Club Reports: Cinco Block Parties, The Crow, Vain Nightclub, Peek Downtown

What a night last night in Orlando as the typical craziness that is Cinco de Mayo met up with a weekend night instead of falling mid-week!

My evening began early on New England Avenue in downtown Winter Park which was blocked-off from traffic and had a DJ playing. A mechanical bull ride was being offered!

In downtown Orlando, three streets were blocked off for street parties including Church Street which had a live band.

Big crowd in here dancing to Rock music.

Pine Street was also blocked between Court Street and Orange Avenue with food truck and a DJ.

Nice crowd in here too!

The biggest party of course is always on Wall Street!

Long, long lines to get in but lots of bar and club options once you there!

And a mechanical bull!

Haven't been to The Crow since they first opened and hardly anyone went there.

DJ RickyRico was in the booth playing old and new Hip Hop hits.

The dance floor was jammed!

Actually, the entire club was jammed!

Kind of a fun place and it definitely has a following now.

Vain Nightclub is now out of business. Sources say they were foreclosed upon earlier this week. I quit going here a few years ago because the place went completely Hip Hop and you know that's always a kiss of death.  Some of the DJ's I saw play in here before that included Paul Oakenfold (GB), Sultan & Ned Shepard (CDN), DJ Icey (USA), Morten Breum (DK), Starkillers (USA) and more!  Maybe we can get some better owners in here next time.

Always got to go to Peek Downtown!

DJ Beni Hill (USA) on the decks!

The bar was busy.

At this point, the dance floor wasn't.

At 1AM, The Freestylers (GB) took over!

Dance floor activity picked-up a bit.

Spotted on the mezzanine: DJ Rich D

Spotted by the booth: DJ CD Mack

Spotted by the door: Nikki, Jason & Cindy

Spotted on the dance floor: DJ Adambomb, DJ Funkbaby & Allyson

Wow! Spotted by the booth, Beni Hill's sister Glenda. No family resemblance!

Spotted in VIP: Tanyia

Delivering the Breaks!

Freestylers plays tonight in South Beach at Kill Your Idol for "Breaks Yo"!

Just a moderate-sized crowd on hand last night but they were energetic!

And a good time was had by all!

Amazing Memorial Weekend Sunday Night

Are you off on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th?  Check out these two amazing Sunday night options!

At Independent Bar, AAHZ presents the 2nd annual "Summer of Love" event featuring DJ's Kimball Collins, Dave Cannalte & Chris Fortier!  Last year's event was incredible; it was like AAHZ but in the much smaller, more intimate venue that is I-Bar. All your favorite AAHZ classics from the summers of 1988 through 1992 will be played!  Original MC Stace Bass will be there too! No advance tickets for this event so you best arrive early!  The admission price was not available at press time.  80's/90's Classics.

 

At House of Blues, DJ Magic Mike recreates his former Sunday night residency that is sure to pack the House!  They tried to do this last year but Disney cancelled it because everyone was talking like they were bringing back the axed Sunday Night Service Industry Night.  They're not. This is a paid ticketed event and CM's & Service Industry employees do not get in free. It's also 21+, not 18+.  But it's sure to be an amazing night!  $15. Advance tickets here.  EDM. 

Downtown Update: Church Street Coming Alive!

Back in 2012 the Blog did an article entitled "Nightmare on Church Street" to talk about all the empty spaces along our city's most famous street. Things were pretty bleak back then but in the last year we've begun to see more spaces get filled. So it was time to return to Church Street and give you an update!

First of all, you may recall this ancient parking garage located on the corner of Church Street and Hughey Avenue, directly north of Amway Center.  It's been razed!

With the garage gone, we can view the just vacated Orlando PD building at the rear which too will be torn down soon. Plans show the Orlando Magic building a festival marketplace type of complex here with restaurants, bars and shops! Let's hope this happens!

After being vacant for more than 7 years, the former home of Bliss Ultra Lounge and Phineas Phoggs Balloon Works before that has finally been leased!

Taking its name from the mascot names of both of Orlando's professional soccer teams, Lion's Pride will be a combination bar and restaurant...for soccer fans presumably!

The space is still being renovated and it will be opening soon. Hopefully they'll have drink specials every time a train rolls by on the adjacent tracks!

Also next to the tracks, Ferg's Depot is in the original Church Street train station built in the late 1800's for the Atlantic Coast Line. It's a bar featuring acoustic singers and sometimes live bands.  It's been open about a year now.

Last week we reported on Irish Shannon's, a bar with live bands occasionally.  It opened in the space vacated by The Dubliner Irish Social House.  That spot had been vacant for more than a year. Nightclub Antigua used to be in this space.

We also reported last week on The Bakery Bar in the alley location that was formerly home of Rok Room.  It features craft cocktails that taste like your favorite bakery desserts!

Lastly, let's end this at the corner of Church Street and Orange Avenue where Orlando's first Wahlburgers opened about a year ago. It's in the SunTrust building on that corner.

But it may become necessary to rename that intersection the corner of Happy & Healthy. Walgreens is opening soon on the ground floor of the building on the opposite corner across Church Street.  In all my years in Orlando, I've never seen anything in there. Get out your red noses!

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY MAY 4
With a much larger audience thanks to his show on Sirius/XM, DJ Claude VonStroke (USA) brings his Dirtybird label to Orlando tomorrow night, performing at Venue 578.  Techno / Tech House.

FRIDAY MAY 5
Another great show this weekend is DJ duo The Freestylers (GB) performing Friday night at Peek Downtown.  Breaks.

FRIDAY MAY 5
You'll find Cinco de Mayo parties on Wall Street, Pine Street & Church Street but it's only at Sandwich Bar that you'll find Cinco de Techno. Fast-paced lineup includes Carlos Mendoza & Elias R, Mathew Scot and many more! Free food & keg! Techno.

SATURDAY MAY 6
Following a near-fatal fall off a stage in Utrecht last year and doubts that he would ever perform again, he's back to work! And in the event of the weekend, Grammy-nominated DJ Paul van Dyk (D) performs Saturday night at Gilt Nightclub. Trance.

SATURDAY MAY 6
You never know which friends are going to drop by to assist DJ Jimmy Joslin (USA) but it's always a lot of fun! And admission is free too!  Peek Downtown.  Funky Breaks.

DS Update: Unique Fashion Stores

In its April edition which comes as a free supplement within the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Signature magazine visited a number of unique fashion stores you'll only find in Disney Springs Town Center.  Check it out!  Link here.

Breaking News: Sound Lion First To Close!

Blog reader Troy alerted us moments ago that the Sound Lion store has closed!  We called the store and confirmed that they have shut down and are not reopening elsewhere in Disney Springs. This is not the store we predicted would be the first to fail but it's two spots down. Located along Hill Street in the area where PI Live Bar and Changing Attitudes used to stand, it was one of the first new stores to open on Pleasure Island after renovations began. It lasted 2 years. 

We had speculated that at this early juncture Disney wouldn't let any of the new shops fail. While we don't know the circumstances surrounding this closure, it should send a message to others on the brink!

The History Of Pleasure Island

Defunctland is a long-standing series of videos located on YouTube that details many of the fascinating but no longer operational venues at Walt Disney World. Earlier this month they added "The History of Pleasure Island (Parts 1 & 2)".  These fast-paced videos give a great background to the development that became Pleasure Island.




I wish the author would have spent more time regarding the demise of Pleasure Island, something open to much opinion and speculation and of course the subject of much discussion here on the Blog. Perhaps that's something for a future video!