Rock Fight Threatens to Return to Destroy Orlando

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What you need to know is Rock Fight is the best and worst show event of the year and if you are in the Central Florida area you need to go! It returns Friday April 13th at Wills Pub in Orlando, Florida. It’s like American Idol but for punks, rock & rollers and maybe even some troublemakers. A bunch of brand new or fake bands will play three songs and be judges by a panel of punks, rock and rollers and maybe some troublemakers. Will they love it? Will they hate it and humiliate them? So far there’s been one named band: The Richard Spencer Blues Explosion. See where I am going?

The last Rock Fight somehow the band Kristin Howard was in (Nasty Paps) were the winners/losers. Some will say Gay Love was robbed. They may be right but things don’t go the way they should.

A lot of other bands went on to become real bands after Rock Fight so amidst the chaos you might see the superstars of tomorrow. Hot Hands made their their debut at Rock Fight way back in 2006. Others include Melt Face, Blood Laser, Gooch and the Pervs, Me Chinese and some others I can’t remember.

What: Rock Fight
Where: Wills Pub – Orlando, FL. 1042 N Mills Ave.
When: 9pm, $5
How much: Free

Facebook Event Page.

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Lindsey Mills / Tele & The Ghost of Our Lord / Ella Herrera / Harsh Radish @ Lil Indies – Orlando, FL.

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Saturday March 24, 2018
@ Lil Indies – Orlando, Florida.
Review, photographs and video by Jeffrey Howard.

On the way back from a tour out West, including a stop for SXSW, West Palm Beach singer Lindsey Mills‘s last stop came through Orlando winding up at Lil Indies. Although she’s had a high profile gig the last two and a half years as bassist with Surfer Blood, Lindsey has a long solo career and releases her music on her label, Salt Witch Records.

Opening the show was Orlando’s Harsh Radish, a solo venture by Russell Parker that develops the relationship between pop and digital sounds. I’m pretty sure this was my first time seeing him. It reminded me a lot of Shoestrings, the 90’s twee pop band, a reference that may be lost to current musical happenings but the spirit is alive and well.

Not advertised on the show flyer was singer/songwriter Ella Herrera. At first I thought she was part of Lindsey Mills band but no, they were just on tour together. For the past few years she’s been performing and honing her skills down South. Her performance pretty much stole the show for me. Solo artists can often fall flat but Herrera manages to be so honest and engaging it is impossible to turn away. Great stuff here!

Making a much needed return is the latest incarnation of Telethon, brainchild of long-time creative Matt Kamm. This time out it’s called Tele & The Ghost of Our Lord and it really packs a whallop. A new 7″ single “Dwell” came out the end of last year and were invited to perform at International Noise Fest in Miami this past February. That gave way to more shows including this low key hometown return show. From all indications Tele is hitting hard right out of the gate. Ranging from smooth grooves to abrasive thumps, the band takes a rock and roll trip to the moon and back. Hang on and bring your space suit!

There is a video from Tele & The Ghost of Our Lord from this show at the bottom of the page after the photographs.

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Bloodshot Bill / The WildTones Florida 2017 Tour Dates

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Bloodshot Bill / The WildTones Florida Tour:

Thursday March 2. Orlando, FL
@ Wills Pub. Event Page.

Friday March 3. St. Petersburg, FL.
@ The Bends. 919 1st Avenue N. Event Page.

Saturday March 4. Miami, FL.
@ Gramps. 176 NW 24th Ave. Event Page.

Sunday March 5. St. Augustine, FL.
@ Sarbez. 115 Anatasia Blvd. Event Page.

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Kristin Howard, drummer from Hot Hands, has joined The WildTones (pictured above, photo by Jim Leatherman).

Kick Bright Death Cab For Cutie polaroid published in Billboard Magazine

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A photograph of mine will be published in Billboard Magazine in relation to the Pulse mass shooting in Orlando. It will be in the July 2nd issue on newsstands everywhere. The online version is at the link below.

It’s for an article detailing the history of the building before Pulse when it was called Dante’s. A lot of bands, famous and not so famous, played there including Death Cab For Cutie, Groovie Ghoulies, New Roman Times and Oxes. If you are a long time Kick Bright reader then you remember many show reports from there.

Pictured (left) is all the members of Timonium, Swirlies, Brittle Stars and myself just outside the main entrance of Dante’s/Pulse Nightclub in 2000.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/7415644/pulse-nightclub-orlando-history-music-scene-tragedy

Bloodshot Bill, Dex Romweber, The Hooten Hollers Show Report

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Bloodshot Bill, Dex Romweber, The Hooten Hollers
@ Wills Pub. Thursday January 21, 2016
Show report and photographs by Jeffrey Howard.

The Hooten Hollers were already playing by the time I could get to Wills Pub. Their lineup of guitar, drums and baritone saxophone is cool. I really like when bands take on the traditional rock and roll roster of guitar/drums/bass. They were raw and fun.

Taking things even more minimal was garage rock statesman Dex Romweber, who was armed with only a Silvertone guitar and a ’68 Conn 500 amplifier. The man loves the music and it shows, not from every right and wrong note but radiates out from soul. Even when he concluded his set and turned off his amp he remained onstage with his back turned still playing a song to himself. You know that’s for fucking real.

Canada’s  Bloodshot Bill usually performs as a one-man band. Or as he calls it a “one man banned”. This Florida tour he enlisted his friends Nadeem Khan (The WildTones, The Delusionaires) and Joshua Johnson (Wahyas). Basically, it’s Tandoori Knights without King Khan. They ripped it up onstage and ended with an encore bringing Dex Romweber onstage on guitar.

Previously on Kick Bright: Tandoori Knights // Bloodshot Bill.

Photographs from the show:

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The Hooten Hollars.

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Dex Romweber.

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Nadeem Khan and Joshua Johnson from Bloodshot Bill.

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Bloodshot Bill.

AdamTheWoo stops by Kick Bright Shop and films a video.

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YouTube superstar AdamTheWoo is visiting Orlando this week and stopped by Kick Bright Shop and Buttons and filmed his Daily Woo video at Artegon Marketplace. Adam is a longtime friend of mine. We met back in The Hot Six days, the early 2000s, when our bands had practice spaces next to each other and played shows together. A few years ago we filmed a filming locations video together for the Orlando-made movie D.A.R.Y.L., one of my favorite movies growing up.

Adam is having a meet up this Saturday January 23rd at 3pm at Fun Spot on International Drive. He’ll have some special buttons to hand out to everyone who attends. Guess where he’s getting them made? See ya there!