Concert Report: DJ Icey (Amphitheatre)

Amphitheatre in Tampa's Ybor City night club district, home to 100% EDM.

Saturday night resident DJ DOCO spinning House/Dance when I arrived.

With the world famous DJ Icey (USA) coming on at 12:45am!

Playing a little Old School early but otherwise almost 100% Breaks!

The club was packed, so much so that their revolving dance floor was disappointingly not revolving.

He played part of my favorite Mannequins song ever, Agnelli & Nelson's "Everyday"!

The crowd was all ages with everyone moving to the beats coming off their incredible sound system!

A couple months ago when I ran into Icey in Orlando I told him the set he played at Firestone Live this past December was his best set ever.  He responded with a "Thanks, but how many sets of mine have you seen?"  Good point.  But last night was his best set ever!

You can never go wrong with Go Go girls!

Mannequins!

As we approached 2:30am, no one was leaving!

There has been some discussion about whether Breakbeats remain relevant in this new EDM revolution.  If there was ever any doubt, Icey blew them away last night with one Breakbeat song after another that had the partiers on the dance floor going crazy over!

People were dancing both on and off the dance floor!

And  a good time was had by all!

The Final AAHZ Reunion

WHO:  DJ's Kimball Collins, Dave Cannalte & Chris Fortier
WHAT:  AAHZ Legacy, The Final Reunion
WHEN:  Wednesday, July 3rd - 9PM to 2:30AM
WHERE:  The Beacham (Downtown Orlando)
WHY:  Between 1989 & 1992, Orlando was at the center of the emerging House music scene and a club night called AAHZ at The Beacham Theater was the biggest rave of them all!  Since Mannequins closed, the annual AAHZ Reunion series of events recreated that scene and has taken thousands back to the good old days with original music and the original DJ's!  The event has always been packed and AAHZ Legacy will be the final reunion.  Don't miss this!
HOW:  Take a chance on a sell-out by purchasing tickets at the door.  VIP is already sold out.  Have peace of mind and purchase them in advance here.
HOW COME:  Read yesterday's Orlando Sentinel article from columnist Jim Abbott about the event here.

Concert Report: DJ Ferry Corsten (Roxy)

Roxy Nightclub, home to some of the world's top DJ's playing Orlando!

Spinning in the lobby to those just arriving, DJ Evo.

And in the main room, opening DJ Robb Blak playing mostly non-vocal Trance!

Jockeying for position, the floor was jammed early.

You can never go wrong with Go Go girls!

I've seen him at Zinc Bar, I've seen him at Pacha-NYC, I've seen him at Amphitheatre, I've seen him at EDC-Orlando.  Currently the #22 DJ in the world, Ferry Corsten (NL).

I've just never seen him this CLOSE!

Putting together an awesome show of House, Trance & Progressive Trance!

He played part of his biggest hit, a song played often at Mannequins, "Rock Your Body Rock"!

The audience was jammed tonight with area celebrities including official videographer Harley!

DJ Suzy Solar!

DJ J-13!

DJ Carlos Mendoza!

DJ Li'l B!

 NLP's VJ O.G. Wolf!

 Speaking of Tritonal, that DJ duo plays here at Roxy on July 11th!

"Ferry, Ferry, Ferry" roared the crowd!

Working off CD's.

And a good time was had by all!

PI Update: Demolition Wall At 8TRAX!!

As the Disney Springs conversion takes place, no other website provides as much coverage as the Save Pleasure Island Blog.  We are beyond saving it of course but at least you'll know what's happening!

Last Thursday we showed that the so-called "Seed & Mulch" sector on Pleasure Island had been converted into the first construction staging area.  A construction wall has now been added and surrounds this former home to Motion and Rock'n'Roll Beach Club.

It's still possible to peek in and see a few of the pallets sitting there.

We've posted several times the Celebration Plaza construction wall that begins at the No. 4 Bridge from the West Side.

The wall used to end at the stairs behind Laffers Cantina.  It has now been extended!

We previously posted that Curl by Sammy Duval was to relocate last weekend to their new space in the Splitsville building.  They did.  And now the old Curl is behind the demolition wall!

But the wall continues even further.  Yikes!  It's surrounds 8TRAX too!!

And ends directly up against Mannequins!

And continues on the south side of Mannequins up to the Waterfront.

Remember that Mannequins, 8TRAX, Apricot Lane & the former Curl are all one building.  Is it possible that some of the building will be demolished and Mannequins remain?  We just don't know.

And a view from behind 8TRAX.  The end is near!

Breaking News: Pleasure Island Clubs To Close!

Five years ago today, Friday, June 27, 2008 was a day that will live in infamy.  You all remember it well.  Disney dropped a bombshell early that evening which appeared in the Orlando Sentinel the next morning:  All the comedy and dance clubs on Pleasure Island were going to be closed in exactly 3 months....September 27, 2008!!

Shock, dismay and disbelief was expressed everywhere but no one truly believed that Disney would really do it.  Surely they would come to their senses!  But they didn't come to their senses and on that fateful Saturday night in September, the clubs really did close.

And here we are 5 years later with two clubs demolished and supposedly more demolitions coming.  Plan C (Disney Springs) has been announced but like the two plans before it, zero construction has ever started on the Island.  The buildings have remained dormant ever since the closure.

The link to that Sentinel article no longer works but they also published this article a couple days later which pretty much summarizes everything.

Five years of nothing......for no reason.

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY JUN 27
He's always in a good mood and always puts on a great show!  His hits always got a lot of play at Mannequins too.  DJ Ferry Corsten (NL) this Thursday night at Roxy.
($20)

FRIDAY JUN 28
Bringing the sound of Miami House music to Orlando and opening with O-Town's own DJ Evo (Firestone, Bikkuri Lounge)!  Suite B Lounge.
(FREE until 11pm then $5)

SATURDAY JUN 29
Barely over a 1-hr journey from Orlando, take the drive over to Amphitheatre in Ybor City this Saturday night for the legendary DJ Icey (USA)!  The revolving dance floor will bring back memories of someplace much closer to home!
($10)

But if you can't leave town, consider this month's edition of "Lost In Trancelation" at Bikkuri Lounge, featuring the rapidly rising DJ Robb Blak and others.
(FREE)

Right downtown at new club Thee Grotto behind Bank of America Plaza, NLP DJ's Matrix, J-Dub & David Selgado open for FACTORe (USA). They have their full liquor license too now!
($5 until 11pm, then $10)