Southern Fried Fun

Posted on by Thor

After sketching several musicians at Will’s Pub, I went outside to sketch. I walked across the street to Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquors. Beside the pub, the Psycho City Derby Girls were offering a bikini car wash. As the car was washed by the lovely ladies the driver could get a free beer while they waited. Unfortunately the suds were not flying when I walked by. A woman sat in a dunk tank waiting to drop in the cool water. I finally sat in a parking space behind Wally’s facing the Hula Hoopers. Two women were busy for more than an hour shaking their hips and keeping the hoops in motion. They could raise the hoops up to their chest and neck then settle it down to their hips again. At times children joined in. This physical activity was no match for the games to be found on a smart phone.

One fellow who was about to back his car out of a spot said, “Hey I like your ride, Is that a compact?” “Yes, it saves on gas.” I replied. We were of course talking about my camping stool which was hogging a parking spot. Some folks who had been drinking noticed me working. My sketches really seem to appeal to folks who have a buzz going. The husband of one of the Hula Hoopers thankfully appreciated my sketch. He also loved that I caught his daughter playing video games on her phone. It was getting near the end of the day and the light was golden. A tent was struck down and I packed up my supplies. From here I headed out to the Food Truck Bazaar for dinner.

Southern Fried Sunday

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Southern Fried Sunday organized by Jessica Pawli was an all day music festival and more with ticket sales going to benefit the Mustard Seed. It was Jessica’s birthday and she celebrated by giving back to the community. The benefit featured 17 musical acts at 3 venues on Mills Avenue. The Mustard Seed is a furniture and clothing bank that helps rebuild lives of individuals and families who have experienced a tragedy, disaster or homelessness. When I arrived at Mills Avenue I decided I wanted to draw Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquors. Women in bikinis were holding signs that read, “Free beer” and some were hula hooping. There was a long line of black Harley Davidson motorcycles parked in front of the bar. I sat down and the second I opened my sketchbook it started to rain. I rushed up the street to Will’s Pub.

I was issued a tan armband. I walked into the dark room with a stage. People were seated all around the edge of the room and there were no empty sects left so I sat on my camping stool up close to the stage. Bartender Brian Hanson was performing. I didn’t know if he had just started or if he was almost finished so I worked quickly. He closed his eyes lost in the music. His deep raspy voice filled the room. Sure enough he had only one song more to sing. When he got off stage he spoke to the woman seated beside me. Her name was Mech Anism. He didn’t think it was one of his better performances.

“Greenland is Melting” from Gainsville Florida was the next group up. Their lively act had everyone clapping and swaying. The guy on the cello bobbed his head up and down violently, his hair a flowing mad mess.The guitarist and banjo player harmonized the lyrics. I was having so much fun sketching to the music. I could have listened to these guys all day.It was over way too fast.

“Kitchy Kittens Burlesque Dancers” wandered through the crowd asking for donations for Mustard Seed. They looked amazing in their 1940’s Pin Up Girl themed costumes. They were on stage for only a minute so I didn’t catch them in a sketch. I couldn’t stay all day. I had time for one more sketch before meeting my wife Terry, Amanda Chadwick and Matt Simantov at the Food Truck Bazaar.

Bar Louie

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After a fun evening of comedy, Terry, Amanda Chadwick and I went to Bar Louie which is in the same complex of restaurants and clubs on Sand Lake Road, a neighborhood referred to by some as Sandlando. The place was packed and the music was loud. Terry and Amanda went out on the dance floor and I started sketching. There were no seats available so I stood behind an empty table that was reserved. As I worked a group of women in gorgeous dresses and men with their hair slicked back sat at the table. It must have been a retro night since some men were dressed like John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever.” They had long pointy collars and vests. I started to think that some guy dressed to the nines would take a swing at me as a way to impress his girl.

When the band stopped, Terry and Amanda went outside. I finished applying washes to the sketch. I never found out the name of the group playing. I closed the sketchbook and went to join Terry and Amanda outside. A huge plate sized beetle was scurrying awkwardly across the pavement. It looked like it was gasping for breath through its neck. Amanda was skyping Matt in Seattle. I waved to the video image of him but couldn’t hear anything he said over the crowd. We didn’t stay much longer. The band was about to start another set as we walked out to the parking lot.

The Little Black Dress Fundraiser

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Blue Martini located at the Millenia Mall hosted the Little Black Dress Fundraiser to raise funds for Dress for Success. The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Wendy Wallenburg brought the event to Terry’s attention and she was excited to sport one of her little black dresses. She told me as we got ready, that I was a very lucky man, since I would be escorting three beautiful women. I dressed all in black for the occasion.

When Terry and I arrived at Blue Martini, we had to stay outside at the bar since they hadn’t opened the doors yet. The bar was packed. We did two laps searching for a table with no luck. We finally asked to sit with an older couple. A women at the next table waved to me and let me know they were leaving soon. We joined them. Terry leaned in and gestured to the couple we had just left. They were making out, hot and heavy. “Sheesh, get a room.” she joked. Donna Brooker Connors, a friend of Terry’s from Book Club, joined us. A thick dark blanket of storm clouds were rolling in. Lightning flashed on the horizon. I could smell the ozone.

Just before the rain hit, it was time to go in. We slipped in the back door and Terry rushed to a table at the far end of the place. I lingered behind, sitting at a spot where I could sketch the band and dance floor but then I decided to just go with the flow. I joined Terry at her chosen table. Sarah Austin joined us. She is another Book Club friend of Terry’s. All the women looked amazing in their little black dresses. The women got free champagne. I couldn’t hear the conversation at our table, I could only hear the roar of the room. I dashed off my first sketch as the place filled up getting louder. When the band started to play, Terry and I got up to dance. Musicology performed an eclectic blend of very danceable music. Then they played a slow song and we danced cheek to cheek. It was a blissful moment.

Back at the table, Donna had to leave since she was getting over a cold. Wendy sent Terry a text saying she couldn’t make it. She was stuck up in Winter Park in the rain. Sarah and Terry compared notes on the men in the room. Sarah shared a picture of her boyfriend who has a ponytail. Then we realized there were men everywhere in the room with ponytails. A group of very busty women piled into the table next to us. A woman hugged her girlfriend from behind cupping her breasts and shaking them. Some women had impossible Disney Princess figures supplemented with silicone. There was a chocolate fountain and designer handbags. Every woman had a raffle ticket for the big items being given away at the end of the evening. Sarah had Terry and I laughing all night.

Blowin’ Broadway

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I decided to go the dinner cabaret show titled, “Blowin’ Broadway” that is put on every Monday at Mr. Sisters (5310 East Colonial Drive near 436). The place is right near where I work. I was a little intimidated by the bright pink modern building. It is right on Lake Barton and the setting sun was painting the horizon orange. There was a bright pink zebra rug at the entrance. I asked where the performance would take place and I was pointed towards the stage with a chain link fence behind it and a pink zebra named Higgins poised in the corner. The place was empty for now but I wanted to start the sketch getting the background in position. The best view was from a bar stool right next to the piano. The bar stool wobbled a bit and the foot support didn’t move. This was going to be like sketching while balancing on a pogo stick, but I ordered a Carona with lime and got to work. Where I sat turned out to be a major traffic area for the sexy waitresses who brought out drink and food orders. A pleasant distraction.

Andrea Canny walked in just as I started sketching. I recognized her from the half page ad in the Orlando Weekly which had caught my eye. I politely asked if she was performing. She organizes the weekly cabaret bringing in new talent each week while also singing a show tune or two herself. I was surprised that she knew of my work. I later found out she is an artist and photographer herself. Soon there was a group of performers gathered. They began to rehearse with John DeHaas on piano.

Brenda Hamilton who is in Broadway Across America’s “Wicked” was the first to rehearse. I sketched Brenda in position as she rehearsed then added color much later when she performed. She had her own pianist named Spencer Jones. John DeHaas was behind the piano for everyone else so he ended up in my sketch. After the rehearsal the place quickly filled up. I love a good show tune, so I enjoyed every performance. There are two performances between 7 and 10pm but with my sketch finished I decided to head home.

iDignity Fundraiser at Ember

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Terry told me about the iDignity fundraiser at Ember. Admission to the fundraising event was $15 which is apparently how much it costs to acquire one Florida ID. I was instructed to slip my drivers license into the lanyard I was given to wear around my neck. Everyone in the room wore their IDs with pride. I sport a full head of hair on my drivers license photo but no one noticed. I found Terry at the end of the bar. She was working the event hoping to find some promising leads. I took the seat next to her and started to sketch.

I had been introduced to the charitable work of iDinity once before by Hannah Miller. They get IDs for the underprivileged. Without an ID it is impossible to get a job so this is the first step in empowering someone. I have seen that crowds of people show up when the IDs are being processed. I hope to get out to sketch the process soon.

The woman next to Terry was talking about how she had once tried out to be a Magic dancer. She didn’t approve of the process and she dropped out. The Magic were playing the New York Knicks that night. It was a home game, so there was a crowd at the Amway Center a few blocks away. After a beer and tasting the food, Terry and I decided to leave early to avoid the mad traffic congestion that would happen when the game let out.

Gratefully Dead Again

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I got a tip from Mark Johnson via Facebook that Further was going to have a concert at the UCF Arena. This band has many of the former Grateful Dead band members. He suggested I get to the Arena early to sketch as the bad ass aging Dead Heads gathered. Walking through the UCF campus I began to see pockets of brightly colored hippies. I walked all the way around the Arena looking for just the right cluster of individuals to sketch. A parking garage right behind the Arena had Grateful Dead music coming from an upper floor. I saw an open SUV tailgate and two grey bearded men in tie dye. I was tempted to go up but there was little light in the garage. I had to look further.

I finally decided to sit outside Tail Gaters Smokehouse. A fellow with a grey beard looked like he had just arrived on his Harley Davidson. He chewed on a tooth pic and sipped his beer. A couple exited the bar. He wore a hat with flames dancing around the rim and an amazing technicolor coat with a rainbow of dancing skeletons. She wore a vibrant rainbow colored dress and a wreath of flowers on her head. I tried to fit her in the sketch twice but she was constantly on the move posing for photos. One fellow with a Grateful Dead messenger bag kept his hand raised with one finger extended. He was probably looking to buy or sell one ticket. Tickets went for $65 to over $100. I wasn’t tempted to buy. Two college girls who looked like flower children danced to the music flowing from the bar. The lyrics caught my attention, “Every picture tells a story don’t it!” A backpacker wandered into the bar looking like he had just hitchhiked to the concert.

I actually went to a Grateful Dead concert when I was in high school. I didn’t have a drivers license yet so I got a ride from a co-worker named George from Zip-Mailing. I was earning money at this part time job to go to college. George had worked there for years. There were some strange scents at the concert, and I remember an amazing never ending drum solo that had everyone dancing in the aisles. I remember dancing with my eyes closed just letting the tribal beat move me. George got wasted, drinking far too many beers. The drive home was terrifying. He stopped once to puke out his driver’s side door. He wouldn’t give up the wheel saying he was fine. I eventually did get home, grateful to be alive.

Red Fox Louge

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Amanda Chadwick and Matt Simantov first introduced Terry and me to the Red Fox Lounge (110 S. Orlando Ave, Winter Park). On the night they took us to the lounge, only Mark the was there behind the keyboard. Amanda boldly insisted that I not sketch until I had a chance to see the full act with Lorna. She claims that a Saturday Night Live writer had seen the Lounge act of Mark Wayne and Lorna Lambry. This writer then wrote a series of lounge act skits build around this couple. Urban myth or fact, this lead Terry and me to return. It was Saturday night and we decided to go to the Red Fox Lounge after an open house at McRae Art Studios. The dark inviting lounge was packed, except for a small table for two right up front.

Mark and Lorna are a married couple who have been performing in the Lounge every night for over a decade. They perform Vegas style with complete control of the audience with a high dose of campy fun. It is obvious they are seasoned entertainers. The room was darkly paneled with a strange neon light beside the bar. A single spot light illuminated Lorna as she sang. A table of women was right next to us and it was obviously a birthday celebration since the birthday girl was wearing a tiara and there were balloons. Mark shouted out, “I need two of you girls to come on up here!” The women hesitated, then three of them got up and began dancing behind Lorna. They laughed and had a grand time. Mark’s laser beam attention focused on me for a moment and he said, “It looks like we got someone taking notes on everything we say!” I smiled and kept sketching. Later on a break between sets he looked at the sketch, put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You are my kind of guy.” An older couple sat in front of us and when Lorna sang the next song, they got up and started to swing dance. They were good! Everyone was hooting and hollering!

A guy in a red T-Shirt was asked to sit next to Lorna for one of her songs. As he got up, he shouted out, “Lorna, you are so sexy!” He sipped his drink as she sang, “Fever“. Then she pulled his head down on her shoulder and she sang softly to him. Mark shouted, “Watch where you put your hands buddy!” Wendy Wallenburg and Carl Knickerbocker showed up. There was literally no place to sit but we squeezed in a couple of more chairs in the doorway. Terry and I left soon after I finished my sketch. Then Wendy and Carl snuggled around our little table. I forgot my hat on the table and only a day later, Wendy was at an event with Terry and it was returned.

Johnny Cash Tribute at Redlight Redlight

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Redlight Redlight, (745 Bennett Rd) is a hip bar that often has themed shows of local artists’ work. On this night the walls were covered with Johnny Cash portraits. Plineo Pinto had several sweet watercolor caricatures that I liked. I bumped into Leslie Silvia who showed me the nasty blisters she got on her hands from a recent crewing competition. She had some nice silhouettes of Johnny Cash. American Destitution, was on stage playing Johnny Cash songs. I asked Jared Silvia how long they had been playing to try and gauge how long I had to sketch. The place was packed so I sat on the floor right in front of the stage to get my sketch.

After the set was over, I talked to one of the performers and he told me this was the first time the band members had performed together in a very long time. I still hadn’t ordered a beer so I muscled up to the bar and ordered a Cony Island Mermaid. The beer was dark and strong. I settled into a corner table and started a second sketch. A movie screen was set up on the stage and Johnny played for the crowd flickering and a bit distorted. His music and the swift kick from the beer made me blue. I wondered what lively conversations were flaring up around me. My hand moved over the pages involuntarily. With my second sketch finished, I decided to get home. As I left a group of graffiti artists stopped me to say hello. I had sketched these artists at Frames Forever and Art Gallery as they worked on large mural panels. I was fading and a bit depressed from listening to Johnny Cash for several hours so I didn’t socialize long. Terry was away at some conference in Texas so I could have stayed out much later. But my work was done.

Saint Patrick’s Day

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There are some who are still celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day, you know who you are. But on the 17th I decided to go downtown to sketch the crowd gathered at the Harp and Celt Irish Pub and Restaurant. The sun was setting as I sketched the darks grew richer and deeper. Everyone was wearing green. Some men had absurdly large inflatable top hats while women sported derbys and shamrock antennae. There were a few couples wearing kilts. I was seated on the center median on Magnolia Avenue since it was the perfect spot to get this panoramic view of the crowd. I was approached by one fellow that wanted to give me a plastic cup for the evening. I said, “I’m fine thank you.”

Terry met me as I was working on the sketch. She decided to take a walk around Lake Eola to clear her head after a rough day at work. By the time she got back, I was done. We decided to go inside the Harp and Celt to get a drink. The pub was packed but we managed to muscle our way up to the beer taps. I saw the bartender pour a drink I had to try. The plastic cup had an inner shot glass which I think held a combination of Irish Whiskey and Baileys. The remainder of the cup was then filled with Guinness. As the ingredients mixed the drink frothed up like an ice cream float. I found out this drink is called an Irish car bomb! Terry ordered a Harp beer which seemed appropriate.

We sat outside. The table behind me was littered with half finished beers. A police officer on foot approached the doorman and they talked for a while. The only problem in the pub so far had been that a man who was presumed to be homeless ordered a beer and then started pan handling everyone inside. He had to be kicked out. After our one drink, Terry and I called it a night. We walked past the art galleries on the way to her car since it was Third Thursday which meant that there were multiple gallery openings. At her office Terry had a bright green jacket and I was surprised she hadn’t worn it for our outing at the Harp and Celt. She didn’t realize the evening might have a chill.