EDC Update: Pre-Party Tonight

Even if you're not going to EDC next weekend,  you can still attend this pre-party tonight at Wall Street Plaza! The lineup includes DJ Nela, DJ Scotty B and DJ Sleepy Panda!

DS Update: Still Not Open

Ron Jon Surf Shop in Disney Springs Town Center now has a sign.....but it's still not open.
No opening date has been announced.

Firestone Update: It's Coming Back!

Even though this old sign is currently just a shell, spotting it along Orange Avenue brings back a flood of memories. Whether you knew it as Firestone, Club at Firestone, Firestone Live, Venue 578 or all of them, there is excitement growing because it's coming back!

When the building actually housed a Firestone Tire dealership and Texaco gas station early last century, this was the business office. In clubbing years, it was The Den section of the club and you could count on great often-local DJ's playing in the small room. It's still here.

Located where the prior main doorway was located along Orange Avenue, renovations have turned the formerly grungy area into a modern entrance.

And a new stairway leads to another area above the entrance.

Closer to the intersection with Concord Street, another entrance area at the base of those stairs.

Taking a peek in.

Making the turn and looking west along Concord Street, we see numerous doors facing north with a large balcony above it.

Looking back towards those stairs.

Outside The Den we often found additional DJ's playing outdoors here in the smokers corner. With a new modern fence installed, it looks like it could serve that purpose again. And perhaps above it in that new balcony area.

Coming inside from the Concord Street side and looking left, we can see The Den area in the left corner. The walls that the room shared with the club have been removed so that seems to eliminate the possibility of having separate music than what is playing in the main room.

Looking straight ahead towards the south, the main room. We see the familiar upstairs from which many used to watch the action below. Towards the left corner, a new set of stairs heads up there. Below those stairs, the familiar Mens & Womens WC where all kinds of shit used to go on, literally and figuratively!  At the near right, another set of stairs that might lead to the stage?

Moving around those near stairs, more of the main room. That back wall downstairs used to be raised for a VIP area and the main bar. That back wall upstairs in the corner was home to the lighting tech booth. It appears from the blueprints published by Bungalower.com here show that the raised stage will be along that back wall.

Construction progress is moving slow, in my opinion.  I can't see it opening until mid-2020 at the soonest. We'll see if it keeps its most-recent name, Vanguard. But it's coming back and we're excited about that.  Stay tuned to the Blog for future progress.

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY OCT 31
DJ Henry Fong (USA)     Celine     House

THURSDAY OCT 31
DJ Shiba San (F), Walker & Royce (USA)     Central Florida Fairgrounds     House / Dirtybird House

FRIDAY NOV 1
DJ Paco Asuna (E)     Celine     House / Tech House

FRIDAY NOV 1
DJ Three (USA), DJ Atnarko (USA)     Iron Cow     House

SATURDAY NOV 2
DJ Don Diablo (NL)     Gilt Nightclub     House / EDM

SATURDAY NOV 2
DJ Louis The Child (USA), DJ What So Not (AUS)     Orlando Amphitheater     House

Dolly Parton EDM Video

Is there anything that Country music singer Dolly Parton (USA) can't do? On this new music video, she has teamed up with DJ duo Galantis (S) for an EDM song. It also features vocals from Mr. Probz (NL). Not bad!

PI Update: Sentinel Photo Essay

This past week the Orlando Sentinel in their online edition ran a photo essay of our favorite Island in the world. In case you missed it, you can find it here. Since I only began hanging out at Pleasure Island around the year 2000 when my job relocated me here, there are many pictures of things that I don't recognize because they predate my years there. Hopefully the Island will rise again!

Concert Report: The Chainsmokers (Amway Center)

First time back at Amway Center for a concert since Elton John (GB) earlier this year.

The arena was mostly full although there were plenty of empties too.

Had to sit through an opening act by poprock boy band 5 Seconds Of Summer (AUS) whom I had never heard of nor their songs.

The girls sitting near me in the nosebleed section of Amway both knew them and their songs and everyone was singing in unison! Well, nearly everyone.

I somehow survived and then there they were, the reason for being here! Drew and Alex are.....

The Chainsmokers (USA)

Unfortunately my contact at Amway had the night off so he was not able to get us down onto the floor next to the stage. Oh the indignity of it.

Singing "Roses". Not sure if that was vocalist Rozes who sings on the hit song or Lennon Stella who was advertised on the playbill last night.

 

The lasers were flying!

Drew singing from a suspended metal sphere.

And later a Cirque-style performance of 3 motorcycles spinning from within the globe! Unlike the DJ sets I've seen, there was also a live drummer.

Near the end of the 90-minute performance, 5SOS came back out to perform a song with The Chainsmokers. Sadly, TCS did not perform the song that really brought them into prominence, the 2014 hit "Selfie".

I was considerable closer when I saw them in Las Vegas this year at XS here.
And in December 2016 at House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista here. 
And at the UCF's CFE Arena in early 2016 here with Daya.

But despite the distance, a good time was had by all.

Concert Report: Leaders Of The True School 3.0 (Ace Cafe)

A good time was had by all last night at the 3rd edition of "Leaders of the True School 3.0" and the Blog was there. We have dozens and dozens of photos and we've posted them on our sister website Orlando Entertainment News.

EDC Update: Calm Before The Storm

This is the grounds of Camping World Stadium where 2 weeks from today the world will come calling for the 9th edition of Electric Daisy Carnival - Orlando.

In the outfield of what used to be baseball stadium Tinker Field, no construction activity yet for the circuitGROUNDS stage. During 7 of the past 8 editions of EDC-Orlando, this area west of the stadium was home to the kineticFIELD main stage. But this year, the main stage is moving!

The kineticFIELD main stage this year is so huge that it's being moved to a former parking lot area east of the stadium. No stage construction yet but piles of dirt are being brought in to smooth the area.

Also east of the stadium but closer to SR408, this grassy area is also a former parking lot but last year and the year prior was home to the circuitGROUNDS stage.

And apparently those two former parking lots are being combined into one large field to support the thousands who will stand here for the most famous of DJ's playing the main stage. The chain link fences around both lots have been removed and Colyer Street that runs between them has been covered with sand. My guess is the kineticFIELD main stage will be at the south end of the combined field facing north and away from SR408 but we really don't know yet.  What we do know is that up to 250,000 electronic music fans are expected this year!
EDC-Orlando is happening on November 8-9-10.

AAHZ Is Back!

Return again to the land of AAHZ on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday November 27th at The Beacham. Of course original AAHZ members DJ's Kimball Collins & Dave Cannalte will be there. And they're joined this year by DJ Icey and DJ Baby Anne! It should be another amazing show!
Super Early Bird Advance Pre-Sale tickets are available here. 
Very limited but why pay more?

This Weekend In Techno Town

FRIDAY OCT 25
Leaders of The True School 3.0     Ace Cafe     Breaks / Electro

FRIDAY OCT 25
DJ Deraout (CO) & DJ Carlos Mendoza (USA)     Henao Event Center     Progressive House

SATURDAY OCT 26
The Chainsmokers (USA)     Amway Center     EDM

SATURDAY OCT 26
DJ Diana Montoya (USA)     Elixir Bar     House

SUN OCT 27
DJ Ivano Bellini (F/USA)     The Patio     House / Electro House

EDC Update: Almost Sold Out!

The 9th Edition of Electric Daisy Carnival - Orlando is 90% sold out!
If you're going for the entire festival or just for a single day, there is no more time to debate the subject. Get your tickets NOW! 
Link: https://orlando.electricdaisycarnival.com/