The Other Shoe

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It was open mic night at Bullets Lounge. Apparently the place is usually much more crowded on Open Mic Night. Most of the bar stools were occupied but the tables were empty. I sat in a folding chair by the pool table for an unobstructed view of the first band, “The Other Shoe.” They sang originals written by the bass player Joseph Perricone. Candles illuminated the tables while red and green stage lights illuminated the band. It was Joseph’s birthday and
Deborah Vicino had baked enough cupcakes for everyone at the bar. Man that cupcake was good, especially washed down with the beer.

Band members were out in the parking lot smoking as I left. They joked with me as I asked about the band’s name and I scribbled notes in my pad. The drummer said, “Be sure to get Joseph’s license number.” I shot back, ” I just need his credit card number!” It is amazing the talent you find in even the smallest hole in the wall bar.

Wills Pub

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A concert was scheduled Will’s Pub (1042 N Mills Avenue), but at the last minute, Mark Sultan (of King of Kahn and BBQ), the leading act canceled. The $8 cover was dropped to $3 which was enough to entice me out to do a sketch. When I got to the front door I found out the cover had been dropped all together. I was issued an orange wristband. I ordered an Orange Blossom Pilsner and sat at a side table to sketch people as they lined up at the bar. It seemed like so many friends were reuniting. Dollar bills were hung with care behind the bar. Bottled beers glistened inside the coolers.

 After I was done sketching, I immediately packed up to go, because I knew Terry was waiting at home. As I walked out I noticed The Golden Pelicans, were set up and ready to perform on the main stage. This was a prime sketch opportunity, but it was time to be getting home. Tight Genes were going to perform as well later that evening.

Library Garden

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I heard there was to be a paper flower making workshop at the Peacock Room (1321 North Mills Avenue). I arrived right after work which is early by nightlife standards. One room was full of paintings by Cameron Moore. He is a Full Sail instructor. The work was representational with a touch of the surreal. Skeletal horses were juxtaposed against dense forest scenes. There were some futuristic cityscapes and human figures were covered in patterns reminiscent of New Zealand tattoos.

The other room was full of fluorescent flowers. It stopped me in my tracks. The female bartender asked if she could help me. She thought I was looking for someone. I was just looking for a sketch. Rob Leaman was the artist who created the huge flowers in what he called,  the library garden.  Rob arrived with fluorescent paper and some Elmer’s glue.A woman in a black and white dress stopped in. The white of her dress glowed light blue. He began demonstrating how he creates the smaller flowers by folding the paper.  Then five women showed up all at once and Rob showed them the intricacies in every fold. My digital tablet flashed a warning letting me know my battery was low. I looked around for an outlet but couldn’t find one. This is the advantage of a paper sketchbook it never complains. Moments later the screen flashed off. The sketch was done.

Downtown Pour

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I was invited by Jesse Newton, the director of operations and partner at AURA bar & restaurant, to sketch the downtown pour between two and six p.m. Parking was hard to find in the neighborhood around South Eola Drive and Central. I dropped my wife Terry off near the event then wandered up and down the blocks looking for an open space.

The event was surrounded by fencing and each opening had a guard. Since we were trying to get into 101 South Eola Drive rather than the free booze on the street, the guard let us in. In the lobby of the building, the guard was hesitant to let us up to the fifth floor. After a phone call, we finally got into the elevator.

There is a pool, bar and lounge on the fifth floor and twenty somethings relaxed soaking up the sun. There was just one spot which gave a decent view down the street. A potted tree offered partial shade. Terry was arranging to get our press passes and she decided to go down to the street while I sketched.

Each tent offered free beer and liquor from different bars in town. People were given cups on lanyards that could be worn like necklaces. The Broadway across America tent had a Lion King poster. I texted Terry when the sketch was done and went down to the lobby. When she saw me, she shouted, “Downtown pour rocks!” She had been having a good time going from tent to tent.

She introduced me to the folks at the Orlando Weekly tent and she explained that a DVD of the movie “Tinker Taylor, Spy” was being raffled off and she just asked for it and got it. She told me I had to try a blueberry beer and I got in line at the red tent to get my cup and a taste. The beer was sweet and delicious, tasting more like a soda than a beer.

We decided to relax and sat on a curb. A guy dressed all in white said to Terry, “Looks like you found your other half. I saw you walk by before in those hot boots but then I saw your wedding band.” The back of his shirt had a black dragon on it and it said, “Master of the grand dragon.” Terry was flattered. We couldn’t decide if he meant she was hot or just her boots. Either way, the compliment made her feel like a school girl. A little compliment can go a long way.

There was only drinks available for the four hours of the Downtown pour. We decided to get some dinner after I tasted a second blueberry beer. We walked up to a fish and chips restaurant right next to Urban ReThink. As we ate, people began to pour past the restaurant. Some were happy and a few staggered. The restaurant grew loud fast.

Political fundraiser for Martha O. Haynie

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My wife, Terry, suggested I come out to sketch a political fundraiser for Orange County Comptroller Martha O. Haynie at the Abbey, (100 South Eola Drive.) The scene didn’t look that much different than sketching in any bar except folks were dressed in business attire and they all had name tags. Martha was very cordial and introduced herself to me. She immediately found common ground with me when she said that she missed former United Arts CEO Margot Knight.

Terry arrived and waved to me. She moved around the room from one conversation to the next, meeting everyone as I sketched. Janet and Geoff Benge, who lead the Silver Fern Writing workshops sat down at a central table. Terry started attending these workshops after one of my sketchbooks was used as a writer’s prompt. She sat with Janet and Geoff and the laughter grew louder.

As Comptroller, Martha keeps an eye on Orange County finances and she makes sure that money spent is accountable. This doesn’t stop politicians from miss spending money, but it does mean their actions are accountable come election time. Marthe joked that it might not be wise to check the finances of the sheriff’s department since they carry guns. She checked their books anyway. There is someone running against Martha in the upcoming elections so she has to be diligent in letting people know she is doing a good job. Her address to the gathered crowd was short sweet and to the point.

Terry was hungry, so she went down the block to Mucho’s to get some takeout tacos. She returned with two boxes of tacos and we shared with Janet and Geoff. By this time, my sketch was done and most everyone else had left. Martha stopped over and she had a taco with us as well.

Tom & Jerry’s

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Every Tuesday starting at 9pm Tom & Jerry’s Lounge (1117 N. Orlando Ave.) hosts a Free Open Mic with Blues Mama. The Lounge is easy to spot since it has a VW Bug on top of a telephone pole to catch your attention. I pulled into the side streets and parked behind the building. I noticed that quite a few off duty food trucks were parked in the area. Inside, the smoke filled bar was quiet. I walked behind the wall of people seated at the bar. I figured I’d order a beer so I looked to see what was on tap. I didn’t see a bartender so I gave up on the beer and sat at a tall round table.

Band equipment was being set up on a small corner stage. Two guitarists got the evening started with cover songs. Blues Mama followed them playing guitar and singing solo. Though the tables remained empty, the bar was crowded. When she finished her set, she walked up to me curious about the sketch. I asked her name and she shouted, “Cheryl!” over the amplified guitar music. I must say, she keeps the event humming with performers constantly lined up throughout the evening.

Terry and Mark Baratelli walked in, having come from a fundraiser at a posh European sports car dealership. They both looked sharp and a bit out of place in the grungy bar. Terry didn’t like the smoke, so they immediately left. A scuffle broke out between two guys at the bar next to me. A bar stool crashed to the floor and one guy was shouting waving his finger in the other guys face, “Don’t you ever touch me!” I don’t know what it was about. The woman seated between me and the scuffle caught my eye and she raised her eye brows as if saying, “Boys will be boys.”

A guitarist named Thomas got on stage and it was announced that this would be his last performance at the open mic since he is moving to the cold North East. My sketch was done, so I packed up and left. I had completely forgotten to have a beer.

Masters of Mixology

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Terry told me about a bartender’s competition happening at Crave (4158 Conroy Road, next to Mall at Millenia). We agreed to meet there after work. I arrived first and found a spot next to the DJ where I overlooked the competition staging area. I started blocking in my sketch before the competition got started. Terry arrived and let me know that drinks were free for the first hour. Since I didn’t have any place to put a drink down, I decided to go dry. Terry asked why I wasn’t holding a drink and I explained, “It’s a waste of a perfectly good hand.” She let me sip a light blue concoction she was holding and it tasted like coconut. Yum… No, keep sketching.

Two beautiful women walked the room dressed as, perhaps wedding cakes or blue fairy princesses. They had glittering tiaras on their heads and carried platters with samples and a liquor bottle. The blonde woman gushed over my drawing when she saw it. My eyes darted about. I was too flustered to ask her what she was selling. Some journalist I turned out to be.

Ralph, the general manager at Crave, officiated the event. Colleen Burns from Yelp was one of the judges. I had seen her the day before at a Yelp Culture Club kickoff event the night before. The other judges were Sven and Olie. I envied their job of tasting unique drinks all night. The six bartenders were competing for a trip to Crave in Miami. The contestants were, Jake Berenson, Rob DeGiouine, Michelle Mariani, Aaron Christianson, Sarah Kaylor and Ashley Morin. In the first round the bartender working closest to me lined the martini glasses with streaks of chocolate. He was the first bartender to finish. The judges conferred and the contestants stood at their stations waiting for the results. The tension could be felt over the loud din of all the people shouting over the music at the bar. Jake was the top contender with 158 points. The top three bartenders moved on to the next round.

Terry had already left as soon as the free drinks stopped, which was before the first round of judging. When I finished the sketch, I realized I hadn’t been great company for Terry. I opted not to do a second sketch. As I walked out, I asked Colleen to let me know who the winner was the following day. “The winner was Jake Bereson from Ember! He beat out Michelle Mariani by 1 point.”, she wrote. I want to find out how to become a judge for drink tasting. I have some refined taste buds that are highly under utilized. As I walked alone through the rain to my truck, I realized I was thirsty.

Red Wine Wednesdays

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Every Wednesday between 5pm and 8pm, the Global Beer Lounge and Grill (301 Church Street) across from the Amway Center, offers a $15 unlimited select wine and beer. I arrived shortly after work. Yvonne Coleman of WLOQ 103.1 FM was seated at a table using her laptop. The corner of the room was set up as a stage with saxophones and trumpets neatly arranged in a semicircle. I decided to camp out at the end of the bar which offered a clear view of the musicians. They were doing a sound check. Yvonne let me know that the musicians would start playing later as the place filled up.

I focused on the setting and composition. The musicians were sketched in quickly when they took to the stage. As expected the jazz was lively and entertaining. The musicians paced the room walking table to table. There was a table full of women and the sax player serenaded them with his saxophone and squealed as he reached his credcendo. After the first set, Yvonne introduced me to Guy Rawlings of WESH Channel 2 and Paul Stevens from a Circle of Friends.

When I packed up my art supplies, the place was packed. The evening was just getting started.

Drinks at Taps

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A friend of Amanda Chadwick’s named Matt Rankin was in town visiting from Washington D.C. Amanda arranged for a group of friends to get together to meet Matt. First we were to meet at Mitchell’s Fish Market (460 North Orlando Avenue Winter Park). Terry was there when I arrived. It was raining. Amanda and Matt arrived soon after my Martini. I had met Matt a few times around Orlando before he went to D.C. to apartment sit. He and Terry started telling jokes. Outside there was a musician playing guitar and singing cover songs. He was pretty good. Terry and I ended up ordering the same dinner. It was a delicious cod with a crab stuffing over asparagus shoots all baked in a light butter sauce. Everyone else was running late and they planned to meet us later at a bar called Taps. When we finished dinner we went to search for Taps. Google maps on Terry’s iPhone indicated it was within walking distance. We walked out the door and it was directly across the street.

We sat at a table outside and soon Wendy Wallenburg, Nikki Mier and Sarah Austin arrived. When I wasn’t sketching, I spent most of my time talking to Nikki. She had some wonderful suggestions about places and people I should sketch. Wendy kept asking for the darkest beer in the bar. She claimed there was a beer so dark and thick that it was impossible to see light through the glass. Several servers tried to find this dark beer for her. Samples littered the table. Terry, Nikki and I all ordered hard ciders. Mine was sharp and a little bitter like green apples. Nikki’s cider had a buttery after taste that was nice.

Nikki showed me an adorable picture of her as a child and some really sweet pictures of her dog. One photo of the dog eying a treat on a table was hilarious. Only his eyes and ears were visible and the treat was located where his nose would have been. Another photo showed the pup asleep with his nose tucked into a corner. The black oval spots on his coat receded as if in perspective. She called it her Escher shot. We were all finished with our drinks before I could finish my sketch. I ended up adding watercolor washes at home.

Captain America WWII Burlesque

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Terry and I went to see “Captain America the First Avenger” on it’s opening weekend. Ultimately we were disappointed in the film. There was plenty of fist fighting and no character development. The predictable romance was unsatisfying; the actors had no chemistry. The constant fighting and explosive action became boring after a while. That evening there was going to be a World War II themed Burlesque party at the Comic Shop. Sophie Lamore one of the organizers of the event told me that my name would be on the list so I could sketch the event. Since the event cost $9, Terry decided to hang out with friends at Redlight Redlight while I sketched. It was Chad Bruce’s birthday.

When I got to the Comic Shop there was a large group of people at the back of the store waiting to get into the Geek Easy, a separate social gathering room in the back of the building. I noticed some Captain America comics on the bookshelf across from me. I had arrived a little late, so I was surprised that no one was allowed in yet. Though there probably wasn’t enough time, I decided to sketch the people waiting. A few women had on WWII themed dresses and a couple of guys wore military cargo pants. As I sketched people started filing in. When everyone was inside I walked up to the admissions table and told the woman my name so she could check the list. It was a bit odd announcing I was Thor in a comic shop. My name wasn’t there. I told her to check with Sophie who I had talked to about covering the event. From inside the venue, Sophie didn’t remember putting me on the list. The message was relayed to me. I was offered a discounted ticket, but realized it was a good excuse to get back to Chad’s birthday party. Besides I already had a finished sketch. My job was done. I drove back to Redlight Redlight to hang out with Terry and to wish Chad a happy birthday. As Terry and I left the bar, Chad offered me some eggs from his very own hen house. It was a farm fresh evening.