Weekend Recommendations — New Year’s Edition
by DANIEL VEINTIMILLA
Ah! The end of the year, nothing like the thought of freshly neurotic and soon-to-be-disregarded New Year’s resolutions. Jeez, I’m sure there are many more crucial events I’ve overlooked, and I apologize in advance for not picking your event. But here’s a reasonable list with a little bit of everything happening the final weekend of the year. Let’s get joyful, and everyone have a prosperous new year!
It’s a good time to join the St. Pete Women’s Collective. They are having their Open House + Membership Meetup today, Friday, Dec. 29, from 3 to 7 p.m. If you need space to work, co-work or collaborate with some awesome women from the local arts community, this is the place to be. No, really if you consider yourself a boss lady hop on the train. Membership info available at stpetewomenscollective.com/join
Craving down-to-goodness live acoustic melodies? Oak Hay should be a sure bet 7 p.m. at Crooked Thumb in Safety Harbor tonight. I had to include a Safety Harbor event ’cause I’m really digging that town lately. I love their brewery and I haven’t been there in a while. So, if you like to rumble with the Bluegrass, Oak Hay is a local acoustic trio that places mandolin and harmonica in the mix, and offers some righteous fiddle with a fun cover or two in between. Oh, another reason: food truck Got Lobstah? is going to feed hungry customers.
It cannot get any more cray cray than the last Bends show of the year. Head there tonight to finish off the year with The Golden Pelicans, The Sh-Booms & Gino & The Goons. The Golden Pelicans, from Colonialtown, Fla., are the embodiment of no-frills punk rock. The Sh-Booms are an energetic six-piece garage-soul band based in Orlando. Gino and the Goons Want You To Know That Their Punk Rock Will Wreck You. 21 and up; no cover.
For an earlier evening gig, get “Swifty” and listen to some Live Music w/ City In The Clouds & Food From The Raven at the Barley Mow tonight. Princeton band City in the Clouds play a style of music described as “float pop” — a product of the colorful lead guitar work of Ean “Luke London” Steinberger, the tasty keyboard and trumpet arrangements of Marcus Grey, the grooves of wildcard bassist Ryan Chavez and the sibling rivalry of Jackson and Brendan Marquardt (vocals/guitar and drums/backing vocals, respectively). They’re also former members of the Florida punk band Bet Me I’m Lying, who worked with R.E.M. producer Mitch Easter as well as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. 8-11 p.m.; The Raven Brewery & Eatery food stand will be operating 6-11 p.m.
If you are feeling creative, Blow Your Own Glass Ornament at Morean Glass Studio & Hot Shop starting at 10 a.m. Tomorrow or Sunday. The session is designed with the novice in mind, a unique one-on-one opportunity in Morean’s Hot Shop, which gives you the chance to work with a demonstration artist to learn the fundamentals of glass blowing. Participants create one hand-blown piece of glass art; the experience lasts up to 30 minutes. This is a recurring event so keep it in mind.
Take part in an excellent recurring literary event Saturday. Rare Book Café is a live weekly panel show on rare book collecting, conservation, sales and stories. Authors, dealers, and publishers are regulars at the Cafe table. Hosted by Florida Antiquarian Book Fair.
There are too many events happening New Year’s Eve, but we can you tell you briefly about a few options:
Learn about Dragon Egg Sculptures at Clearwater Public Library System Master Crafter Johannes Quilitz will show you how to make a Dragon Egg of your own! Online registration required. Please register each person separately. Minimum age to take part is 8 years old. Saturday, 2 p.m. Free.
Third-wave ska lovers: The Supervillains plays with Kash’d Out and UnMotivated at Jannus Live for the Saturday night reggae vibes.
New Year’s recommendations: Stick Martin will rock Bar@548. Cirque aerial performances dazzle at 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. at Casa Tina New Year’s traditions from Around the World. Celebrate the anniversary of one of the area’s best up-and-coming breweries at Arkane Aleworks New Years Eve Grandiversary. Vamos Gourmet Tampa Food Truck will be there noon-4:30. Flip’n Tasty Filipino Food Truck takes over 4:30-9 p.m., and Ramen & Waffles 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Transcendent sibling duo Chant the Trees performs 5-8 p.m. Veteran blues rocker Rick Hatfield takes over from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Festivities run until 2 a.m.
A Burg tradition, First Night St. Pete is an exciting evening of music and art presented at more than 20 venues throughout downtown. Of course there’s going to be Fireworks starting at 8 p.m. on Sunday, but there’s much more. One of the highlights includes a giant sea creature procession with aquatic beast puppets created in collaboration with the Morean Center for Clay. There’s also live music throughout the night with St. Petersburg Opera Company, Ryan Montbleau, Damon Fowler, Infinite Groove Orchestra, PCCA Jazz Band and The Muddy River Bottom Waders to name a few. There will also be a dance stage featuring Helen Hansen French and Dundu Dole Urban African Ballet. Experience Carmada’s art cars around town. There’s also cool art activities for the whole family with the NOMADstudio art bus. Click here to view full schedule.
