Nocturnal Vibe by Doug Van Sant
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Catching A Break
With the big Gasparilla festival on the horizon, I figured the party scene of Tampa would take a little break during the weeks leading up. Boy was I mistaken. This past weekend was hardcore in the most literal sense. Doc Martin threw down a decent set at Floyd's, but it was the bartenders that stole the show. They had our crew and many others enjoying the night well past 5 a.m. You know it's a good night when you find yourself having breakfast at The Green Room and watching the sunrise. On Saturday, DJ Icey kicked up some very funky breaks at the Amphitheater, while Chad Neiro went soulful at the Hyde Park Cafe. I found myself running a balancing act between all these venues while searching for energy to see Deiselboy on Sunday night at Empire. Thankfully I survived. But now it's time to start planning yet another weekend of activities.
Before I go into our party report for the week, I wanted to tell you about a new venue opening in Ybor. World famous Whiskey Park/HPC bartender Alex Gilmore noticed a void of a good intimate live music lounge that blended various forms of culture and entertainment. So Alex found a partner and has opened On The Rocks, a live lounge and martini bar in the heart of Ybor City. On The Rocks kicks things off Thursday, January 20th with the Damon Fowler Group. Doors open at 9, with the exciting Blues group getting things started at 10. If you can't make this gig, no worries! On The Rocks will host their official Grand Opening party next weekend, January 29th. On The Rocks is located on 17th St. between 7th and 8th Ave, in Ybor. I'll bring you a full report and photo gallery after tonight, so stay tuned.
On a fashion note, there is some interesting news to come out of SoHo. Urban Body, the upscale trendy men's boutique was selected to be an exclusive Ben Sherman retailer. Now you might be asking, what's this got to do with nightlife? Easy...nightlife is all about the fashion. How many of you spend hours thinking of what to wear. Oh yeah, it's not just the ladies trying to look good these days. I've become a big fan of Urban Body, because they feature styles and designers just a bit different from what you'll find at the local malls. You can buy a very cool Ben Sherman dress shirt and know that you'll probably be the only guy in Tampa with that very shirt. Trust me, we've all had that moment out at the club wearing our new Banana Republic shirt. We think we have our couture down until some other guy walks by wearing the same thing. Won't happen if you shop at Urban Body, because owner Scott Moore makes sure he only buys a few selections of each style.
So what's the deal with Urban Body and Ben Sherman? Well, the famous British designer is pulling their lines from major retailers around the nation. They are starting a new campaign that named 20 smaller retailers around the country as "Big Ben Retailers." There were four stores in the state of Florida and two are located on the I-4 corridor. Both Urban Body shops in Orlando and here in Tampa are on that list and will be the only shop in town to feature the latest lines of Ben Sherman. Not to shabby for Tampa or SoHo.
So now you want to know where the hottest party is this weekend. You've got fashion on your mind, ladies in your sights, and dance music in your ears. There is only one place that will fit the bill this weekend, and that's The Amphitheater in Ybor. John Santoro has done it again, putting together a line up featuring Sarasota break masters Agent K and Deuce, Saturday, January 22. If you like to dance and you like bass heavy beats and remixes, these guys won't disappoint. The two have become famous for their 4-turntable sessions, giving visions of LTJ Bukem on a multi-vinyl rage. As always, opening for the night are two of the finest residents in Ybor, DJ Kidd Leow and Mondo. Now that you're interested, be sure to check out my exclusive review from Clubland, or visit them online at Amphitheaterybor.com. Of course, we've made sure to highlight past shows in our Amp photo galleries.
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