Club Reports: Suite B Lounge, Firestone Live

Didn't expect all that many people out this Saturday night considering we're just a few days past New Year Eve but such was not the case at two venues visited last night beginning with Suite B Lounge!

Have seen his name on a lot of rosters but first time hearing opening DJ Monet on the boards playing a Miami-style House mix!

With headliner DJ Donnie Lowe (Club Space - Miami) coming on around 12:!5am!

Continuing with a Miami-style House mix you won't hear anywhere else in Orlando except perhaps at Sound Bar!

Dancing to the music!

Full dance floor; not packed like we've seen on some Saturday nights but hardly empty either!

Definitely getting into the music!

Always great music at Suite B and for the new year they've added new lighting equipment and lasers! New speakers coming, an entirely new DJ booth and finally a lighting truss over the dance floor.

Moving over to Firestone Live.

Making it just in time for the 1am arrival of DJ duo Solidisco (USA).

Opening with a very recognizable set of 70's Disco fused to House music, as advertised!

Another crowded dance floor, but not packed.

After a set of definite 70's Disco music, they moved into Krewella and a regular commercial House/Dance music set.

No one was complaining!

So I think the Disco part is just a gimmick of theirs.

Draw people with their fusion of Disco and House but then play a normal set of current EDM you could hear from anyone.

If you want real Disco, stay tuned to our 8TRAX Reunion announcement coming soon!

Nonetheless, encouraging that so many people come out to hear this retired music genre and in the end, a good time was had by all!

Solidisco Tonight at Firestone Live

It was no accident early last year when Daft Punk (F) issued a new album that was heavy on the sound of 70's Disco & Funk. As electronic dance music continues to evolve in numerous directions, one of those directions is the relatively complicated rhythms of Disco mixed with the sound of House music. Tonight DJ duo Solidisco (USA) performs for the first time ever in Orlando at Firestone Live.  Admission ranges from $5-10 and Ladies 21+ are free until midnight!
  https://soundcloud.com/solidisco/dayofthedead

Would You Be My Friend? (Please)

Ok, I've finally gone and done it!  After years of delays, diversions and stall tactics, yours truly has finally gotten an iPhone and a Facebook page.  Not sure what to do with either of them but everyone kept telling me that both were needed to live a modern life.  So some day soon you may see breaking news on Pleasure Island, live as it happens, taken with my camera phone and posted immediately on my Facebook.  Wouldn't that be special.  But first I have to learn how to use both!

In the meanwhile, I'm told I need Facebook friends.  Would you be my Facebook friend?  My Facebook name is King Bob and you can search for me on Facebook by using King Bob Orlando or you can go to my page directly at:

https://www.facebook.com/king.bob.7505?fref=ts   Thank you for your consideration.  Pals forever, King Bob

CW Update: Groove Tales

Rumor and mystery coming from The Groove this past week at Universal CityWalk so let's get you updated! 

1) The website Screamscape published a rumor that The Groove would be closing down in mid to late 2014 "for a possible new CityWalk project". No other details came with that rumor.  I've not been out to CityWalk since that was published to inquire but I make these observations.  First of all, Screamscape is a rumor aggregator so they'll publish anything credible given to them, even if it's speculation. That's fine; they've repeated things the Blog has published.  Second of all, they recently published the rumor that the new Mexican restaurant Antojitos was actually going to be Jekyll & Hyde Club which turned out to be false.  Nonetheless, this new rumor about The Groove could have validity.  During the past year CityWalk has invested good money into TG with new lighting, sound, lasers, etc.  Unlike Disney, at Universal one hand does know what the other hand is doing and they would not have invested that if there were plans to shutter it.  But that does not preclude it being closed and renovated into a new club.  The Groove's "old theater" theming has been there since its inception and a modernization could be what's coming!  And that would be an awesome development!

2)  For years the DJ contract at The Groove has been held by DJ AJ's company with all DJ's there and at most other CityWalk locations working through his contract.  Sources tell Save Pleasure Island Blog that AJ has lost the contract for The Groove, at least for the next three months, and instead entertainment at TG will be provided exclusively by Electromagic. (EM)  This is something that had already been building.  Most Saturday nights had already been taken over by EM and you'll recall the great EDM DJ's they had there last summer such as DJ Mondo.  I think Fridays with DJ ET are part of that trend as well.  So now EM will run all nights there so look for a lot of new DJ's to be appearing.  EM is owned by Jim Robinson of Promo Only fame so hopefully this means we'll be hearing a lot more EDM there.  By the way, DJ Mondo writes The Blog to say he'll be appearing in The Groove on Saturday, January 18th and then monthly. Mannequins fans , The Groove is where you need to be that night!

3) Lastly, sources tell The Blog that a DJ booth is going into Antojitos, the new Mexican restaurant that has taken over the old Latin Quarter space.  DJ Leony and his Latin nights will be moving in there from their temporary home in Red Coconut Club once that is finished. And that would be a great development!                                                 

Club Report: EPCOT Italy

Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat.  New Years Eve, EPCOT-Italy, DJ Mark Sanchez, Repeat!

The Italian piazza packed as far at the eye could see!

Mark Sanchez (Firestone Live, Club V) playing "85% Euro Techno-Pop", lol!

While the lasers were flying!!

It was like partying under the stars in Venezia itself!

The music was all stuff you'd recognize from EDM radio stations although he surprised me with some Breakbeats in there too!

Dancing in all the corners!

Spotted: Blog reader ClubMaster with fiance'!

Forget Hip Hop, the peeps want techno! The term "techno" is used here as the generic term for electronic dance music, not as the specific electronic dance music genre known as "Techno".

After intermission for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, the music resumed with a couple dozen partiers occupying the DJ podium. Disney Security had to chase them off.

Italy has the most elaborate DJ stage in EPCOT on NYE. His post-fireworks set was more Progressive House than the House/Dance he was playing earlier.

Sanchez hinted that he might be more active on the local DJ scene this coming year!

Because in EPCOT last night, a good time was had by all!

Happy New Year everyone!

Club Report: EPCOT China

Crossing the International Date Line and landing next in China and finding favorite DJ Dominick Morrison (Mannequins, Sky60, Vintage, Vixen) on the decks playing "Asian Techno-Pop", lol!

The plaza was packed all the way over to the water!

Dominick was the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night DJ at Mannequins Dance Palace on beautiful Pleasure Island!!

Most of the time you'll find Chinese acrobats out here.  On NYE, you'll find this smoke-belching dragon breathing down on the dancers!

Morrison recently ended a 5-year residency at Vintage Lounge but can still be found at Sky60.

There were technical difficulties with the flame shooters but the music carried on!

As you can see, still jammed way back from the DJ booth!

And a good time was had by all!

Club Report: EPCOT American Gardens Theater

The DJ instructions at American Gardens Theater was to play 90% Latin tunes and 10% Top 40. So my visit was limited to this quick picture during my walk over to Italy.  Live band playing to a very, very packed dance floor!  I didn't have time to venture into it.

Club Report: EPCOT United Kingdom

New Years Eve at EPCOT and taking a trip around the world to check out the entertainment!  Resident band British Revolution was playing British hits such as this Pink Floyd tune in the gazebo at United Kingdom.

New this year was the addition of a DJ to play between sets. In the booth we found DJ Dave Griffiths playing 60's to Current UK tunes.

There was a large crowd in the courtyard but they seemed just a bit lethargic! They sported "is it midnight yet?" looks.

While the teens wished they were dancing instead at Italy!

Club Report: Atlantic Dance Hall

Dropped in at Atlantic Dance Hall too last night to see what was happening. Coverage will limited to this picture of DJ Tony Z (Planet Hollywood, Le Rouge) on the boards playing off the request list including Top 40, Dance, 90's, Hip Hop and line dances.  As it was before 10pm there weren't all that many people in the place yet. The glory days of the ADH NYE party were back when it was advertised and it was a hard-ticketed event you had to buy ahead of time otherwise you weren't getting in because it was sold out.  Nowadays it is barely advertised and no one knows about it; you have to call and make reservations through Disney Dining. May not matter for next year.  Isn't 2014 the year Disney's contract expires with the Swan and Dolphin hotels to run a night club for them?

Club Report: Boardwalk Family Party

New Years Eve at Walt Disney World and the Blog begins coverage with a visit to Disney's Boardwalk Resort and their family dance party on the rear lawn.  DJ Tony B (Atlantic Dance Hall, Motion, Rock'n'Roll Beach Club, PI Live, The Groove) was in the booth!

I passed through early so there wasn't a very large crowd yet on this chilly year-ending evening. But the boardwalk itself was pretty crowded with people enjoying the dining options and amusement park games!

The music was Top 40 with line dances to come! Always fun times with Tony B!