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Orlando Weekly •

Alice in Chains guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell is coming to Orlando and he wants blood

Jerry Cantrell is a creature of the night. "My fucking brain is a pain sometimes to shut off. I'm kind of a vampire by nature; I normally exist pretty late. I don't really go to sleep until about 4 or 5 in the morning. I've been living road hours my whole life, so I wake up about the crack of noon. I've always felt like those are some of my more creative hours because the brain is still turning at those late hours and if your head is keeping you up at night, maybe it's a good idea to ex...
Orlando Weekly •

Little Radical Theatrics stages ‘Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy’ in Orlando

Holy smokes, these nuns have moves. The feel-good musical Sister Act, based on the 1992 film of the same name, hits the stage at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts this weekend featuring the talents of local theater company Little Radicals Theatrics. Sister Act tells the story of disco diva Deloris Van Cartier, who is placed in protective custody in a convent after witnessing a murder on Christmas Eve. This production of the hit musical features original music by Osc...
Oviedo Community News •

Local business leaders prioritize customer loyalty in light of tariff changes

For Scott Silvey at Spirit Gear Unlimited, a custom printing service located on Remington Drive in Oviedo, the impact of tariffs on the economy is just another temporary disaster. 
SGU fared well through the COVID-19 pandemic with support from a company in China that supplied masks and hand sanitizer. When Hurricane Milton stormed through Central Florida in October of 2024, SGU gave out a hurricane discount. Now, Silvey is looking into the eye of a different storm: tariffs. He’s noticed simil...
Oviedo Community News •

Tiny Chuluota food pantry provides 1,000 critical meals and counting

A chorus of greetings from a dozen smiling volunteers ushered three small children inside the suite beside the Chuluota Grocery store, their mother trailing behind them.
“Go on and pick your chips,” one of the volunteers told them, helping the kids stuff grocery bags from boxes filled with potato chip varieties. Noticing how one of the children was unable to choose from the bin, a volunteer handed out a Frito-Lay variety mix box and told her she could take it home. Volunteers helped the mothe...
Orlando Weekly •

‘Friday the 13th’ actor and rocker Ari Lehman — aka First Jason — talks new music, genre fluidity and water safety

It's been 45 years since the world met "the boy in the lake," when the 1980 horror classic Friday the 13th released in theaters. But Jason Voorhees is now all grown up and touring with his metal band, First Jason.
The band's frontman and leading man is Ari Lehman, the songwriter, keytarist and actor best known for playing the first Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th. Think of a heavy metal version of Weird Al Yankovic and you've got Lehman.
Lehman — "pronounced like demon," he...
The Charge •

Leading senior at CREOL inducted into Order of Pegasus

Surrounded by family and peers, a senior optics and photonics major was inducted to the Order of Pegasus on Founders' Day during the Student Honors Celebration on April 2.As one of 37 inductees to receive UCF's highest honor for a student, Gabryella Baldaci shared her sentiment toward being awarded.
"I was very happy and nervous while waiting for my for my turn," Gabryella Baldaci said. "I don't remember much once I got on the stage."Her brother Cyro Baldaci, junior finance major, said h...
The Charge •

Prospective college students face potential academic setbacks from house bill

In hopes of earning scholarship money and college credit, Ashlyn Miller, an incoming UCF freshman planning to major in animal science, is preparing for her Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education exams.“I think that Florida state schools are expecting a higher caliber of students, and we look into these programs as a means of keeping up with the competitiveness,” Miller said. 
For high school students looking to be in a similar position as Miller, their plans may shift...
Orlando Weekly •

Florida band Flipturn play a two-night stand at the House of Blues this week and they've got new songs to share

Flipturn may have stormed into the mainstream as indie-rock contenders last year, but for local fans, the Floridian five-piece remains a success story of a group of friends who played college shows around the state.
Hailing from Fernandina Beach, a small island up the coast north of Jacksonville, Flipturn have grown out of playing local shows and are currently venturing out on a lengthy tour across North America and Europe.
See, this “indie sweat rock” band is no longer Florida’s little secret. Flipturn have made waves nationally, the former high-school garage band now playing for large crowds at music festivals all over.
Orlando Weekly •

Orlando rockers Magnolia Park play a vampy homecoming show at the Beacham

Rise, Orlando vampires, and enter Nocturne Nexus, a shadowed realm where an ancient darkness stirs.
This fictional urban cityscape sets the scene for Magnolia Park's new album, VAMP.
Orlando-native punk band Magnolia Park play a homecoming show at the Beacham Friday, with support from Hot Milk, South Arcade and Savage Hands. They're out on tour commemorating the album's release.
VAMP is an adventurous new chapter in Magnolia Park's discography, showing off bold songw...
The Charge •

UCF Biotechnology students form new STEM club

At the beginning of spring semester, sophomore biomedical sciences major Angelica Ceron attended a panel discussion hosted by the College of Medicine to introduce students to new advisors. There she met Sebastian Velez, senior biotechnology student, who would soon join forces in the formation of a new club.The Biotechnology Laboratory Society is a new STEM student organization at UCF. The club’s formation was a group effort, spearheaded by Velez. He noticed the current lab spaces in the classroo...
Orlando Weekly •

Senses' first headline tour brings them to Orlando

"Emo-friendly and punk-curious" — their words — rock band Senses are currently on the road in their first headline tour, dubbed "I'm Still Breathing," and it's bringing them to Orlando's Conduit this
week.
With support from MVSSIE and Negative 25, Senses take over Conduit Sunday. The tour commemorates the release of the band's eponymous second EP, which dropped last month.
The Los Angeles-based band initially formed in 2019 when lead singer and guitarist Madison Taylor post...
Orlando Weekly •

Local pageant queen Olivia Lauren speaks on ways to support the trans community

Monday, March 31, is International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual observance that uplifts transgender individuals and raises awareness that, despite political noise, these folks are our friends, neighbors, family and loved ones.
As Floridians grapple with legislation impacting LGBTQ+ rights, Trans Day of Visibility is an essential opportunity to spotlight transgender voices and show up and support Orlando's trans community. Recent executive orders targeting transgender and LGBTQ+...
Orlando Weekly •

Local vocalists Helena Collective revive ‘6/VIII,’ their tale of Henry Tudor's ill-fated wives

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.
The women of the Helena Collective, an all-female vocal ensemble, are reviving their award-winning production of 6/VIII: The Six Wives of Henry VIII to tell the ghostly tales of these ill-fated queens of England.
Helena Collective is composed of area vocalists from various opera and theater backgrounds. Members include Sarah Purser, Lizzy Ariza, Anna Eschbach, Samantha Barnes Daniel, Lynn Peghiny and Katie Pinder Brown....
Orlando Weekly •

Eclectic Milk District bar The Nook on Robinson toasts to seven years this weekend

Orlando bar The Nook on Robinson celebrates a big anniversary this weekend. The quirky and intimate neighborhood bar throws a "The Nook Turns 7" birthday bash on Saturday, March 1 — starting at 5 p.m. and stretching late into the night.

Co-owned by local creatives Mary McGinn and Matt Duke, the Nook is a neighborhood bar that specializes in Florida local beverages with a focus on craft beer.

Commemorating the birthday celebration, the Nook will be releasing new merchandise, including tote bags, pins and stickers designed by Duke.
Orlando Weekly •

Immerse brings everything from the Blue Man Group to the Merita Bread sign back to downtown Orlando

This weekend sees the long-awaited return of a three-day arts takeover of downtown Orlando — Creative City Project's signature Immerse performing arts festival. Following a three-year hiatus, Immerse is celebrating a 10th iteration as hundreds of performers and art installations turn 10 blocks of downtown Orlando into live stages and canvases.
Heading up this year's installment of Immerse are some very big names in the form of Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil and Broadway star and Orlando native Michael James Scott.
Leading Creative City Project's artistic direction, the organization's founder Cole NeSmith holds deep connections with Orlando-based creatives and a long history of giving those performers stages, both ad hoc and formal.
Orlando Weekly •

Ulysses Owens Jr. is back in Orlando with the 904 Jazz Organ Trio

Feted jazz drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. is returning to Orlando this week as a featured performer in Timucua Amplifies Black Voices programming. It's the Timucua Arts Foundation's performance series celebrating innovative regional Black artists.
For this return engagement at the Timucua house venue, Owens is joined by jazz guitar legend Barry Greene and award-winning Hammond B3 organist Pat Bianchi to play as the 904 Jazz Organ Trio.
The Charge •

Student Union shakes up restaurant lineup with the introduction of The Halal Shack

Ahead of finals week in the bustling Student Union, Steak 'n Shake sizzled one last steakburger at its UCF location.The UCF Student Union’s Steak 'n Shake closed operations Tuesday. 
In an Instagram post published Nov. 18, UCF Dining Services announced that it would be welcoming a new restaurant to the Student Union lineup.According to the post, The Halal Shack will open at the start of the upcoming spring semester and will serve a selection of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.“S...