Club Report: Bikkuri Lounge

Bikkuri Sushi is the only place in town where you can not only find sushi, but also Trance!  When you come inside, head up the stairs or lift to find Bikkuri Lounge.

Celebrating the 3rd anniversary of the monthly Lost In Trancelation series at Bikkuri, DJ Robb Blak (Roxy, Backstage, Liquid, Suite B) was at the podium upon my midnight arrival.

Lots of people on the floor, dancing to, well, Trance!

It was the most crowded I've seen the place!

Lost In Trancelation takes place the last Saturday night of every month so check it out!

Taking over around 12:30am was guest DJ Suzy Solar (USA)!

Mostly non-vocal, as it got later Suzy added Vocal Trance to her selections!

She's most-famous for her classic Trance song "Ocean of Love" which is on Paul Oakenfold's album "Creamfields", the same disc that has "Time of Your Life" and "Beautiful Day" on it.

The Tampa-based DJ needs to come over to Orlando more often!  But you can hear a 2-hour set every Friday night from 10pm to midnight on Party95.com, home to all the best Florida DJ's.

Spotted: DJ Agni (Lost in Trancelation, Bikkuri Lounge, Suite B Lounge), and DJ J13 (Suite B Lounge, Bikkuri Lounge, ProjectRadio.us) with friends.

For all you neon needs, Jesse James of Illumin8us.

Spotted: DJ Lil'B who was batting cleanup last night, visiting with Robb Blak.

Suzy Solar opens for the #1 DJ in the world, Armin van Buuren, on May 9th at Amphitheatre in Tampa!

And a good time was had by all!

Club Report: Miami Music Week

SPI Blog reader CJ appears regularly on our website and was kind enough to share a few pics from her visit to SoBe last week during Miami Music Week.  

Hanging at the DJ Wolfgang Gartner & Friends Pool Party at the National Hotel.

Hanging with Aston of the Freestylers.

CJ hanging with DJ Kraftykuts (USA) and friend Christine at the Bring On The Beats party.

CJ hanging with DJ Icey (USA), the Mazor's (NLP DJ Group) and friend Christine at the Future Sound of Breaks party!

Inside the Future Sound of Breaks party at club Mekka in Miami.  Thanks so much CJ for sharing!!  Great times in the 305.

Friday Funny

Club Report: Atlantic Dance Hall

Atlantic Dance Hall on a Thursday night during Spring Break.  Should be crowded but it was not.

DJ Frankie (Frankie & The West End Boys, West End Stage, Rock'n'Roll Beach Club, Stitch's Club 626) on the decks playing their all-request format.  The letter "B" seemed to be a requirement as there were back-to-back songs by Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Beat It, Britney and two songs I had not heard in a decade, "Bills Bills Bills" & "Big Pimpin"!

There were occasional dancers during my visit but for the most part the dance floor stayed empty.  The parks were open until 1am so perhaps that's why no one was out.  But a good time was had by.....me.

David Guetta & Armin van Buuren Coming To Tampa

Sunset Music Festival, the 1-day EDM show in Tampa announced their DJ line-up yesterday and their headliner is a DJ we can't ever seem to get to perform in Orlando: David Guetta (F), the #4 DJ in the world.  The show will take place on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 27th in the parking lot of Raymond James Stadium.  Other DJ's announced so far for this year include Steve Aoki (USA), Morgan Page (USA), Knife Party (GB), Danny Avila (E), Dillon Francis (USA) and Krewella (USA).  Details and ticket options here.

Taking place earlier in May, the #1 DJ in the world, Armin Van Buuren (NL), will be spinning up in the booth of club Amphitheatre while fans spin down on their revolving dance floor!  The date is Thursday, May 9th and tickets are on sale here.

This is a good time to post our entire list of upcoming EDM events:
04APR KILL THE NOISE (USA) - FIRESTONE LIVE
06APR MARK HUNT (USA) - SUITE B LOUNGE
11APR  R3HAB (NL) - ROXY NIGHTCLUB
12APR LUMINOX (USA) - VAIN NIGHTCLUB
13APR NLP DJ GROUP (USA) - VIXEN BAR
18APR  CRIZZLY (USA) - FIRESTONE LIVE
20APR  DIRTY SOUTH (SRB/AUS) - AMPHITHEATRE
26APR JENNIFER MARLEY (USA) - THEE GROTTO
27APR  SHOWTEK (NL) - FIRESTONE LIVE
04MAY DAFT PUNK TRIBUTE - FIRESTONE LIVE
04MAY TRITONAL (USA) - AMPHITHEATRE
09MAY ARMIN VAN BUUREN (NL) - AMPHITEATRE
09MAY BORGORE (IL) - FIRESTONE LIVE
16MAY FLUX PAVILION (GB) - FIRESTONE LIVE
25MAY DAVID GUETTA (F) - SUNSET MUSIC FEST
03JUL  THE FINAL AAHZ ENCORE - THE BEACHAM

This Weekend In Techno Town

SATURDAY MAR 30
Lost In Trancelation celebrates its 3rd Anniversary this Saturday night at Bikkuri Lounge with DJ Robb Blak, DJ Agni and guest DJ Suzy Solar who opens for Armin van Buuren (NL) this coming May! Big crowd expected so arrive early! (FREE)

At Suite B Lounge, DJ Leo Montoya is headlining this music night that will feature multiples styles of House and Techno music.  Montoya opened for Nicole Moudaber (GB) last fall at Senso.
(FREE until 11pm, then $5)

For more traditional Top 40/Dance/House, check out DJ Magic Mike this Saturday night at new club Loft55 located on Church Street in the 55 West building. Very upscale.
($5)

Over at The Groove in CityWalk you can watch champion DJ's spinning all night, live on stage.  Special guest appearance from DJ Irie (Miami Heat) who will be doing one set.

PI Update: What Do You See?

Concept Art is ©2013 The Walt Disney Company; released to the Press and is used here to support this news story.  CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

When Disney released numerous pieces of concept art of Disney Springs to the press a couple weeks ago, one of the most intriguing pieces was the one above with a relatively closeup look at The Landing, the future name for what now is Pleasure Island.  One can stare at this image for a long time and try to figure out what one sees. So let me tell you what I see:
1) Let's ignore the built-up area in the front, to be constructed on what is now Parking Lots E-F-G.
2) The No. 2 Bridge is still there, in the middle on the far right.
3) The water in the middle seems wider than The Waterfront that is currently located between the Island and the parking lot. Supposedly the Disney Springs theme will originate here.
4) The building that is currently Mannequins is most definitely still there. We don't know what it will be. The adjacent 8TRAX section is still there as is the building currently housing Curl.
5) The roundish Raglan Road is still there.
6) Behind Raglan Road, in the upper right, is the building housing a "lighthouse" style restaurant; perhaps this is the Schussler Creative long-rumored "Classic Old Boats" restaurant.
7) Are those submarines sailing around Village Lake, or just boats used in connection with the restaurant?
8) Just a peak at Paradiso 37 popping up behind 8TRAX.  But behind Paradiso is another building, apparently located out on a section of land reclaimed from the lake.
9) The top of the Adventurers Club also can be seen against the lake. Other concept art shows the building with steam locomotive sticking out of the building so something is going in there.
10) Soundstage and the bathrooms by the No. 4 Bridge are gone, replaced with a multi-story building constructed in a Spanish colonial styling.
11) The Comedy Warehouse building gets a completely new look using lots of glass.
12) One can see the No. 3 Bridge, currently used by CM's only.
12) On the Waterfront side of CW, a new large building and a new adjacent covered area that looks kind of like a boat landing/boarding area.
What do you see? 

Downtown Update

Time for an update from downtown Orlando.  Antigua closed a year ago but signs are still on the building and lit at night.

However, heavy renovations are taking place inside that will remove the look of a Caribbean island village and replace it with another theme.  Sources say this will be one of those restaurants that turns into a club later at night, a pretty common trend downtown in the past year.

The nightclub Dragon Room has closed.  Home to mostly Hip Hop, I won't miss the music or the uinspired service.  The bland Asian-theming reminded me more of a Chinese restaurant in Akron than to anything in Shanghai!  No word yet whether anything is moving in.

Anyone remember Cheyenne Saloon & Opera House from Church Street Station.  Still full of brass and dark wood, the venue remains available for rent if you want to open a club.  Church Street is a sad place again with many club closings in the past year: Heat, Bliss, Antigua, Mako's, Touch, Baby Grands, Dragon Room.

Last but not least, new dance venue Syn Nightclub located at 57 W. Pine Street, a block west of Orange Avenue, should be opening very, very soon.  The club will be featuring Vocal House music and has signed DJ Mickey Bono (RadioDanz, Beat Thrillerz, K5, Loft55, Bliss Ultra Lounge) to be one of their DJ's!

Club Reports: CityWalk, The Beacham, Independent Bar

Starting this Saturday evening at Universal Orlando with a visit to their new lagoon-front amphitheater.

Good-sized crowd on hand listening and dancing to the music!

DJ Smooth (Florida Beat Radio, RadioDanz, XM Radio) on the boards playing Top 40, Dance, Hip Hop and Line Dances.

Ending the night with the "Bernie Lean" and "The Wobble"!

Dancing in the haze.  The Saturday night only party currently runs from 7pm to 11pm.

Moving on to downtown Orlando and The Beacham.

Always jammed on Friday & Saturday nights for the mainly Hip Hop & Top 40 format.

As delivered by DJ Richie Rich (House of Blues SIN)!

People as far as the eye can see.  Richie Rich plays 100% EDM tonight at House of Blues in Downtown Disney Westside in Lake Buena Vista.

First visit to I-Bar in awhile!

Trying to get a picture of the pretty girls in the booth and having Lighting Tech Ernie, DJ Dem Rok & club owner Indie John trying to squeeze into the frame!

Downtown was relatively spartan last night as most EDM fans are in Miami.  But I-Bar was packed!

The Saturday night format is early to mid-80's New Wave.

Great sound system, great lighting, great music!

You can also find 80's on Friday nights at BackBooth and once monthly on Fridays at The Abbey.

Spotted: DJ Dem Rok down on the dance floor!

And a good time was had by all!