Wind Down Wednesdays

Posted on by Thor

On August 21st I went downtown to go sketch a Yelp Happy Hour. Colleen (Blue) Burns is the Yelp community manager who organizes such events. These get-togethers are a great way to meet fellow Yelpers, those people whose write reviews about restaurants and just about any venue – for friendly conversation, lots of laughs and experience new local hangouts. The event was to take place at Eternal Tap (116 W Church St, Orlando, FL). As I walked down Church Street I couldn’t find and building numbers. I did however notice this large crowd of people gathered outside 55 West. This had to be a crowd of Yelpers.

I got busy sketching from a second story balcony.  An afternoon rain shower had just passed and the pavement was still sparkling wet. Drinks were available from under the green tent and loud music pulsed inside the establishment. I got to watch the social exchange as guys moved in to speak to women. The women were dressed to the 9’s but some of the guys felt it was fine to show up in blue jeans. I was in jeans myself but I was separate from the happy hour scene.

A policeman stood vigil at the Church Street circle waiting for drunken mischief.  It began to sprinkle and the gathering quickly darted inside. With the sketch done I peeked inside. This was Urban Flats (55 West Church Street Orlando FL) which is a chain restaurant. Lights flashed and the walls vibrated from the deep base in the music. Bars along Church Street were just starting to fill up. Eternal Tap must be further down Church Street, closer to the Amway Center. Pan handlers had moved into their positions for their daily take. Loft 55 Gallery and Boutique (55 West Church Street Suite 114 Orlando FL) was just a few steps away. I had met Ashlie Lawson, partner and director of marketing of this Micro-gallery just a few days before at the Solar Games open house. Mark Your Calendar! Every Wednesday artists gather outside the gallery to paint live and talk about art to passers by. Artists set up about 7pm and then paint late into the night. Hit a happy hour and then hang with some artists.

Ivanhoe After Hours

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Business owners from the Ivanhoe Village Business District mixed, mingled, and networked among the enriching art of the Mennello Museum of American Art, (900 East Princeton Street). There were libations and hors d’oeuvres. I arrived right after work and started sketching before the room got really crowded.

Dave PerMar from the Social Media Consulting Group and Colleen Burns from Yelp gave talks about how social media can help businesses. I sketched them as they set up their power points. According to Dave, Google + has been gaining influence online slowly inching towards Facebook’s influence. The benefits for any business are obvious and it is important these days to keep the conversation going with costumers. People trust advice from friends online rather than large corporate ad campaigns.

The wife of Rick Singh took an interest in my sketch. Rick is running for Orange County Appraiser and he was there with a broad smile shaking hands. I was encouraged by his wife’s obvious knowledge and love of art. She told me about Gallery G4 which just opened up downtown and she suggested I get down there and meet the owner. Linda Stewart was there as well and she suggested I go to a fundraiser for her campaign for Florida House District 47.

Yelp Orlando’s Summertime Street Soiree

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Yelp teaming up with CityArts Factory and the Downtown Arts District to
host a massive party, Yelp Orlando’s Summertime Street Soirée. Colleen Burns, aka “Blue” invited me to come sketch. Pine Street outside the City Arts Factory was blocked off with temporary fencing. Yelp is the site that connects locals to the best this city has to
offer. This event will be a great opportunity for everyone in the
community to come together to celebrate and enjoy complimentary bites
and adult beverages from local eateries and entertainment from The
Fifth, Bento, The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck, DJ A-Rock and KUSH just to name
a few. Since Yelp is all about the community, they partnered with City Arts
Factory, a community-minded non-profit, who collected donations
to keep the Downtown Arts District thriving.

I went to the event with my wife Terry and her book club friend Donna Connors. I was glad Donna could keep Terry company while I sketched. The challenge was that it was raining all morning. When we arrived and got our arm bands, I immediately rushed to find an overhang to sit under while I sketched. I decided to sketch the red flaming bar tent.

It began to pour. No, not just the drinks, I mean there was a typhoon. Winds soaked the sketch pages. The bar tenders ended up standing in curbside puddles  up to their ankles. That didn’t stop them from filling the complimentary drink orders. Most people had umbrellas or rain jackets. Others didn’t care, and they enjoyed the complimentary food and drink as they got soaked to the bone. I think the rain helped people meet and mingle as they huddled under tents and overhangs. I spotted blue once in here clear rain jacket and blue dress. She was in an animated conversation and I never got to thank her for organizing the huge event. A D.J.  stood in front of NV Lounge and he performed an amazing D.J. mix using only his voice and percussive lips. Words shuffled forwards and back and his hands animated the space in front of him like a giant mixing board. He was amazing but I didn’t sketch since rain continued to threaten. It was time to be social. I texted Terry, but she stood right behind me.

The three of us went into NV Lounge to sit at the bar and wait for the worst of the storm to pass. I ordered a Coke and the bartender said, “It’s on the house.” When the rain subsided, I ventures out to get a Woodchuck blueberry hard cider. Yum, I ordered another. There were long lines for sushi and other food stations. There was no line for Jeremiah’s Homemade Italian ice, so I got that. It was starting to rain again, so we agreed to go up to Donna’s apartment where it was dry and warm. As we drove up in my Prius, the sky opened up like a waterfall.

Yelp Event at the Polasek

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Yelp held an event at the Albin Polasek Museum for active Yelp reviewers. When I pulled in, I noticed cars parked on the grass lawn so I parked beside them. When I walked towards the building I noticed that there was valet parking available. The young woman at the reception table looked up my name and made up my name tag. Inside an artist was painting a portrait. Christine MacPhail, a harpist was playing just outside the back door. The sweet music drifted through the flower garden as the sun set. There was a food station set up with a delicious ravioli and pasta dish from Brio Tuscan Grill.

I needed my book light to sketch since it was soon pitch black outside. I kept layering on washes making my sketch darker and darker. Inside the museum there was a show of Soviet propaganda art. Socialist Realism was established in 1934 and lasted through the Cold War. The artists were required to communicate the ideals of Revolutionary Socialism and social responsibility to the citizens. Artists were able to travel the world and were paid handsomely. Their oraznization was called “The Workers of the Revolutionary Poster.”

One poster that caught my eye was done in 1961, the year I was born. Castro stood heroically in the foreground with excited citizens cheering all around him. The poster read, “The People of Cuba are Undefinable!” 1961 was the year of the Cuban Missile crisis. The world was almost thrown into nuclear war as America and the Soviets faced off. I am amazed my parents were willing to bring a new life into a world on the brink of total annihilation.

The Abbey

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Yelp was promoting its new “Culture Club” campaign with a kick off party at the Abbey. When I entered the venue, I saw Kelly DeWayne Richards sitting at the bar so I went over to say hello. He was dressed all in black with a red tie and stylish fedora. I know Kelly from his Sunday morning cabaret performances at the Parliament House. This is the one place where I occasionally get up to sing. It turns out Kelly is now performing at “Musical Mondays” which start at 7pm each week at the Abbey. He was told about the gig just two days before his first performance and had just nine people the first night. I want to get out to the next “Musical Monday” and I know the place will be packed.

The Yelp event featured several performances. Altar Boyz sang flamboyant religious themed songs. They had plenty of pep, but left me cold. The Orlando Ballet performed a piece from the upcoming “Vampire’s Ball.” Robert Hill, the artistic director, explained that in horror films there is always a young innocent couple who is unaware of any danger since they are so in love. The young dancers performed a sensual dance that expressed their longing. It was the undeniable highlight of the evening.

Then Kelly’s baby grand piano was wheeled on the stage. He explained to the audience that he was there to set the mood, so people continued to mingle as he played. He began with “The Piano Man” by Billy Joel. The lights in the room were constantly on the move, switching from reds to blues. I considered going to sketch at the Comedy Improv Festival after I finished up at the Abbey but Terry fired off a text asking when I would be coming home. I decided to call it a night. I typed Hh (heading home) into my cell. She wasn’t there.

Yelp Culture Club Kick Off Party

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Yelp had a kick off party for it’s new “Culture Club” at The Abbey (100 South Eola Avenue). Yelp is an Internet service where people write reviews about restaurants. It allows you to see what your friends think about the restaurant you are considering. Through the month of October, Yelp is offering discounted tickets to museums and theaters around town. Venues include, the Morse Museum, Albin Polasek Museum, History Center, Maitland Art Center, La Nouba, Orlando Ballet, the Social, Beacham, Mad Cow Theater, the Abbey and Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Go to www.yelp.com/events for discounted tickets. They will showcase the best of the arts, entertainment, theater, live music, and basically, all sorts of cultural enrichment in the City Beautiful. Some of the special events are completely free so it pays to check back as offers arrive.

I arrived early and sketched as someone changed the movie marquee sign over the entrance. There was a suction cup at the end of a long pole and he used it to remove plastic letters and then put up the Yelp signage. All the wrought iron made the Abbey feel a bit church like. I found it odd that there was a parking garage right above the Abbey. Two female Abbey employees talked to the signage man as he worked. People walked past with their dogs. Two men valet parked cars as they arrived. As I walked into the Abbey, one of the valets asked to see my sketch.