! Oooh!” Amanda napped on the couch with Baxter. We had plenty of Marti Gras beads that came back with us from New Orleans and the Gay Pride Parade. Amanda twisted the beads creating wonderful little stars. She showed me how to do it and together we created dozens of stars. Matt Simantov checked in from Seattle via Skype.

I warmed up a bottle of German mulled wine which was sweet and delicious. When the tree was fully decorated, we ordered a pizza and basked in its warm glow while listening to world beat music.

Wave Awards

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Terry found out about the Wave Awards ceremony happening at Mr. Sisters (5310 East Colonial Drive). I had never heard of the Wave Awards so when my class was over at 9pm I drove down to Colonial. Terry sent me a text saying parking was tight. I lucked out and found a parking spot right under the giant LED Mr. Sisters billboard. As I walked towards the club I saw Billy Manes, a journalist for the Orlando Weekly. He was carrying a plaque and he nodded to me. I seem to keep bumping into him at events around town lately. I later found out he had won an award as the favorite local writer/journalist. Inside, I said hello to Mack Dixon. He had been voted the greatest straight ally to the local LGBT community along with his wife Margo. Since I knew nothing about the awards ceremony, I asked him a few questions. The Wave Awards were awarded by Watermark, a local LGBT newspaper. There was a copy of the paper on each of the tables. I thumbed through one and it looked like a great resource for finding fun local events.

Terry and Amanda Chadwick were seated at a table out on the patio overlooking the lake. Every table had a black and white painting of a celebrity on it. I could see a large eyeball staring up at me, but I couldn’t make out the face hidden behind the ketchup, plates and glasses. Airport lights flickered on the horizon. A beautiful spot, but removed from the bustle and activity inside the club. Actually the place wasn’t that crowded. People were starting to leave. I grabbed a plate of crackers and cheese before it was put away. Mark Baratelli joined us. He was holding his award as the favorite local LGBT blog. His blog, thedailycity.com, also won third place as the favorite LGBT website.

Rather than focusing on the event as a whole, I decided to sketch Terry and Amanda as they had dinner in the gay club. Amanda shouted, “You’re not drawing me eating chicken wings, are you!?” I erased her arms. My sketching habit seems to be a burr in the saddle, an annoyance that people tolerate. Billy Sisco arrived and hugged Mark from behind. He showed Amanda his new Windows phone and started hammering it’s screen with a knife handle. As hard as he hit it, the darn thing didn’t break. I snagged a few of Terry’s fries but was happy enough with my root beer.

When it was time to go, Mark asked us all to pose for a celebratory photo in front of a green screen. Mark and Billy stayed behind wanting to celebrate much later into the night.

Sunday Piano Bar

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Amanda Chadwick invited Terry and myself to the Sunday afternoon Piano Bar at the Parliament House (41o North Orange Blossom Trail). Kelly DeWayne Richards plays every Sunday from 1:30pm until about 4:30pm. He has a huge selection of sheet music and invites audience members to come up and sing. There is an undeniable regular crowd. Most of the singers are exceptionally talented. We muscled up to the bar as our eyes adjusted to the dark room. Amanda ordered a chocolate martini and it looked so good I wanted one. From the bar stool I started sketching. Mark Baratelli enterd and everyone shouted “Mark” Cheers style. Kelly insisted Mark step up to the mic. As he got ready to sing, an audience member got up to go to the men’s room. Mark glowered at him like a diva and we all laughed. He began singing an over the top emotional rendition of “I’m Not Going” from Dream Girls. His emotional heaving breaths and despondent screams made his rendition hilarious. The crowd in the tiny room roared.

Even though I was still sketching, Kelly insisted I step up to the mic to sing “Hold 0n“. Kelly told the story of how I sang this at the surprise 20th anniversary party I threw for Terry. I pulled the lyrics up on my cell phone as the audience waited. With a weak internet connection, it seemed an eternity. I whispered into the mic, testing it, “This one goes out to Terry.” I missed a lyric or two but by the end I was feeling good, even the high notes were effortless. I looked at Terry then I saw people in the audience swaying and singing along. By the last refrain, the room was filled with harmony. When I finished, I assume there was polite applause. When I walked back to the bar, Terry threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. Mark shouted out, “Hey! Look everybody, straight people!” I laughed. One song isn’t a free pass. It is the first step on a long road.

While I was singing, some guy had taken my bar stool. I just stood next to him throwing down quick watercolor washes. He eventually left and I regained my seat. Terry got up and sang “Being Alive” from the Sondheim musical, Company. I was surprised how soft and vulnerable her voice was. We are both frightened moving forward challenging support and independence but very much alive. Amanda and I sang “Somewhere Out There.” We have had to sing it every time we are at the Sunday Piano Bar. Now that Matt Simantov, Amanda’s boyfriend, is living way out in Seattle, the song has taken on a special meaning for her.

The B52’s at the Amway Center

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It had been raining all day. I was putting finishing touches on an illustration for the Orlando Opera Theater Company when I got a text from Rick & Terry Loewen, “Free concert. B52’s.” I wrote back, “Your kidding! Now?”. “Amway Center let them move the concert indoors. You guys need to come. We will save u seats.” Terry was with Amanda watching “Ides of March.” I texted her to let her know about the free concert. I was going to see the movie with them but I ended up driving to the wrong movie theater. When the movie was over (they didn’t like it) Terry called and agreed to pick me up and rush over to the concert. The warm up band, Logan Belle, was just getting started.

We drove downtown in the pouring rain. Terry couldn’t see the lines on the road and she kept slowing down. She took a wrong turn and we got lost on side streets. She missed a second turn to the road that lead to her office where we planned to use the parking garage. She did a U turn on Orange Blossom Trail and relocated the street. When we parked I fired off another text letting Rick and Terry know we were on foot. She let me know they were seated behind an orange Hooters table. When Terry and I stepped out into the deluge we heard a Train horn blast. There were train tracks between the parking garage and the Amway Center. We jogged towards the tracks. The barriers hadn’t dropped yet. As we ran across the tracks the horn blasted again and we were blinded by the locomotive’s light.

When we entered the Amway Center Terry had her purse checked. My sketchbook was tucked in my belt like a pistol. My pallet was in my rain jacket pocket. I wasn’t frisked. My artists contraband made it through security. We asked several people where the Hooters table was and we were told we needed a wrist band. When we asked about a wrist band we were told we didn’t need one. VIP’s had seating on the floor for $150.We took an escalator to the second level then walked down to the floor. The place wasn’t crowded. Half the VIP seats were empty. Rick and Terry waved to us and we grabbed our seats in the third row.

I started sketching as the B52’s took to the stage. Our seats were on makeshift aluminum bleachers. Everyone was dancing and jumping up and down to the music. The bleachers rocked and swayed. I relaxed and let my lines flow with the turmoil. Terry shouted at a lady to sit down in front of us. Many of the early songs I didn’t recognize. When the band began playing “Love Shack!” I knew my sketch was done. Terry and I agree that this is our song. We danced and shouted out the lyrics. I grabbed Terry by the waste and we bumped hips to the beat. I can check this item off my life list. I believe everyone should hear “Love Shack” performed live at least once in a lifetime. On the floor of the Center everyone continued to dance to “Rock Lobster“.