DS Update: Cold Impacts Nightly Entertainment

It was a cold night last night in Disney Springs, but let's cross the No. 5 Bridge anyway to check out the fun!

First stop was the Waterview Stage on Pleasure Island!

Nicholas Marks was performing with his gypsy guitar.

I commented to him that he was one of the original entertainers on the Island in the post-club era and he kind of shocked me when he said he's on his 6th contract which means 6 years.  While we all well know that the clubs closed over seven years ago, his statement really brought things into perspective!

With temps in the upper 40's, the crowd was a bit spartan.

I think this was Nova Era performing Classical at the Lily Pad Stage in front of the soon-to-close Fulton's Crab House.

The group along with their alter-ego Nova Pop, have also been performing on the Island for 6 years.

Over at the Waterside Stage in Marketplace, DJ Robbie G was trying to lead the Kid's Dance Party.

But there were fewer people here than anywhere else last night!

Too cold though and I think they ended all the entertainment at 8PM.

Over on the West Side, Evan Taylor Jones was singing Top 40 Classics near Starbucks at the Highline Stage.

But the best find of the night was DJ Freefall (USA) at Exposition Park (formerly Food Truck Park)!  Of course we know Freefall from downtown clubs as well as EPCOT: Japan this past NYE!

He was playing EDM during my visit and the kids and teens who were not at the Kid's Dance Party in the Marketplace were over here!

Tune into the Blog this Friday when we cover a different kind of entertainment that came on after DJ Freefall's set finished.  It was a lot of fun!

Despite the cold, a good time was had by all!

This Weekend In Techno Town

TONIGHT - WEDNESDAY FEB 10
First time back in Orlando since EDC 2013, DJ phenom Madeon (F) is performing tonight at The Plaza Live.  Tickets still available.  Electrohouse & Progressive House

THURSDAY FEB 11
Producing an amazing sound of their own at EDC Orlando 2015, DJ duo Cocodrills (USA) returns to town tomorrow night at Tier Nightclub! House & Electrohouse 

FRIDAY FEB 12
The Groove at Universal CityWalk sees the return of Tampa's DJ Tone this Friday night. Always draws a large crowd!  EDM & Top 40

Friday also has "Lost in Trancelation" at Bikkuri Lounge with DJ Ben Nickey (GB) joining Suzy Solar (USA)! Trance

Dubstep still lives and will draw a non-Disney crowd Friday night at House of Blues in Disney Springs, with Excision (CDN) & Figure (USA).
Dubstep

SATURDAY FEB 13
Another great night for Trance fans with the Anjunabeats Tour lineup of Grum (GB), Ilan Bluestone (GB) & Jason Ross (USA) at Gilt Nightclub! Trance

She's overdue in Orlando but the Amphitheatre is Tampa gets Blog-favorite DJ Baby Anne (USA) this Saturday night! With resident DJ Basomatik. Breaks/EDM 

Closer to home, DJ Dave London joins Shade K & Beni Hill at Peek Downtown! Breaks

PI Update: The Mystery Building

This is 8TRAX and the corner of Mannequins in November, 2014 which is prior to the conversion of MDP into Morimoto Asia.

We now know of course that Morimoto's kitchens run into what was once 8TRAX. As you can see, it runs all the way to that round gray structure which housed the circular back stairs in 8TRAX that hardly anyone used.

It's still there and apparently contains emergency exit stairs from Morimoto's upstairs.

But just around the corner from the circular structure is this mystery structure, pictured here in October, 2014.

And pictured here again on a brighter day one month later.  For those of you keeping score at home, this appears to be Parcel C18 on the Disney Springs map and that's the new restroom complex up behind it and a service yard to the left of it.

We know that Morimoto doesn't take up all of 8TRAX and we don't think Art of Shaving takes up all of the rest of it. C18 was newly built in 2014 and remains unoccupied.  To our knowledge, it's without an announced tenant.

One last view from the Pleasure Island parking lot. Unfortunately, building construction in Disney Springs Town Center has now long-blocked views of the mystery building and we have no recent photographs of the place!

PI Update: Adventurers Club Memories

The truth is that I was not a big Adventurers Club fan back when Pleasure Island clubs operated.  I can only recall going in there twice during all my years at PI.  I enjoyed the wacky fun but in the back of my mind I feared I was missing out on even greater fun over at Mannequins!

But as much as PI fans bemoaned the loss of Mannequins, 8TRAX & Motion, there was no one more vocal than Adventurers Club fans!

Since then I've learned what a following this place had.....and has!

Some of the exterior fun!

The front yard was full of artifacts collected by the club from their adventuring.

Even after the club closed, most of these items remained outside for years.

There was no place like it!

On the one year anniversary of the closure, there was a special show put on in the club for AC fans.  It was one of the last events ever in this building.

Since then, the AC cast has returned for several special engagements such as the Pleasure Island Rewind in November, 2014 (link) and the show above this past New Years Eve.  Enjoy!  Special thanks to Blog reader Shawn Tucker for the hook-up!

Club Reports: Independent Bar, Treehouse, Gilt Nightclub

After recent weekends in Canada and Argentina, it was great to be home on a Saturday night so I could visit my favorites.  Like Independent Bar!

Saturday nights at I-Bar mean DJ Indie John is in the booth.....

.....the floor is packed.....

.....and everyone is dancing to early to mid-80's New Wave!

Spotted in the booth with John: Blog favorites CJ & Ah-Sandra.

Later joined by Leah & DeAnn!

It's the music where everybody knows the words!

Locate the stairs and climb-up into the Treehouse!

Very small room but always crowded!  No DJ, just background music.

Of course the main attraction at Treehouse is grabbing a drink and chilling picnic-style down on the grass floor!

Although you can stand if you prefer.

Next stop Gilt Nightclub over near airport ORL.

DJ Alex Wood was in the booth when I arrived.

Cold night, rainy night, Candyland playing at Venue 578.  I thought I would be here with 5 other people but omg, the place was packed!

And at 12:40AM, there he was!  DJ Claptone (D).

And for the next two hours he would put on an amazing all-House set of music!

Just about all non-vocal House, people were bouncing all over the place!

Yes they were!

Packed to the rafters!  Who knew?

Claptone is from Berlin, a city I used to live in as a child when my father was in the U.S. Army stationed there.

True fans brought their Claptone masks!

The peeps want House music.

You can never go wrong with Go Go girls!

Like I said!

Playing hit "Cream".

A good time was had by all!